The Camel's Back (Aviaris, AU, R)

Iona slammed her hand on the snooze button, turning off the irritating beeping that filled her bedroom. Her head was pounding and she tried to fall asleep again, cuddling her covers close. The next thing she knew, there was a heavy pounding on her apartment door.

"Iona! Iona! Wake up lassie! I canna' open the store on me own!" Her grandfather's thick Scottish accent filled the second floor before he commenced rapping her door with his cane once again. They were lucky he owned the building. Their two apartments made up the second floor, while his shop sat in the first.

"I'm up, Grandda, I'm up!" She called and sat up in bed, cradling her throbbing headache. She was going to need some major painkillers for this hangover. Iona glanced at her alarm and groaned. With no time for her regular morning yoga routine, she hopped straight into the shower before dressing. When she came down the stairs the smell of her grandda's breakfast--runny eggs and black coffee--made her stomach turn. She tied on a linen apron in the back of the store, feeling Angus' sharp eyes on her the whole time.

"There's a tincture for you on the shelf, lass," he told her sternly, watching as she drank the bitter brew to the last drop. She recognized the taste of willow bark, peppermint and evening primrose oil. There was no hiding her underage partying from her canny old grandfather--this was a staple hangover cure they recommended to the customers of Fletcher Apothecary and Sweets. Iona muttered a thanks before heading to the front of the store and doing the open routine. She heard her grandfather's unmistakable limping walk with his cane move to the door and unlock it as she pulled up the last of the window blinds.

"We almost opened late. Again. You canna stay out so late, carousing--"

"I know! It won't happen again," Iona exclaimed, dusting the counter.

"Tha's what ya said the last time, Iona."

"I mean it. Last night was just...Aleksander had business partners in town. We had to show them a good time, I couldn't--"

"Damnation! That boy is nothin but trouble for ya, lass! Look at ya, you should be halfway through university right now. And whate'er happened to any of your girl friends?"

"Aleksander loves me, grandda! I won't hear your mongering!" She turned her stoney stare at him, their matching emerald eyes meeting before they heard a soft cough. They turned, looking thoroughly embarrassed to find one of their regular customers had been audience to their spat.