Title: A Night around Town
Author: Dragonfly's Girl aka Ki Ki
Disclaimers: Not mine. Just borrowing them to play. Will return them once they finished acting out my stories. Pinky swear!
Spoiler: Well, nothing major…
Timeline: after Eagle Two, but before Backward Day
--
"Have dinner with me tonight," he asked when they were both laying in bed, the morning sun's warm glow on both of them.
"What?" she sounded curious. She shifted, turning her head on his chest to look at him.
"Have dinner with me," he repeated. His arms flung around her and gathered her up in his arms before moving to sit up against the headboard of her bed. "You know, the major meal people usually eat in the evening?"
She swatted his chest light, "Smart ass."
"Really, Jules, have dinner with me," he repeated once again, looking at her intensely.
"I thought that's the plan," she shrugged, "We had dinner together last night, too. And we will have breakfast together this morning. We can try the strawberry flavor this morning since you didn't seem to like the mango yesterday."
He held her hand that was drawing patterns on his chest (and drawing him crazy in the process), "No, Jules. Have dinner with me."
Something in his tone must have finally gotten through to her, and her eyes widened, "Sam?"
"Don't make me ask again, Jules," he almost begged, and he could see the mischief in her eyes as she contemplated that idea.
"Okay," she finally murmured.
"Okay?" he parroted, his heart thumping even faster in his chest as the warmth of satisfaction and glee flowed through him.
"Okay," she murmured again, her lips curled into a luscious smile when she looked at him. "What time?"
"Six alright?"
"I'll be here," she leaned up to give him a kiss. "Should I dress for a bike ride?"
He bumped her nose even when he was laughing with amusement, "I'll pick you up. Dress, well, dress for a night out."
"I'm not riding on the back of a bike in a dress though, no."
He smiled as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head, "I'm going to get coffee started while you shower."
She was still lying lazily on the bed when he picked up his boxer from the floor and walked towards the kitchen.
"Sam?" she called out just before he slipped out of the room.
"Yea?"
"We're going out on a date tonight, right?" she asked, and Sam felt a slight pang in his heart. She looked so insecure all of a sudden.
"I'll pick you up at six," he flashed her a smile before taking leave, moving to get the coffee started.
--
It was sort of a backward way to start their relationship, asking her out to a date – their first date – after all these. They had already made out like teenagers (outside the Royal York where their teammates could just walk out and catch the show), slept together, shared meals together, been through life and death situations together. They had all these shared moments between them, and they hadn't even had dinner together.
And no, he was not talking about sharing a meal in her kitchen. That was dinner, yes, but not the kind where he could pamper her and treat her like a lady. Yes, he wanted Jules, and he wasn't afraid to go after her, but at the same time, he wanted to enjoy the moment, to savour the process. He had never intended to leave the whole courting phrase behind (Although he would think his persistence in going to her before they fell into bed together would qualify as courting. Still, he wanted to woo her and wine her and dine her).
Being on the same team and working the same rotations definitely had its advantages. In his mind, he was already ticking off the things he needed to get done before that evening.
He had reluctantly left her house after a late lunch in her backyard, claiming to have some errands to run.
It was somewhat the truth. He did have a few things he needed to get to – make a reservation at the restaurant, pick up his dry-cleaning which included the sports jacket he had planned on wearing, and the most important part of all, renting a car.
Yes, Sam Braddock was going to rent a car for the night out with Jules Callaghan.
She had teased him enough about selling his car, and he would stand by his decision. The gas prices were simply ridiculously, and he really believed it was the more logical to go with the bike.
But she did raise a good question – how would he pick girls up? Granted, his truck wouldn't have impressed any girls, but still, it was a car that would get around.
He could always take a cab, but that idea was scraped pretty quickly. He wanted privacy with Jules, not an overly nosy driver listening in on their conversations and then dishing them out to other drivers during his breaks.
No, he would rent a car – a nice one – and treat her with the respect she deserved. It would be cheap, but that was what she should have.
Now it was just about going about and doing it.
--
She threw yet another outfit onto her bed. Grumbling, she pushed some more clothes around in her closet, trying to determine what it was that she should wear.
Sam had never given her an actual answer as to whether she should dress for riding on the back of a bike.
It would be an interesting way for them to go out on their first date.
Ah, their first date. That thought still send flutters around in her stomach. It was so unexpected, coming from Sam. Somehow, she had half expected his interest in her to wane after they had gotten it out of their system, but no, he had been just as attentive.
