Equius shut the car door and walked around to the other side, where Aradia had just gotten out of his Hummer. He had a calm smile on his face, doing his best to not seem too unbecoming or eager that she would be in his quarters for the first time.

Aradia stepped out lightly, gracefully, taking his arm as he led her inside the apartment complex. No dirt, no grime, and in a very nice part of town; everything seemed to be in very good upkeep. "This seems like a nice place! I admit, I'm pretty curious about seeing where you live for myself."

"I do my best to keep my stables clean, so to speak." Equius grinned toothily at his own joke. He unlocked the door and gestured for her to come inside.

Aradia curtseyed and walked inside, taking in the grand apartment. The entranceway had wooden floors as well as a vestibule. As Aradia walked in further, she could see the space had little furniture, but what there was of it was intricate and beautiful. The walls were robin's egg blue, the carpet a deep cerulean, and the furniture was all dark cherry wood. A cool breeze drifted in from a large window draped in white curtains. Towels were laid on the floor beneath piles of tiny circuitry and bits of metal, all foreign to her. The air smelled of a mechanic's workspace- lubricating oil and air freshener.

"I expected something impressive, but wow! Nice place, as a bit of an understatement! Haha!" Aradia squatted down, one hand sweeping behind her to keep her skirts from falling on and disturbing the organized wires on the floor, as she ran a finger along the detailed scrollwork on the legs of an end-table. She looked over her shoulder at Equius, smiling brightly, "Very fancy. You like the best of everything, don't you?"

Befuddled by her in depth examination, Equius cocked his head slightly, "I was raised to expect nothing less."

He placed his jacket upon a coathook installed in the vestibule, "I will take your coat, Aradia."

She stood, leaving her oversized purse on the couch, and slipped off her black coat as she walked over to him, "I'm not used to seeing anything that doesn't come from Ikea or have sixty years' worth of scratches on it. Your place is very nice, it suits you well."

Equius took the coat from her hands, failing to be able to touch her bare fingers. He hung her coat with much more care than he did his own, "I come from a noble heritage. This happens to be one of the rewards I reap from such."

"Must be nice," she said, simply, as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him from behind. "So, you and I are here, what did you have in mind for this evening?"

Equius was caught off-guard momentarily, his firm torso tensing under her arms for a moment before relaxing. His fingers ran down her arms idly, yet still at a rough, quick pace as he thought. He was uncertain as to proceed, but he would not let her know that, "We could prepare something to eat and then watch a movie together."

"I like it. Shall we?" Aradia asked, heading off towards the kitchen. She paused, looking at a few nude paintings on the wall in the hallway; all of the figures were muscular, male and female, each strategically positioned so that their physiques would be highlighted and their privates hidden.

"What would you be interested in having?" Equius walked into the kitchen ahead of her, slipping his sunglasses off into his hand.

Aradia turned, grinning, "Dunno! I've never had a date offer to cook for me before! How about...you make your favorite dish? Better yet, you can show me how. Maybe then I can make it for you sometime."

Equius then contemplated a moment, opening a cabinet to see what was available and then suddenly letting out a frustrated growl. "Curse and confound it all!" Then came the sound of a punch and cracking plastic.

Aradia whipped her head around, "What? What happened?"

When Aradia came into the kitchen area, she saw Equius with his fist against a wall, glasses gripped tightly in his hand. He turned halfway, replying, "I just recalled that I had to visit the grocery store and completely forgot!"

Aradia gently laid a hand on his arm, "Equius, it's fine! We can go and get whatever we need, okay?"

He looked back at her, slowly relaxing, "Of course. I don't know what came over me." He retracted his arm and unclenched his fist, unleashing another bark, "I cannot believe this!"

The lenses in the pair of sunglasses in his hand were cracked.

Aradia took his sunglasses away and set them aside, "Shhh, shhh, sweetie? Breathe with me. Deep breaths, okay?" She cupped his cheeks and looked up at him, "It's not that crucial. Let's just go to the store and pick up whatever you need, maybe grab another pair of shades, okay? It's all okay."

