A/N: Still on the lookout for feedback (And maybe a proofreader?) if anyone wishes to give it (Either through in-game mail or PMing here). Hope you enjoy reading this. 
Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V
"Aye if I can make i', tha' is... wha' day?" Penny asked, content to remain slumped by his side. The townsfolk in the square were slowly beginning to disperse as dusk darkened into the purple-blue colours of the early evening – Most of the noise they could hear came from the Comb and Wattle behind them, where the drunkards and revellers retired after a day’s hard work.
Every so often there was the clink of a toast, or the raising of angered voices.
“Still decidin'. I'm lookin' to make it a day where most people can make it.” He conceded, experiencing a brief bout of worry. He hadn’t yet caught up with Archiebald to discuss payment for the tools he’d sold, and Havaldr was an uncommon sight in the Pony these days. Minoc, Hutwig, and Eordion had somehow vanished from the list of patron regulars he knew, and Connwear had too, to some extent. Ameren, pregnant as she was, would be at home and likely have little time or will to drag her swollen belly over to the tavern.
Alex shrewdly mused over the idea of a pregnant Ameren coming to a party of drunk men and women and not being allowed to partake in the alcohol; He could clearly imagine her sitting in a rocking chair, eyeing the party-goers with an amused expression, making snappy remarks and sarcastic quips over whatever madness was going on in front of her. And, of course, holding a cup of honey-laced milk.
Cravings.
He considered himself blessed at not being able to bear children.
“Wouldn't do if we had half the people invited not show up, eh?” He remarked wryly, smirking.
Penny chuckled and nodded, “Aye, s'true enough I s'pose.”
Alex looked at Penny with a big grin, and then looked over his shoulder, noting that while the tavern was already bustling with activity, no one outside was near drunk enough to entertain the idea of performing random, galvanizing acts of silliness. Those sitting on the tables and benches were clutching their tankards and engaged in friendly, if not somewhat merry, chatter.
He quietly cleared his throat and put on a flirtatious tone, feeling in the mood for some frivolous banter, “'Sides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you 'round.”
Perlene smirked at him, having obviously caught onto his game as she smugly replied, “Aye, aye. I'll try ta make it if I can. Jus' been sa busy."
Alex nodded, mellowing down. The mention of her busy schedule was enough to make him forget about trying to playfully bait Penny into his fold, leaving something akin to dreariness at remembering the inevitability of reality and the slew of problems he’d been trying to forget all day, “Of course, don' blame ya fer all the busyness.”
He turned his eyes towards the now-deserted town square. Of course, as soon as he got back to the farm he would have to give a short explanation for his absence so he could placate his parents. Nowadays, it seemed like their fuses were shortening by the hour, setting them off for the smallest of slights. With Penny busy working, nothing could be done for their waning patience but constant excuses for why they had to put off meeting their future daughter-in-law. His mother’s hair was starting to grey in places where a normal woman in her mid-forties would still retain a semblance of colour.
His father’s fist was gradually beginning to close in on his face with each accusation of laziness.
Alex soured as he remembered the unlucky trysts of the past and the disappointed look in his parent’s faces. With each lover and prospective bride gone, he could see the lines in his father’s and mother’s faces hardening with disillusionment - Rhyva and Hwynne, whom he had left behind out of sheer panic and cowardice. Rumours had some merit to them, after all.
And now he was bringing in someone he had met on a whim, a simple, somewhat irresponsible serving girl who had enough trouble keeping her own family of five siblings fed. The whole situation reeked of desperation, and Alex was sure the irony of his choice was not lost on his parents.
He turned his head to peer at Penny, appreciating her presence and reminding himself of how much she was missed, and that she was under just as much scrutiny from her own siblings as he was from his mother and father. She had told him about her sisters’ disbelief at her engagement, something which she dismissed rather quickly, but if he had a say in it, he would have pointed out that vicious, protective little sisters were bad for his own health and often lead to severe cases of stolen clothes and manure thrown over his blankets.
Still, there was no denying that a part of him longed for a return to normalcy, a motherly figure for Lydea who could help raise her, and perhaps, with luck, a lifetime companion. He glanced up, taken by tenderness and a rush of affection for Penny’s willingness to commit, despite the rather irresponsible circumstances under which they’d found themselves engaged, and muttered, “S'nice though... seein' you here an' talkin'. Quiet moment o' respite I say, an' I couldn't give a damn about all the people starin' as they walk by.”
Notes: In-character references galore! Thank you very much for reading, anyone who's been to Combe in-game should be able to recognize where Alex and Penny are based off description.