And she really did not expect his invitation to dinner. It was such a couple-y thing to do, for the two of them. Other than the flattering attention Sam showered on her, they had never gone through what others could consider the "traditional" and "normal" route of dating.
Not that she thought she needed to be courted – at least, that was what she told herself.
Apparently, she wanted it, because she couldn't get the butterflies in her stomach to calm down, and she was having serious trouble deciding what to wear. Never before had she been reduced to this quivering mess going anal about her clothes. Of course she had gone on dates before, and had gone out with guys she seriously thought would become something more, but she had never fretted about her experience more than now.
She hated the unknown, hated not knowing what to expect. After his appreciative glance at her when she was in a suit, she wanted to dress up for him, to look nice for him and see that same appreciative glint in his eyes directed to her again.
Achieving it would be the problem though.
He hadn't given her any hints of where he would take her, and she didn't want to be presumptuous. If she overdressed, and he showed up in jeans, or vice versa, it would be way too awkward. Oh, they would probably laugh it off, but she didn't want any of them to be self-conscious when they finally went out and did their first couple-y thing together.
Huffing, she plopped back down on her bed, buried her face into a pillow and let out a silent scream of frustration.
--
He showed up at her door at 5:55pm with flowers in his hand. He felt silly walking to her house with the flowers, and he kept casting furtive glances around the neighbourhood to make sure none of the guys were lurking around, ready to jump out and bust them.
That would just be a nightmare scenario.
Ringing the door bell, he started shifting his feel. Damn, he was getting nervous – no the I-am-going-to-shoot-someone-and-God-please-don't-let-me-miss type of nervous. It was the anxiousness of knowing that he was taking a step towards a future he had dreamed of for himself.
He smoothed a hand down his dark pants as he waited. They weren't going to any super fancy restaurant, but he did want to look nice for her. It was, after all, their first date, and he wanted – needed – it to make an impression and set the tone for any of the future dates they would have (he knew he was being presumptuous but he didn't care at this point. He was going on a date with Jules and that already was something he thought wouldn't happen).
Finally, the door opened and revealed the petite woman on the other side. She was sans heels, which put her at about his shoulder-level. Still, she took his breath away.
She had tied her hair up into a bun – not the neat, proper bun he was used to seeing her at work, but a sort of messy, sort of flirty bun clipped by a jeweled accessory. Her glossed lips looked too inviting to pass up, and he bent down to press a kiss to her.
"Well, good evening to you too," she murmured against his lips, still feeling the tingles down her spine as he was pressed up against her.
"Good evening," he responded before moving back and handing him the bouquet. "They are for you."
Jules beamed. She took the bouquet with both hands and smiled up at him, almost shyly, "Thanks. Come on in. I just need to put this in a vase and put on my shoes."
She turned to let him walk into her house, and he just drank her figure in. She was wearing a glittery blouse in a deep purple. He hadn't gotten a good look when she was facing him, but he had caught glimpses of the loose, low neckline of the blouse. The sleeveless top fitted her like a glove, and matched with a straight leg pants, created one of the most alluring silhouettes Sam Braddock had seen. He swallowed visibly and had to force his sights away from her.
She returned from the kitchen and set the vase on the coffee table in her living room before coming over to him again. Her jacket was already draped on the arm of her couch and he helped her shrug into it.
"Okay, I'm ready," she proclaimed.
"Shall we?" he asked and offered her his hand, part in mock chivalry, part because he wanted to touch her and have her pressed against him again.
She took it with a teasing smile and let him help her with her coat. He smirked in satisfaction when she saw the car parked in front of his house.
"You didn't really think I'd take you out with a bike, did you?"
"Well, no, but," she was a little speechless, turning to him, "I just figured you would have called a cab or we would go in my car."
"Well, that's hardly the way a man should take his lady out and spends the night around town, is that?"
He was smiling at her, that boyish smile that set off the butterflies in her stomach again. She returned the smile, linking her arms with his, "You always this slick with all the ladies you've gone out with?"
"Only for you, Jules," he found himself almost breathless in his reply, drinking in the moment and the glorious feeling of her close to him, being with him. "Only for you."
--
So, what do you think? It's definitely something that sort of just gets written out on its own. I think the story was writing itself, instead of me writing the story… and it's definitely fluffier than a lot of things I have written, and now I am feeling a little guilty because I think I've tinkered with their characterization a little too much, but, oh well… it's a light piece, and since it was SUPPOSED to be a Valentine's day piece, I guess a little fluff won't hurt, right?
Anyway, drop me a line if you have time.
Until next time.