Equius' pulse slowed and his breath calmed, hands settling on her hips. He took another calming breath before nodding, "You are right. I just have a rather short fuse at times."

"So I noticed." She began to pull him back towards the living room, "Do you need a towel before we go?" She released him to dig through her purse, pulling out a soft cream-colored towel and handing it to him.

Equius' eyes widened and he chuckled, "You have one with you?"

Aradia shrugged, pressing the towel into his hands, "Seemed like a good idea to keep around if I'm going to spend time with you. Oh, not that I mind! Hyperhidrosis is a serious concern, and not your fault at all."

He wrapped his arms about her strongly, his chest rumbling with another laugh. He looked down at her with a smile, as he dabbed his forehead and neck.

Aradia smiled, nuzzling into his chest, "There we go. Now, what do we need to get?"

Equius pulled back, thinking momentarily, "A few of my usual staples, but if you wanted to prepare something with me, I am sure we can extract the necessary ingredients together."

Aradia grabbed both of their coats, "See? No biggie. Let's go!" Equius gave his neck another quick wipe-down, and set Aradia's towel on the arm of the couch.

It was only a short drive to the supermarket, and the drive was spent with pleasant idle chatter. In the market, Aradia grabbed a hand-basket. "So, what do we need? Also, what's for dinner? Did you have any particular plan?"

"Beyond my usual staples I was not sure." He began to walk into the produce aisle.

"How about...a nice lasagna? It takes a little time, but it should be tasty," Aradia offered, looking around.

"Doesn't that require meat?" Equius asked, picking up a container of fresh spinach and a package of tofu.

"Not if it's a vegetable lasagna. Do you like eggplant?"

Equius contemplated his answer briefly as he took the hand-basket from her, slipping in a bunch of carrots. "I do. What else would you use?"

Aradia ticked off on her fingers, "Mushrooms, maybe some fresh tomatoes, sauce, and cheese, and noodles. Why, you don't eat meat?"

"I don't. It's part of my diet." Equius spoke casually, picking up a carton of whole mushrooms.

"I'd have thought beef would be good for anemia." Aradia picked up three small tomatoes on a vine, inspecting them, before bagging them and putting them in the basket.

Equius continued down the aisle, grabbing some kale and potatoes. "In theory it would be. However, I don't believe in killing animals for my consumption."

"Ah, I see. I can respect that," Aradia said, slipping a package of fresh basil into the basket. "Dairy's still okay, right? Oh, and do you want eggplant in this one, or would you like to try it without?"

"You will do what you think is best." He answered authoritatively, carrying the basket easily in his hand.

"Without, this time. But is cheese okay? How about eggs?" She took his hand and pulled him along to the pasta aisle.

He nodded, allowing her to lead him with a slight grin, "Yes, to each inquiry."

"That makes things easier!" A jar of sauce, a box of noodles, and a jar of parmesan found their way into the basket, and she grabbed his hand again and led the way towards the dairy department. "All we need now is cheese, and we're set for dinner! Did you need anything else while we're here?"

Equius nodded briefly, light glinting off the cracked glasses for a split second. He placed 2% milk in the basket, "I require olive oil as well." He turned and walked in the other direction, not looking behind him.

Aradia nodded, price-comparing the different brands of mozzarella. She finally selected a bag of shredded cheese and a tub of ricotta and looked around. She dashed along the aisles, looking for Equius, finally finding him at the oil display. "I forgot how fast you can move."

Equius spun sharply, "Oh, Aradia, I thought you knew to follow."

"I'm not always easily led, I guess," she grinned, slipping the cheese into the hand-basket and kneeling down to look at some bottles of generic olive oil. She picked out a bottle of extra-virgin, and stood, "I've kind of got an independent spirit."

He then reached for a sleeker, darker bottle of olive oil, placing it with his other groceries, "Independent spirit, how?"

