Chivalrous
Summary: She stopped short of considering him her Lord, but she needed him to know that he was her Man.
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A/N: Written for Tumblr Community Appreciation Week 2018 Day 7: Free Choice (continuation of canon divergent fic)
Alas, dear readers, this is the long-awaited sequel to "Lecherous" and "Chaste"
Special thanks goes to AliceAnders for the title. Genius!
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The kiss had been definitely something not quite chaste. They had melded into one another, their lips knowing just how far to part, their tongues moving with ease across their teeth, and their bodies pressing into one another in a way that was probably more than a little suggestive for a make out on her doorstep.
Not that she had minded. In fact, as he had begun to pull away after an initial soft kiss, she had reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, almost pinning him in place. The poor man hadn't had many options.
Then again not that she thought he minded in the least.
They kind of went at it for a little bit before she found herself thudding into her doorway frame and it became an issue of whether or not she would actually invite him inside.
She couldn't.
It wouldn't be proper.
They were supposed to go on a date first, right?
X
Her words kept ringing through his ears. Excessive or offensive sexual desire.
Did she think he was a creep? Sure, she had grabbed his neck and had been a pretty active participant in the tongue fest so far, but he had to be sure. Against all his instincts, he pulled back and used his arms to physically keep himself a good distance from her, his hands still resting on her lower back. He quickly moved them up to her shoulders, which was more than a little awkward.
She stared up at him with a dazed and then almost furious look, and he winced before quickly explaining, "I don't want to overstep."
The arch of her brow and growing intensity in her eyes told him that maybe he had been off track.
Cool cool cool.
Although the color - was she flushing or was that razor burn from him? - kept spreading throughout her décolletage and neck, she managed with a slight stammer, "Are you serious? Oh my god, are you going to vanish like you did the night of the Tranny Dance? Because, if so…"
He knew better and moved in for another kiss, aching as he felt the softness of her lips. He then reluctantly stopped and, continuing to lean down, pressed his forehead against hers. He barely registered his fears that if they kept this up he'd turn into a hunchback.
"Annie, I'm not going anywhere. I just really want to do this right. I don't want us to rush into anything, and we're practically dry humping in your hallway."
He noticed her cringe a little at those last words, so he frantically mustered up his best cocky grin, and that seemed to help. She gave him a light swat, something he always found more than mildly titillating, and he waited for her response.
After a few moments, she licked her lower lip and he almost died.
"Jeff, I agree we should do this properly." She glanced up at him and batted her lashes twice.
"Just to be clear, do this means…?"
She hesitated before she nervously pulled on her cardigan and said, "Um, that is if you want us to go out….?"
He didn't need to think twice, and he promptly replied, "I do. Yes. I want to take you out on a date. Let's do that."
He punctuated his last words in a manner that he hoped made him sound confident rather than slightly panicked. Fuck, he had no idea how to go on a date with Annie. Sure, he may have been daydreaming a little about it lately, but the thought of actually taking his Lady out meant that if it went well they'd eventually get to the sexy times, and he didn't know if he'd survive it. He had built things up so much in his mind by now he was fairly certain he'd die of a heart attack as soon as he unclasped her bra.
He wondered what color bra she was wearing. He discreetly cast a glance down at her camisole peaking out from her cardigan and tried to catch a peek.
Luckily she didn't seem to notice, for she was staring at the floor while continuing to smooth her cardigan, which he assumed was her way of trying to steady herself. He felt more than a little giddy that she was flustered.
She finally looked up and said with a slight smile, "Right, because it would be just crazy if we…I mean, I know we've known each other for over two years so it's not like it would be a date-date or even really needed because we …. I mean it would be just insane and reckless to …"
Her eyes suddenly went wide, and he knew his matched. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was she actually feeling him out for a hook up? Against his better judgment, he instinctively cast a quick look past her into her dark apartment.
He felt the swat and he looked down to see her cheeks now almost crimson, but her eyes were dare he say, hungry?
No, this couldn't happen.
He closed his eyes and said quickly, "Okay, um. I think I need to go."
"Jeff."
