~ A Date ~

"A double date?" Jacob repeated, disbelievingly. "You've got to be joking."

Evie sighed and looked over at Henry, who was wearing a sheepish expression. "I told you he'd think it was silly," she said.

"I just thought it would be nice to have dinner together," Henry said, tentatively. "But if you don't want to -"

Jacob started to throw another jab his way, then stopped, seeing Evie looking at him almost beseechingly. Humor him just this once, her eyes seemed to say, and Jacob sighed deeply. "Fine," he said. "Fine. I'll come to your couples thing or whatever."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Henry said, clearly relieved. "Who will you be bringing along?"

"Well," Jacob began, and then stopped. He suddenly felt a fist seize his heart, a strange fear he had never felt before. He suddenly did not know how to say what he wanted to say.

Evie saw it, and her gaze softened; in that moment she seemed to understand why Jacob was hesitating. But Henry forged on regardless. "I've been hearing that you're in a relationship now. Maybe you could bring her along so we can meet her?"

"Er - yes," Jacob said; he felt oddly numb. "Yes, I'll do that."

"Great," Henry said, brightly, and left the train car. But Evie lingered in the doorway, staring at Jacob.

Jacob sighed. "What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Jacob," she said, gently. "He won't mind."

"Yes he will." Jacob stood stiffly, put on his top hat, and left the room at a brisk pace. Evie watched him go, thoughtfully.

He knew exactly where to go. The door was locked when he arrived, so he took out his key and opened it, and stepped into the house. The bench was empty, he noted as he entered, and the blackboard, normally covered with complex equations, was erased; and the grey overcoat that always hung on the rack was gone.

Must have gone out for one of his walks, Jacob mused, and took off his gauntlet and weapons, setting them on the counter. Then he flopped down onto the couch in the sitting room and closed his eyes, debating what to say and how to say it. He felt tired all of a sudden, exhausted from a day of beating up Blighters, and decided that a few minutes' nap wouldn't hurt.

He didn't even remember falling asleep, but he did remember opening his eyes groggily and seeing the grey overcoat back on the hook by the door, and hearing a merry whistling coming from the kitchen. He lifted his head, and saw that he'd been covered with a soft tartan blanket, a pillow placed delicately under his head. He sighed fondly, just as Aleck emerged from the kitchen and knelt down to give him a kiss. "Good morning, sleepyhead," he teased.

"Hey, Aleck," Jacob said, resigning himself to having slept the day away. "What time is it?"

"Almost dinnertime, I'd wager." Aleck gently set a cup of tea and a plate down on the table by the couch. "I made you some tea and crumpets."

"You're too good for me, Aleck," Jacob said fondly, and when Aleck started to leave, he reached to tug him back in for a soft kiss. He always loved the way Aleck melted into him like butter, sweet and gentle, and when they broke apart he couldn't help sighing. "I don't deserve you."

"Poppycock." Aleck kissed his nose. "You deserve me and the crumpets."

"I came here to tell you," Jacob said, reaching up to brush hair out of Aleck's eyes. "We've been invited to a double date with Evie and Henry."

Aleck's eyes widened. "With Henry?"

"Yes," Jacob said, watching his eyes for a reaction. "Is that all right?"

"I - I don't know," Aleck stammered, suddenly shy. He ducked his head. "Will we be in public?"

"I think we're just having dinner on the train. No one else will see us." Jacob was trying to reassure him, but Aleck sighed and drew back, obviously still not convinced.

"Jacob, you know what we agreed," he said. "We said we would never tell anyone besides Evie."

"I know." Jacob closed his eyes, resigning himself to the fact that they would have to hide forever. "We don't have to go. It was just a thought."

But Aleck hesitated, and somehow Jacob knew he was thinking the same thing. "Well," he ventured. "As long as it was just Henry, maybe... and he promised not to tell anyone else..."

"No, you're right." Jacob dragged a hand across his face. "We can't risk it. What if he breaks up with Evie and then he's got blackmail material?"

"But we have to try and be normal sometimes," Aleck said, gently. "Maybe just this once."

Jacob heaved a long sigh. "Fine," he said, and Aleck smiled, triumphant. "Fine. But only this once."

And soon he began to warm up to the idea, as Aleck excitedly talked about having some of Henry's cooking (which, Jacob had to admit, was far better than his own) and picked out a nice outfit, a black suit with a red cravat that he'd been dying to wear and that Jacob might have stolen from the Disraelis. Jacob chose a more modest tux for himself, and on the day of the date Aleck fussed over his hair and teeth for so long that Jacob finally had to take his hand and drag him bodily out of the washroom to get there on time.

"I'm so nervous," Aleck whispered, as they approached the train car hand in hand. "Did you tell him anything about me?"

"No," Jacob admitted. "This is going to be a bit of a surprise."

"Oh dear," Aleck murmured fearfully, and clung to Jacob's hand for support. Jacob kissed his fingers to reassure him, then guided him up the steps and into the train car.

Evie looked up as they entered, and smiled warmly. "Hello, Aleck," she said, and Aleck smiled shyly back. "You're looking sharp tonight."

"Thank you," Aleck stammered, sheepishly, and Jacob smiled; Aleck had never been the best at taking compliments. "I -"

"Oh, hello, Jacob!" Henry emerged from the back of the car, beaming politely. "It's lovely to see you. Who -" His gaze traveled to Aleck, and he stopped, clearly thunderstruck at the sight of him.

Oh, no, Jacob thought, suddenly regretting ever coming here at all. Oh, I should never have brought him here, I shouldn't have agreed to do this -

"Why, Aleck," Henry said, in a voice brimming with gentle warmth. "You should have told me you were Jacob's date. I would have made more pie."

Jacob's mouth opened, then shut; he could not believe what he had just heard. For possibly the first time in his life, he was at an utter loss for words.

Evie laughed. "Why, Henry," she said, lightly. "I think you've struck him speechless."

Henry smiled and pulled out a chair for Aleck, gesturing warmly. "Sit down, Aleck, please," he said, and Aleck shot a nervous glance at Jacob, then sat. Jacob took the chair beside him, still a bit wary; but when Henry passed the food around and they started to joke and laugh, and Henry asked gentle questions and coaxed Aleck out of his shell, he realized he'd never had anything to worry about. Of course Henry wouldn't mind. He was Henry.

And later that night, as he was lounging on his favorite couch in the side train car, Henry poked his head in and said gently, "Jacob."

"Hey, Greenie," Jacob said, playfully. "What's on your mind?"

"I want you to know that you can bring Aleck over to the train anytime," he said. "He's always welcome here. You two don't ever have to hide again."

And Jacob would fiercely deny the rumors from the Rooks the next morning that he'd spent the night sobbing into the couch cushions.