hell_in_highheels | [oom: Dinner with captainryan]

"Will Scarlett told me you were an officer. 'A leader of men,' he said."

"You spoke to Scarlett about me?" Ryan asks, clearly surprised. That must have been an interesting conversation. He hasn't spoken to the man for ages.

"I was a captain, yes." He smiles a bit wryly. "I still use it as my title."

"I had retired to the bar to do some old-fashioned, page by page research. Apparently you're not the only lycanthrope in the bar, so I had to clarify. I didn't mean to intrude. If it helps, he only had good things to say."

"It's not that, I'm just...a shade leery whenever someone mentions my name came up. The other two werewolves from my world aren't all that fond of me and, as a result, most of their acquaintances don't care for me either." His tone is mostly dry with a hint of irritation to it.

That earns him a perplexed look. "Sounds like there's history."

Yet again, she puts her foot in it. She can see his armor going back up. She leans her chin on her hand and sighs, wishing she knew the right thing to say to make him smile again.

The rat returns with their drinks and she thanks the creature quietly.

But the history is easier to deal with than figuring out what he's doing with her.

He harrumphs, scowling. "A mission gone pear shaped. My last mission." He glares at his Everclear rather than at her.

The desire to touch him is almost overwhelming. But he is too far away, in more ways than one.

She remembers his response the first time she touched him uninvited.

She settles for reaching out her hand to him, laying it palm down on the table.

He's a little too irritated to even consider taking it at the moment.

But at least he sees it. He looks up from his alcohol to her and then shakes his head ruefully. "Nevermind. The long and short of it is we were all infected." He arches an eyebrow. "I died. They didn't."

There's also the small matter of one of them killing him, but he really shouldn't go into it more than he already has. It's grim and not the sort of thing one talks about on a psuedodate.

He lets out a breath. Let's change the subject, yes? "Have you decided on a dessert?"

She withdraws again, respecting his wishes in both matters.

She takes a moment to look back at her menu, her eyes not really focused on the text. "Something chocolate I think. Gelato."

She looks over his shoulder to the rat, raising a finger to get its attention. "Chocolate gelato, just a small serving. And for you?"

She's still looking down at the menu.

He's not that fond of most sweets, honestly. It takes him a moment to find something that won't overwhelm him with sugar. Thankfully the menu, which is rather thick, has divided things up and all he has to do is find the appropriate page number.

"Just a scoop of mint vanilla," he decides. His flavour of choice may have ulterior motives.

Not like that. It'll drown out his sense of smell for a bit.

Right. A moment of awkward silence, then. And then she's looking at him again, watching him for an idea of where they stand.

She knows enough not to offer false platitudes, and decides to let him make the next move.

He takes a sip of his Everclear. Strong stuff, that Everclear.

"I'm sorry," he says after a moment, meeting her eyes. "I'm afraid I've killed the mood."

He didn't mean to.

However, he's acknowledging that there was a mood to kill.

"Must be the predator in me." It's a poor joke, but he's trying.

She smirks at him, relieved at the joke. "No, not at all. It's more likely my foot and mouth disease."

She takes a sip of her port and licks her lips. "We have plenty of time, don't we? I mean, we don't have to learn everything there is to know all in one night."

Ryan snorts despite himself.

"No, of course not," he agrees. He doubts she wants to know everything about him, anyway.

"I'm certain there's plenty about Milliways you haven't discovered yet, either."

April first isn't that far off, after all.

"April Fools, then?" She laughs. "Milliways seems to me one of those places that I'll never fully understand. I'm content to let it reveal its mysteries at it's own pace."

"I was going to present that option," Ryan says mildly. "I've known scientists before. I know how you lot are."

He's rather amused.

"Oh you do, do you?" She leans back as the rat serves their desserts. "Well, then. I guess I'll just have to get creative."

She waggles her eyebrows at him.

He's flirting again, isn't he. He should stop that.

"Live and learn," Ryan agrees with a smile.

She slits her eyes at him, playful again. "One would have to be rather crafty to get one passed your defenses, I think."

"I'd like to believe I'm rather alert, yes," he says a shade loftily as he takes another drink and picks up his spoon.

He eyes her mock warily. "Though I rather imagine you might be able to come up with something that would surprise me."

She takes a bite of the chocolate, humming around the spoon as she savours it. She can't help but ponder all the possible ways she could surprise him. She licks her lower lip and swirls her spoon through the chocolate.

"Oh I might do. But I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

Ryan laughs softly.

"Fair enough. I'll have to see if I can return the favour." It's hard not to be witty back. He takes some pride in his retorts and she's been matching him so well.

He takes a spoonful of ice cream, the mint suddenly overwhelming his nose and blocking out all those little signals she's been sending by obliterating her scent.

Funny thing is that he can still smell it in his brain, like a song that's gotten stuck in your head. Only much less annoying.

And he still has eyes.

"I think I'd rather enjoy that. After all, turn about is fair play."

Another bite and the last of her gelato is gone.

"Good. No whining at me later, then."

He takes a larger spoonful of his ice cream. He's still got at least two more to go, but he's trying to hurry.

Idly, he wonders if he can get brainfreeze.

"Oh no, not at all. It only wastes valuable time better spent plotting my revenge."

She's watching him scarf the last of his ice cream with increasing curiosity. Is he anxious to get going? Are they still going for a walk in the Cloud Forest?

A thousand questions are racing in her mind.

[oom: Dinner with captainryan]

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