He heard the edge in her voice, and he felt kind of bad. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, taking her hands in his. He then cleared his throat and said in a low and, he hoped, serious tone, "Annie."
She tilted her head and waited, but she looked so vulnerable. Almost sad. He had to let her know what he meant.
He cleared his throat and then explained, "See, you're my Lady."
"I know."
"No, I don't think you do. You deserve to be wined, dined, flowers, the whole shebang. If we go in there now," he indicated with his head past her into the apartment, "you'll think that I just wanted to get with you for sex."
He searched her eyes for understanding. She was regarding him with hesitancy, something he would see in jury members whenever he hadn't quite explained things thoroughly.
He added, "Don't get me wrong, I would very much like to be invited in, and I hope I am at some point, but I don't want us to start out like that. I want to date you."
At this, the corners of her mouth rose in that way they did when she was particularly pleased with herself.
God, he was so turned on.
She was now full on grinning as she said, "That would be nice." She then nodded emphatically and added with resolution, "Yes, I would like to go on a date with you."
His heart skipped when she inadvertently curtseyed.
His expression matched hers, and he instantly began mentally planning their date. He wondered if he could get reservations at Chez Gourmand on Hillside Avenue. He had a former client there who owed him a favor.
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After a few days of fitful attempts at sleep, she resolved to take control of the situation.
Jeff Winger may be coming over tonight to take her on a date (gulp), but that didn't mean he was going to call all the shots. He may think she was some fragile girl, but she wanted him to know that she was in fact a grown woman fully capable of inviting a man up to her apartment.
She searched around the living room portion of her studio, nervously fluffing various throw pillows to make sure it seemed right. She then began placing votives around the coffee table, trying not to think about one of the last times she had a man over. How was she to know Vaughn was allergic to lavender? The trip to the emergency room had been a nightmare.
She now had a cedar blend. Men liked cedar, right? She had thrown out her patchouli. That didn't seem very Jeff.
She frowned as she considered it had been a long time. She needed this. She stopped short of considering him her Lord, but she needed him to know that he was her Man.
There was a knock on the door, and she rushed over to the mirror to make some last minute adjustments to her hair. She then took a deep breath and walked over to the door and opened it.
He was certainly dashing, and she would have been disappointed if he hadn't put in intense effort. There he was, clad in a likely expensive dark blue suit with a muted grey tie, his hair perfectly coiffed and stubble just the way she liked it. She almost absentmindedly ran her hand over her neck, still feeling some soreness from their kissfest a few nights ago.
He was holding a bouquet of purple(!) lilies and was that a box of chocolates?
"Well, don't jump and up and down too hard. There's more." He flashed a confident grin and handed her the chocolates before adding, "I made reservations at a place I think you'll love…" his eyes suddenly widened as he appeared to notice her outfit.
She had put on a tasteful but figure-hugging dark purple dress. It made her feel sexy, and Abed said it was perfect for a first date in a classic sense. She of course hadn't told him whom she was going on a date with (the group was enmeshed enough and she didn't want any of them trying to stop them), but he hadn't asked. He was a surprisingly good shopping buddy.
She fanned herself and said nonchalantly, "You like it?"
He licked his lower lip, and she almost died.
"Yeah, I do. Annie, you look amazing. God."
He took a step forward, and she quickly took the flowers from him and turned away, making sure he got a good look at her swivel as she walked over to the table. She was thankful she had foreseen the possibility he would bring flowers (and they were purple!), so she had an empty vase already out. She motioned him inside, and she suppressed a smile as he somewhat cautiously stepped in and joined her.
"You have a vase ready?"
"Gentlemen bring flowers. Thank you."
"Ahhh." Standing to her right, he leaned down and said in a low voice right almost against her ear, "You know, I looked up the definition of a word I thought you'd appreciate."
She felt her cheek burn and tried to ignore tingles from other areas as she said, "Really?" She averted her eyes and attempted to concentrate on placing the lilies in the vase.
He continued, "The word is chivalrous. It means…"
They said in unison, "Courteous and gallant."
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A/N: Final Chapter is titled "Consenting" (thank you AliceAnders). It's not yet written, and who knows when it will be, but I fully intend to write it if anyone's still reading this thing.