Part Three: Maneuvers in the Dark

"This still doesn't explain why you're wearing his ring," Catherine commented.

"I'm getting there. Actually, I'm still sort of trying to figure it out myself." Sara twisted the ring around her index finger a few times. "I just got so caught up in his story, about if we'd gone to high school together, that I almost didn't realize he was actually asking me to a movie."

"You two have gone to movies together before."

"Well, yeah, but those were all, 'Hey, I'm gonna go see such-and-such, wanna come?' deals. Friends. This was more, I don't know, date-like, the way he asked. But high-school-date like." Sara smiled. "I think I was about as nervous then as I would've been at sixteen."

"So what movie did you go to?"

"Early matinee showing of March of the Penguins."

Catherine grinned. "Bird movie. Sounds like Nicky."

-#-

"Two tickets for March of the Penguins," Nick told the box office attendant. Sara opened her purse, intent on paying for her own ticket. Before she found her wallet, though, Nick had already paid the teenager and collected the tickets.

"Nuh-uh," he said, seeing her digging in her purse. "This is all my treat." He grinned, opening the door to the theater lobby. "Popcorn?"

"Nick, you don't have to…."

"I know. I want to. Popcorn?"

Sara paused. The smell of fresh popcorn had assaulted them the moment he'd opened the door, making her mouth water and reminding her that she hadn't eaten since the half-sandwich she'd had around midnight. "Sure."

Nick approached the concessions counter. "A large popcorn, two medium Cokes…." He studied the candy display for a few moments. "…and that bag of Snickers bites."

"Butter on the popcorn?" the concessions attendant asked.

"No."

Within minutes, the attendant had Nick's order ready, tallied, and rung out. "Need help carrying those?" Sara asked with a grin, watching Nick studying the tub of popcorn and two cups.

"Hah hah, very funny. Yeah, if you don't mind?" Nick gestured at the soda cups. Sara picked them up, then studied Nick.

"Uh, Nick?"

"Yeah?"

"Where'd you put the tickets?" She laughed as he silently swore and put the popcorn tub back on the counter. Once the tickets were out of his pocket, he readjusted the tub and the bag of candy.

"C'mon, let's go get our seats before I start dropping things."

Sara followed him into the theater, stopping in the aisle when he made to enter the back row. "Uh, Nick? I thought you liked to sit in the middle."

He paused. "Well, uh, yeah, but…I like the back, too." He flashed her a smile. "Afraid to sit in the back with me?"

"No," she protested. "You just caught me off-guard." She followed him down to the center of the row. Nick set the popcorn down and turned to take the soda cups from her.

His hands brushed over hers, and she looked up, meeting his eyes. Something in his expression made her breath catch in her throat. This is Nick, silly. Nick. Your friend.

Friends don't generally look at each other like they could swallow you whole, her brain reminded her.

They stood there, both holding the soda cups for a minute, before Sara swallowed and looked away. Nick took the cups from her hands, placing one in each cup holder. Sara sank into her seat, mortified at what she'd just been thinking about.

"Hey, check this out." Nick's voice broke into her reverie. She turned towards him and realized the armrest between them was gone.

"It folds back," he explained, moving the armrest up and down a few times before leaving it folded back against the seats.

"Why?"

He leveled a gaze at her. "You're kidding, right?" He leaned back against his seat, stretching his arm out and letting it fall around her shoulders. "Makes doing this much easier."

"Oh, smooth, Stokes." She grinned a little. "So if I'd agreed to that movie in high school, you'd have been putting the moves on me before the lights even went down?"

"Nah. I'm just a little more confident now."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep." He grinned and leaned in close, to whisper in her ear, "You haven't moved my arm."

She turned to look at him, then realized just how close his face was to hers. "Maybe I like your arm there," she whispered back, heart in her throat.

Nick inched closer to her, so she could feel the heat from his thigh on hers. "Hey, Sara?"

"Hmm?" Her brain was focused on his eyes; his words were just a faint afterbuzz in her ears.

His free hand crept up to touch the side of her face. Her eyes widened fractionally as she realized what was about to happen, then fluttered closed at the touch of his lips to hers.

The kiss was soft as a sigh between them, light, tender, and oh-too-short. When he moved away, she felt an instant sense of loss. Her eyes opened, and after a moment, she realized the theater was darkening.

Nick's hand was still cradling her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. She swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. "So…so that's why the folding armrest," she finally whispered. Nick grinned.

"Yeah," he replied.

"It's a really good idea." She closed the small distance and met his lips again.

-#-

"So, how was it?"

Sara blinked, coming out of her reverie. "Huh?"

"The movie. How was it?" Catherine clarified. "I'd thought about picking it up for Lindsey, but I don't know if she'll think it's too young for her."

"Oh. The movie." Sara blushed deeply, not meeting Catherine's eyes. "It was…um….well…."

Catherine cocked her head, then realized. "Sara Sidle!" she exclaimed, face a mixture of shock and approval. "You did not!"

Sara opened her mouth, whether to protest or confirm, she wasn't sure, but before she could say anything, Catherine's pager trilled. Thank God! she thought. Saved by the buzz.

"It's Hodges; he's got results from the powder we found in the car." Catherine stood up, stretched. "This conversation isn't over," she warned Sara.

The two women left the break room, unaware of a familiar figure standing just around the corner.

Warrick's lips twitched into an amused smirk. "Housecleaning, my ass, Stokes," he murmured, before heading off to find the target of his amusement.