[oom: Dinner with captainryan]

[hell_in_highheels]

[from here]

River arrives in the bar just before seven in the evening, and secures a table for two in a cozy corner of the bar.  She's dressed casually, wearing her favourite Irish sweater, jeans and her tan field boots.  But she has to confess, she's spent a bit more time with her hair and her face.

For as interesting as Richard is, he is also a good looking man.

She orders a glass of pinot noir, and waits, watching the faces in the crowd.  When she sees him, she smiles broadly and holds up a hand.

Comments

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He resists a moment, ducking his chin a hair to protect his throat.

Then he exhales, relaxing, and rolls onto his back.

He's watching her, though. A faint smile is still in place, a warning of teeth hinting through as he eyes her head.

He trusts, but cautiously.

[hell_in_highheels]

She doesn't want to be parted from him, and as such, slides down his body, her legs still tangled with his.

She senses the tension in him, and places a chaste kiss at the notch of his throat, humming to soothe him. She is pressed against his side, from shoulder to knee. Her hand brushes down his chest to his ribs and back again, a firm but gentle touch.

Nuzzling, breathing him in, painting her scent on him. She considers tracing the line of pale silvered flesh with her tongue, but decides against it, keeping to the course of gentle, close mouthed kisses. She hums quietly the whole way, letting him know where she is.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He already knows she doesn't mean him any harm. He knows it very well. Still, he can't help but raise his head when she nears his scars. He flares his nostrils, scenting.

His mouth closes.

He settles back again, still watching her, faint smile still on his face. It's more relaxed than it was a moment ago and stays that way as her mouth coasts down his torso, the vibration of her lips tickling his skin.

[hell_in_highheels]

She meets his eyes, watching his expression carefully. She is smiling, kissing down his centerline, one hand on his hip, stroking down his thigh as she shifts lower. She nuzzles the hollow of his hip, and places one last chaste kiss there.

She rises on her hands and knees, her breath playing over his skin, and stalks back up to lay beside him, nestling in the crook of his arm, nuzzling his jaw. "Thank you."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He moves his hand so he's almost holding her without ruining her nestling attempts. Gently, he leans his head over and kisses her on her forehead.

Genuinely curious, "For what?"

[hell_in_highheels]

Her eyes close at the kiss and she smiles. She rests her head on his shoulder, her palm flat over his heart.

for letting me love you, for making me feel loved, even if it is only for one night

"Everything. The best evening of my -- not life in the last century."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"...century?"

[hell_in_highheels]

She smiles, like a little girl caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Her nod is small but distinct.

She nestles closer to him.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He frowns thoughtfully, considering this even as he accommodates her.

"You are human, correct?

"Not that I mind if you aren't," he adds quickly, "but I think that's the sort of thing I should know beforehand." He gives her a wry little smile.

He's also aware she could have simply been dead for that long, but he's not used to the idea of 100-year power sources. He hasn't seen much tech of the future yet.

[hell_in_highheels]

"I am. As human as any of us are in the 51st century." She pulls back just enough to look him in the eye. Her tone is a touch bewildered.

"52nd century? No, it was the 51st when I died, and I've lived -- I mean, my data ghost has been online, for -- damn it, I can't remember. Something over 39,000 cycles? Days, in your world. And I've been kept from file degradation, restored from backup you might say, every day since about day 7,000, after that run in with Professor Challenger and his little pets." She laughs, but there's a shiver as well.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

It's Ryan's turn to look bewildered and a bit taken aback.

"You don't have to...have an 'run in' in order to be restored, do you?" He sounds cautious, but he just looks concerned.

[hell_in_highheels]

She reaches up to touch his face, cupping his cheek for a moment. "Your concern is touching but completely unwarranted. No, I don't. But if I hadn't had my little 'run in', I wouldn't have discovered that I was archived, and it was that archive that allowed me to work out the file degradation issues my colleagues succumbed to."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Ryan pushes the weight of his head into her hand.

Quietly, "Were you able to help them?"

[hell_in_highheels]

Her eyelids droop for a moment. Her cheek nuzzles into his shoulder. "We didn't know what was happening to them until it was too late. There are earlier versions of them, but they're -- not quite the same." She shakes her head. It's a question that's puzzled her for many many years.

"Anyway, I'm here now. And whole, it seems." Another little smile ghosts over her features. Even sad memories can't rob her of this moment.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He nuzzles the crown of her head anyway.

"I'm glad," he says, then frowns at himself. How did he become so enamoured of her so quickly?

What will he do when she leaves?

He gives her a gentle squeeze.

[hell_in_highheels]

She purrs into his touch, sighing contentedly. He feels her fight back a yawn.

"Mmm interesting," she sounds bemused. "I don't have a bed back in the Library, as I typically don't need to sleep when I'm there."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Ryan tilts his head down at her.

"So you haven't dreamed in a century. I think that's some kind of record."

He grins, teasingly.

"Assuming you're still sane, of course."

[hell_in_highheels]

"Mmm, good point." She turns her face up to his. "I do cat nap a lot, I suppose. But, I guess what I was hoping..."

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

He doesn't know her well enough to guess the rest of her sentence.

What the hell was he thinking having sex with her?

"Yes?"

[hell_in_highheels]

"Would you mind terribly if I stayed here with you, tonight?"

when did want become need?

Her heart is in her throat all over again. She's already imposed so much on him.

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Ryan nearly laughs at her.

"I'm not going to kick you out now." He kinda doubts he could.

And speaking of kicking out...

"Oh shite!" He starts, gently but still urgently, disentangling himself.

[hell_in_highheels]

She lets him go, albeit reluctantly, pulling the comforter up to cover herself. "What's the matter?"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

Ryan avoids looking sheepish, but only because he's trying to find his pants.

"Damocles is still outside." Poor pup hasn't spent a night alone since Ryan was kidnapped by the angels.

"Sorry," he apologizes after a moment. He hadn't meant to cut their conversation short.

[hell_in_highheels]

"Oh! Oh poor thing!" She covers a grin with her hand. "Go on, I'll be here when you get back!"

[captainryan.livejournal.com]

"Good," he says a bit fiercely, but it's muffled by the (still wet) tee he's pulling on. Pants, trousers, and a shirt is enough to go downstairs in and howl out the back door, he thinks.

He leans over to kiss her. "I'll be right back," he says, grabbing his holster from the nightstand. He pads silently to the door, picking up his belt as he goes, and shuts it with a click behind him.

He can still smell her. She's all over his clothes, all over him, and he thinks of little else as he finds the stairs. He has his belt threaded through the holster and loops by the time he enters the bar proper. He looks his usual grumpy self as he heads for the back door in an attempt to discourage conversation.

He steps outside and winces as the cold air takes advantage of his damp clothes. He howls (River will hear it through the window, he thinks) for Damocles to come and quickly before he's hit with the realization that now he has nothing to do but wait.