Toulon, France could not have been better suited for the pair.

The weather was impeccable; the warm, beaming sun paired with the fresh salt air was a great welcome after the dreadful winter (and likewise currently rainy) London had been facing. Addie had done all the event planning, dropping a few hints here and there in their owl exchanges about where she would be taking him on a holiday. They'd enjoyed the opera as one only can, but it was swimming in the oceans, eating comforting meals, enjoying one another and the company it brought that made the trip worthwhile. Addie had found out that Arrow was definitely more of a daredevil than what she had learned a month prior when he ate the escargot with little ease. She'd gagged, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

The holiday was only a few days in and Addie wasn't looking forward in going back to dreary London, not just yet.

The pair were currently on the beach again, a few magical wards set up to keep bugs away and to be able to laugh, make a ruckus if they damn well chose to. The picnic basket had opened to reveal a well packed lunch, courtesy of her grandparents, along with a note that the basket was for her to keep (and perhaps to keep this Irish rogue if he really was good at making their granddaughter happy). "Merlin's beard.... I swear everyone's bound to make me grow more than muscle if we continue eating like this...." she remarked as she pulled out a swiss cheese and ham galette and a decent bottle of wine. "Then again, the meals haven't been so bad, have they?"

Her eyes trailed over to her counterpart, eyebrow raised. "Aside the fact you like snails. Blech."

Not something that he was expecting.  Sure, she was fun to hang out with and they'd gone a few places together, but Arrow hadn't realized that she was slowly becoming something that he might get used to having around.  He'd never admit that though. And now, here he was in France, on the beach with a pretty girl and having the time of his life.

Arrow was propped up on one elbow, watching Addie as she pulled some food and a bottle of wine out the basket. They'd been enjoying some really good food and as much as he hated to admit it, he probably had gained a few pounds because of it.  "Nach bhfuil tú ag athrú[1] love." he whispered before laying down on his back, with one leg bent at the knee and the other straight out in front of him. "The food's been great."

Then she brought up the snails.  Truthfully he had wanted to spit them out as soon as he ate one, but why not, life doesn't happen unless you make it, so he'd done it.  And besides, they weren't all bad.  "Snails... delicious." he said with a smirk as he raised himself up on his elbows and shot a smirk in her direction, "You should try one next time."

1.	According to translations online, this is supposed to mean "You have not changed" Again, supposedly...

"I am not putting a damn snail in my mouth. Like, I really didn't think that you would eat it. But you did. Hmf. Ooh, macarons!" Addie stated, distracted soon enough by the sight of the popular French pastry. Clearly this was a good picnic to be had after all. Having Arrow's encouragement to go and compliment her physique helped her feel better about everything in the end. "This is a massive spread, macarons aside. What do you want first, good sir?"

Her sunglassed covered eyes went to Arrow and his body positioning, smirking. "You look too comfortable in this position, methinks," Addie began, scooting over to his body, soon thunking his head with her middle finger and thumb. "Rude to make all your company work with no remuneration of any kind." She smiled, grinning slightly because of it. "Shame on you, Master Thatcher."

A lean in.

"Shame shame."

"You know that's why I did it." he smirked as she pulled more food out of the basket.  "Because you didn't think I would."  He was thinking about her question of what he would like to eat first when he noticed her scooting closer.  At the thunk on the head, he pretended to collapse on the sand, "Oh no, I'm wounded, whatever shall I do now?" he said, watching her reaction out of the corner of his eyes. 

Then he lightly grabbed her arm and tugged until she was lying next to him on the sand. He pulled his sunglasses off and then slowly pushed hers up onto her forehead.  He sat up slightly and leaned closer to her with his ever present smirk on his face, "Quite right m'dear, it was terribly rude of me not to help you.  I shall have to make it up to you."  He leaned closer until his face was right above hers.  With a wicked grin, he began to close the distance, and then, true to himself, he licked the tip of her nose.

