Heartdriven: Too Driven To Drive

13. Bliss...?

It wasn't that it was difficult visiting Sebastian's parents — they had never been anything other than kind to her; going beyond that, in fact, being extra open and warm to her. But it was nagging at her that she and Sebastian had eloped, simply run off and gotten married without telling anyone. He had always been close to his parents and invited her into his family, so a part of her felt she was betraying that trust by not returning it in having a wedding with them.
Alice had insisted in bringing a cake to the afternoon coffee, and tried to speak to him about it, but Sebastian was to sweet to entertain her concerns, and his parents the same, but she felt like they deserved better than shying away from letting their true feelings be known.
As he parked the car outside their house, she took his hand before he could leave the car, "I think you should go in alone first."
Having already grabbed the handle, he shut the car door close, "Why?"
"It's going to be a big shock... they should be able to say things to you that they would otherwise not be able to say in front of me. Best to get it all out of the way beforehand, clear the air, than they hold in some resentment," her fingers tapping away on the cakebox as she was rushing her words, as if she had practiced them. 
"Alice, they are going to be happy," and he sounded earnest about it, like he couldn't fathom her perspective. 
Tilting her head at him, she went as delicately about it as he could, "I know, babe. But there might still be a little bit holding them back, with how we went about it. And I think you should talk with them about it first. Without me."
"I'm 26 years old. I don't need permission from my parents to get married," he threw air through his teeth as he too had rushed the words out in emotion. 
"Good, because that is not what I am saying."
"Then what are you saying?"
Their back-on-forth so quick, the sentence flew out of her, "That your parents are too nice to me to get angry at you in front of me."
He blinked repeatedly in surprise, and looked at her like she was foolish, "And you want them to get angry at me?"
"Maybe. Kind of. Yes. I don't know. Look, I don't know what it's like to be close with your parents or having... but knowing your relationship with your parents, I feel bad to not have included them." Perhaps she had felt too happy having him for herself, that she wanted someone to hold them accountable.
He shook his head, brushing her off, and reached for the door again, "Come on."
"No. I'm staying."
"Alice." Firmly pushing on her name with a frown on his face, trying to get his way. Not this time.
She mirrored his approach, standing ground. "Sebastian," mocking his tone, putting her foot down.
"Fuck. Fine." He was no match for her in a battle of stubbornness.
She couldn't let him leave the car like that, grabbed his shoulder and threw her body at him to kiss his cheek, "Just come get me after. I'll bring the cake."
He rolled his eyes with another shake of his head, mumbling "Stubborn," and something other to himself as he left the car, adding "Don't eat all the cake on your own," but that little hint of a smile at the corner of his lips made her know she had gotten away with the victory on this one.

Maybe she shouldn't have forced him to in unprepared, but he was good at speaking from his heart, and surely he could come up with something to excuse himself. Surely they couldn't stay mad at him for too long, knowing she struggled with that herself.
The minutes passed, and she was feeling a little anxious about her decision of staying behind. Perhaps it would have been better she was there, so there wouldn't be an argument, but for her own selfish reasons, she didn't want his parents to hold a grudge against her for 'taking their boy from them'. Her stomach beginning to do tiny somersaults.
The door opened and Sebastian walked out, down the driveway, he wasn't smiling or frowning, not even looking at her, just expressionless. He continued on and sat down in the driver's seat next to her. She was certainly nervous now, thinking he was about to drive off, and waited for him to make the first comment.
"I might have promised them a big wedding."
She breathed loudly a sigh of relief, "Big? How big?"
"Did you watch the Royal Wedding?"
"Oh, stop it," she nudged him with her elbow. "What... what else did they say?"
"Alice, they really weren't that upset. Sure, they were surprised... alright, they were shocked. But I think the expression on my face was enough to convince them how much this... you, mean to me." He faced her with those stupidly big eyes and giving her a smoulder like she couldn't believe. Okay, she had to kiss him. She had been getting a bit cold in the car, but nothing his big lips couldn't fix, already sparkling up through her cheeks by the first touch. Just one more kiss, and she could pull herself away.
He took the cake box from her lap and tossed his head to the house, "Shall we go in?"
One final kiss, and she was able to get out of the car.