Frank Fisher is a mountain of a man.
He's the kind of man who has done time in prison and would gladly do it again if anyone were to mess with him or his family. He has this terrible scowl that makes him look like the meanest man on earth and he has arms so big his shirts can't have sleeves.
People wouldn't know this by looking at him, but Frank Fisher is a huge softy on the inside, especially when it comes to his children. Little Ann is the one he frets after most. She's a lot like him and doesn't like showing her feelings none too much. He worries about her making friends, finding a significant other, getting married. He wants her to have only the best in this life, better than he had or has provided her so far.
Ann doesn't seem to care about those things, preferring to stay private and keep to herself. So, you can imagine everyone's surprise, most especially Frank's, when she announces she has a date.
Her brothers— all turning into behemoths like Frank— go silent and stare in surprise. Frank smiles and thinks that if whoever this man is tries and hurts her, he'll have the Fisher boys to worry about.
Of course, Frank's wife begins gushing in delight at the news. "We'll have to get you a new dress!" she exclaims while looking at Ann's worn down jeans and t-shirt with a frown.
"We wanna meet this guy and talk!" Ann's brothers say while sharing conspiratory looks between themselves.
Frank just wonders where the time went.
…
For some reason, Ann — "It's Ann, not Anna-Louise, stop calling me that!" — won't let Caius come pick her up for their date, instead insisting on just meeting up somewhere.
The town she lives in has a very few dining options and so the only place they can really meet is the Applebees on 5th. That or Smokey's Bar on 7th but Ann insists that that place is a disgusting.
Once again, Demetri had determined Caius to be far too overdressed, and made him buy different clothes. Caius does not understand the appeal of these cheap, scratchy slacks but he also does not want to risk making Ann uncomfortable.
He desperately wishes he could fly her to Chicago on the private jet and show her a true dining experience, but Demetri insists that small steps must be taken.
Said man is currently in the booth behind Caius with sunglasses and a large newspaper as if it makes him inconspicuous. He's promised to help the date go smoothly and so Caius doesn't complain.
Ann arrives right on time. She's wearing some floral dress with thin straps and her strawberry blonde hair is down reaching to her waist. Even Demetri makes a pleased hum at her appearance.
Ann looks incredibly uncomfortable in the dress, however, tugging it at it nervously while the waiter leads her to where Caius is sitting. He'd like nothing more than to shove her dress up and bury his face between her golden thighs.
While she's taking her seat he wonders if she'll maintain that golden complexion after she's turned.
"What's with that look?" she asks him while narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she takes in his smitten expression.
"I apologize," Caius says as he tries to turn the charm up, "I've just never seen such a beautiful woman before."
Ann snorts at that, but her face does flush prettily at the compliment.
Ann decides to change the subject, "So, why are you here of all places?"
Caius and Demetri have already worked out a believable tale should this question arise, "My doctor suggested I take a holiday to destress. I've been informed I'm a workaholic."
Ann gives him a look that tells him she sees right through his lies, "So, your idea of destressing is the middle of fucking nowhere Missouri? Try again, cowboy."
Now, Caius is starting to feel nervous. This woman is certainly the best match for him because he's never met anyone brave enough to call him out on his shit other than Aro and Marcus.
"Play it smooth," Demetri murmurs low enough that only Caius can hear, "Say that it was your brothers' idea as a joke."
Caius leans forward on the table a bit, "I agree with you wholeheartedly. My brothers planned the trip for me and selected this place as a means to laugh at me."
Ann stares at him for a few moments as if still searching for a lie, then, she lets out a clipped laugh, "Yeah, brothers are dicks."
The conversation moves smoothly the remainder of the evening. He manages to hide his food in his napkin and Ann doesn't seem to notice.
As Caius is picking up the bill and Ann is sliding out of the booth to leave she looks at Caius with a bemused expression, "Also, be sure to tell Mr. Enema Enabler that he's not hiding well at all."
Demetri looks up from his newspaper with wide eyes but Ann is already walking away.
Caius sinks back down into the booth and let's out a slow breath. Demetri plops down where Ann had been sitting and tells him rather smugly, "I think she likes you."
Caius sure fucking hopes so.
...
Ann Fisher has a crush.
She's never had one for as long as she's been alive. Actually, that's a lie. She had a crush on Jesse McCartney when she was like 8 but that's just normal kid stuff.
This is a serious crush. The kind that leads to actual dating— perhaps even more if she were to feel so inclined.
Ann doesn't really know what to do with herself in the face of this newfound infatuation. She's a private, closed off, unemotional person and for this strange Italian guy having her all flustered is just not in the realm of what she knows. She admittedly has a brief contemplation of killing him so that she doesn't have to deal with these emotions but that's just not realistic.
So, instead, Ann approaches her older sister Sarah for advice. She looks like some overly pleased house cat and it half makes Ann want to run away and forget this ever happened.
"Well, what's this guy's name?" Her sister asks eagerly.
Ann bites out, "Caius," past her grinding teeth.
Sarah is wearing a smile so large and toothy that Ann wants to punch her in the face, "And, what is it you want from me?"
Ann's pride dies a gruesome death when she admits, "Help make me hot."
Ann knows she's never going to live this down.