Sitting up with barely concealed laughter, he scooted closer to the food, "Now, shall we eat?" he asked, knowing that payback would be looming and he might not see it coming.  His senses were all over the place when he was in her company, he really didn't know what to expect next.

There was a loud, boisterous feminine shriek as she was licked and the witch was soon moving to smack him good. Addie's body turned to Arrow's and let the hand go flying. Her palm met his shoulder, slapping a few times before becoming a push, shove and along with it, a few choice words (which did include the term 'you bog mutten!'[1]) before she tackled him as best she could, pinning Arrow by sitting on him. "You're awful, positively awful. Do you know that? Eating snails, licking girls no less! No wonder you can't keep people! I expect out of Marmy to get licked, but from you!? UGH!" Addie feigned in quasi-irritation. It was clear, however, Addie was anything but upset with her company.

On the contrary, she was amused and entertained.

"What ever shall we do with Arrow Thatcher, escargot muncher and people licker extraordinaire?" Addie replied, leaning down and giving a chaste kiss before moving herself off of Arrow's body and going for the picnic basket. Grabbing a few green tea macarons, Addie plopped one into her mouth, eyeing Arrow from the side. "Methinks," she began, swallowing the dessert she'd begun to munch on, "that he should be locked up in a tower for the rest of his days, forever to munch on mollusks and wonder what ever could he have done to score a lady fair if he chose to find them more favourable than the aforementioned mollusk." Addie snickered as she plopped the second one into her mouth, munching with a closed lip smirk.

1.	Irish insult slang

Arrow's delight in Addie's shriek at the lick on her nose was short-lived.  He watched her move over towards him and smack him on the shoulder.  "Hey, don't bruise the merchandise." he joked.  At the shove, he pretended to fall back on his elbows and began to chuckle at the language she was using.  But every thought left his mind when she sat on him.

This was not something he was expecting, so he wasn't able to school his reaction like he normally did.  His eyes opened wider than normal and his hands instinctively to her waist. 

As he heard her talk, his mind wasn't able o comprehend anything at the moment, he felt her kiss him and before he could react, she was off of him and over by the basket. 

He sat up and watched her pop a macaron into her mouth and he shook his head to clear out any thoughts that were not appropriate on a beach with people on it.  He grinned as he listened to her talk about locking him in a tower and being forced to eat mollusks.

A predatory grin spread across Arrow's face as he  scooted closer to her and the picnic basket, not caring that he was messing the blanket up as he did.  He leaned closer to her and said in a low whisper, "Tá tú ag imirt le grá dóiteáin.[1]" And he promptly stole the macarons from her and hid them behind his back.

1.	Means "You are playing with fire love."

Addie was well accustomed to it now, playing with fire. Burnt on more than once occasion, but ever a phoenix, she was born anew after each scorch, soaring once again to heights, territories known and unknown. She was enjoying the macarons when Arrow snatched them from her, hiding them behind his back. As if that would prevent a former badger from trying to snag them right back. "Oi, you brat!" she snapped, messing the blanket up even further than before, trying to pry them away. It was clear, evident even, that Arrow had no qualms in presenting difficulties towards Addie. Fantastic. She narrowed her eyes, faux huffing as she placed hands on her hips for a moment. "You're positively infuriating, of which I am quite SURE you know that you are. Why be so vexing to someone who got you out of the gloominess that was England? I would have shared the macarons with you, Thatcher."

Scooting close to his body once more, closing the personal space again.

"What must a dote[1] such as I do to get a gurrier[2] like you to treat me right? Hm? You're an enigma, do y'know that?" she lulled sweetly as possible, looking into his eyes, slightly entranced. "I'll figure you out someday...." A hand that laid on the blanket trailed discreetly to try and attempt to grab the macaron package. Said hand that soon slipped, causing her to slip as well, falling to the side, laying on the blanket now. Her teasing, taunting expression furrowed into aggravation soon enough, cursing in frustration.

Her eyes trailed up, looking at Arrow in semi-seriousness.

"No funny remarks or else."

1.	Irish slang; "a cute person, usually a baby"
2.	Irish slang; "hooligan"