Unexpectedly Terry

This wee ficlet was originally jotted in late January when WL was tossing about
the `Unexpected' prompt.

A huge thank you to Dee, who took my haphazard jottings and helped shape those
for this story with her own deft touch (and who points out my dafter and less
comprehensible Aussie-isms) ;)

This one is written for my dear friend, Randy, who has been so encouraging with
regards to this pestful Terry character. I hope you enjoy it, mate.

******

In the distance you could hear the sounds of the screen door slapping to and the
rise and fall of his music as Terry went back and forth between the kitchen and
the barbecue in the back yard. The smoke and fire warnings had eased back in
time for the Australia Day long weekend; Novak Djokovic had won the Australian
Open in the early hours and they were happily drifting through the last lazy
days of January.


Suze waited until Jules settled astride her lap then lazily traced her fingers
over the warm blossoming prints she'd made on Jules' backside. She leaned up
and caught Jules' lower lip in a kiss as she felt the button on her jeans pop
and a hand reach into her underwear. Digging her toes into the rug as Jules
paid attention to all the right bits.


"You hungry for me or steak?" She asked when Jules' stomach rumbled.


"Unfair question." Jules pushed herself up off Suze's thighs and grabbed for her
jeans, tugging with a determination that she could only half blush at having.


The muffled clatter of metal on concrete and Terry's voice raised in alarm broke
into their thoughts.


"Your brother okay?" asked Suze, just as Terry bellowed "LUNCH!"


"Noooooo!"


"C'mon, eat. Then play" said Suze, ordering Jules with a slap to her bum.


She tugged her jeans over her hips and cinched her buckle, then waited as Jules
put on a tee shirt then threaded her legs into her Levis. Suze pushed her girl
toward the door and landed another smack on Jules' bottom to silence her
grumbling.


They arrived in time to see Terry pick up some meat from the ground, hissing as
he did so. Wiping his fat covered hands on his jeans brought forth another curse
as the blisters made themselves known.


"What happened?!" Jules asked.


"It just flared up all of a sudden." He turned his right wrist, now scorched and
smelling faintly of singed hair. "Fuck."


"Jesus. Put them under the hose or something. Are they sore?"


Terry cocked his sister a look. "Oh no, honey, they're just peachy."


He looked over at the remaining meat still sizzling, spitting fat. "Most of it's
good. Ya hungry?"


Suze looked sceptical as she examined the marks. "I think you should see a
doctor, Terr'. They'll be worse by tomorrow."


Terry scoffed, pulling his hands from hers, even as he winced. "She'll be right.
I'm not hanging about the ER on a public holiday with every tourist who thinks
he's a surfer and dad who thinks he can still skateboard." He tried to prove it
by snagging a sausage from the heat, contorting his mouth as it received its
share of scalding.


Suze watched Terry as they ate, watched as the long shiny finger of blister
raised itself on his arm. She'd had enough when he started prodding at it with
a blunt nail still edged dark with engine oil.


"Seriously, you better get that under water, Terry. Or at least let Jules get
you a cold cloth and a pain reliever."


"You know, a cold beer would soothe my hands just fine?"


"Oh, you burnt both hands, did you?" Suze laughed as she took his plate and
stood up.

She balanced the leftovers and Terry's plate in her hands, and then followed as
Jules hassled her brother up the porch steps and into the lounge room with an
eagerness born less of sibling concern than a thrumming need for Suze to return
her focus.


"Jules, leave the blanket on the chair, it's too hot for all that guff. I'm
fine."


"You need to stay here. Rest."


"It's just a flesh wound!"


Jules pinned her brother with a glare. "Don't you Monty Python me!"


Jules placed her hand on his forehead and pushed him back down against the
couch.


"Oh look", she intoned, "You are weary."


"Juuuuules-"


"I'll save you a chop", Jules said, her hand already on the door frame as she
bounced on the balls of her feet.


"Suuuuuze-" Jules stilled at Suze's raised forefinger.


Suze handed Terry a wet cloth. His large hand grabbed for the flannel and the
both held for a moment. She watched as his eyes flickered to her belt.
Catching his eye, she subtly shook her head and knew he understood when she saw
the blush rise on his cheeks.


"Fair enough", he nodded, acknowledging both the trespass and the warning.


"Bet you weren't expecting to be looking after me, eh?"


"Hadn't planned on it." Suze answered as she hefted Terry's legs onto the
couch.


"What did you have planned?" He squinted up at Suze, and his smile unfurled into
a laugh at her expression.


"You're sister is right, you are a pest."