Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Benedicts/the Savant World – all right to Joss Stirling :)

Chapter Twelve

Why am I doing this again?

Because you love him and want him to be happy … Damn conscience! Seriously, though, why can't we just have a pizza and ice cream night? Because Xav's got amazing persuasion skills, that's why!

A glimpse of emerald catches my eye and with lots of effort I succeed in prying a dark green, silk dress from my wardrobe's claws. It's one of my own designs, a strapless dress with the wide flowing skirt ending just above the knee; I have the feeling I could possibly look pretty in this. I've got fifteen minutes left to change so I quickly wriggle into the dress (I silently thank Xav and my conscience for making me go running every morning), apply a little bit of complimenting make-up and tie my hair back in a (hopefully) elegant-looking twist. Now if this isn't enough for a fancy night out …

"You look … pretty."

Just pretty? I turn around to see Xav standing in the doorway, looking so awed that I know immediately that he was kidding.

Wait- I'll just contact my inner dictionary – nope – I beg you for forgiveness, I have made a mistake. You, darlin', are amazing, stunning, captivatingly beautiful –

I laugh and walk towards him to silence him with my excellent distraction methods. Xav pulls back to offer me his arm and beckons towards the door.

"Ladies first."

"So, where do you wanna go?" Xav asks as we leave our apartment building and I stop because I don't actually have any idea where we're going.

"What do you mean? I thought you had a reservation at … someplace."

Xav has the grace to look at the ground sheepishly and mumbles, "I wanted to let you decide. Because us going out is me saying sorry for lying to you"

"Xav" I sigh exasperated. "We've been over this. You don't have to apologize as long as you never – and I mean never ever – do it again."

"C'mon, Cupcake. One evening, one restaurant, your choice." He gives me one of his 'I'm-so-handsome-you-can't-possibly-say-no-to-this-face' smiles that he knows I can't reject.

"Fine, how about that French restaurant right over there?" I point towards a little alley leading off the main road.

"Mais oui, mademoiselle."

"You speak French?"

"I looked up all the restaurants nearby and learnt that sentence in about ten different languages. Now do you see how awesome your soulfinder is?" He leans over and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Uhhhh… nope!"

"He was totally flirting with you!"

"He was not. He was being a perfect gentleman. Unlike what you're being right now." I say and whip around to give Xav my perfected death glare. Xav can sometimes be a really annoying, overly-protective, jealous prat who pulls his girlfriend out of a perfectly nice restaurant after the waiter fussed over me for about five minutes before I was able to sit down. True, it was slightly annoying and weird but I sure as hell am not going to tell Xav that.

"What's that supp-?"

"Fine! How about we go the Italian restaurant that's a little further down the road?"

Xav looks as if he wants to contradict me but instead just says, "Si certo". Okay, that is kinda sweet.

"I'm not going in there!"

"C'mon Beauty, why not? The menu looks great –"
"Did you see the waitresses? Their dresses aren't dresses, they're t-shirts. And the way they are goggling at the male customers. That's gross."

We didn't even make it into the Italian restaurant as I had seen the waitresses through the window and they were very … not fully clothed.

"Fine! What restaurant do you wanna go to now? It's almost eight o'clock and I'm starving." Xav looks just as frustrated as I feel and I know the both of us kinda pictured this evening going differently.

"How about that sushi place around the corner? Leah said they're really good."

I look over at Xav who just looks desperate to get some food and nods at my suggestion.

No Japanese for me?

I give him a grin and lean over to pull his arm around my shoulders.

Īe.

Huh?

Learnt that from Kazue. I'm rejecting you, darlin'.

"Oh my God" I hold onto Xav as we stumble out of the restaurant and he looks around in search for a paper bag.

"I think I'm gonna throw up" he mumbles and pulls me into a hug.

"That was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen – no wonder Vic and Leah like that place."

"How can they even do that? Kids sometimes go there, right? Pulling fish out of the tank and cutting them up and doing weird things with them is definitely not –" I shake my head, trying to get the image out of my mind.

"So, what do we do now?" Xav asks and pulls me closer to him.

"Burger King?"

"Thank God I know that language!"

"This is soo good. I can't believe we didn't think of this before." Xav says and dips his fries into my ketchup. We're getting very weird looks from the binmen and the late night workers at the tables nearby and I can just picture them making up a story about how we got here. Girl in a fancy green cocktail dress and pretty makeup on with guy wearing a tuxedo and shiny shoes.

"Less is more, my friend" I say and take one of Xav's onion rings.

"Right you are, Beauty." Xav suddenly shoves the tray aside and leans over the table to give me a kiss.

"And I think it's time to go home and implement that philosophy … elsewhere."

This date scenario was requested by a guest reviewer (she/he asked me to write about Xav and Crystal's dates after he gets out of hospital – this is kinda how I pictured it)

We're heading towards something BIG soon, my dear readers! After one more chapter, there is going to be something massively huge and important coming up that starts with a big P and big W!

Please review :)