"Oooh, fancy!" Aradia put the other bottle back, and led towards the check-out. "I prefer to lead than follow. You know how some people are better at directing than taking direction? That's me." She took his hand again, "Was there anything else you needed?"

"Are you?" A tingle of heat spread through his spine at certain implications that wandered into his mind.

"Couldn't you tell?" Aradia laughed, loading everything onto the check-out belt. "Here, how about this. I'll teach you how to make this dinner, and you can tell me if I'm any good at instructing. Deal?"

That may as well have been invitation for foreplay, although there was no way for the girl to know that, Equius thought. "Very well. We will." He spoke shortly, already beginning to perspire once more as he paid for the groceries.

A short trip later, and Equius carried five grocery bags into his apartment.

"I could get some of those, you know," Aradia protested, holding the building's door open for him, "Here, give me your keys, at least I can get the next door for you." She slipped her hand into his right pocket, reasoning that since he was right-handed, it was more likely that he would pocket them on the right side.

Equius gasped, hands occupied, leaving him unable to stop her, "Aradia!"

Aradia stopped dead, "That...should have dawned on me sooner as a faux pas." Her hand stayed in his pocket, "I promise I'm not going for your wallet, I just want to get the door for you since you won't let me carry any bags. Bags or keys, your call. Which should I get?"

He began to breathe heavily, loving that strange feeling of helplessness she had accidentally inflicted upon him. He spoke breathlessly, "You will continue to search for my keys."

"Suit yourself." Phone, spare change, what felt like a neatly-folded bill...nope, nope, nope. She felt around, and damn but his thigh was muscular. Tense, too…She took her hand out of his pocket and walked around him, checking his other pocket.

"Bingo!" She pulled out his keys and found one that looked like a house key.

"Very good, you will unlock the door as well, since I cannot." He flexed his arms beneath his coat, maintaining the grip he had on his bags.

Aradia unlocked the door and held it open for him, snickering, "Hey, I thought I was the one telling you what to do tonight?"

Oh, that was just downright torturous... No! Equius thought, mentally kicking himself, I must behave myself!

"So it would seem." He choked out, as he walked inside, the strain on his mind much greater than any on his arms.

Aradia hung up her coat, "Well, go set the groceries down, and roll up your sleeves. I'm putting you to work." She gave him a gentle shove towards the kitchen.

Equius obeyed, setting down all five bags at once. He removed his coat and placed it on top of Aradia's, walking back toward the kitchen. He grinned at the sight of her.

She busied about, putting away anything that would not be used for dinner. "Okay, you'll need a baking dish. Depending on how big we make this, you might be set for lunches for a few days! I'll need a good knife, a cutting board, and a basting brush if you've got one."

Equius tried to do as she said, but stood confused for a moment, "What is a baking dish?"

"Oven-safe, rectangular, either ceramic, glass, or metal? About yea big?" She held her hands in approximate dimensions, and turned to rummage through his cabinets.

Equius placed a small, rectangular non-stick cake pan on the counter, "Like this?"

Aradia's face turned in amused sympathy. "Tsk, honey...it'll do in a pinch, but for the guy with seemingly everything, you could use a better-stocked kitchen." She patted his cheek in gentle admonition, "Well, now I know what you're getting for your birthday."

Equius stared in confusion, why would she get him something so mundane as cookware for a present?

Aradia continued as she set the oven temperature and adjusted the rack, "Okay, you wash the vegetables, I'll seed and slice them. Did you have a basting brush?"

"What is that?" Equius was once again bewildered, standing dumbly with his arms at his sides.

"Oh boy…No problem! How about a small ladle? A big spoon will work."

Equius went to a drawer and pulled one out, holding it out to her.

"Perfect! Okay, wash those vegetables, will you? I need to grab a hair tie." Aradia gave him a little push towards the sink. He allowed himself to be led briefly, gripping a tomato in his hands and washing it under a stream of water. His grip was strong enough to bruise.

Aradia shook her head and chuckled as she left the kitchen to find her purse. She returned a moment later, pulling her hair back into a red scrunchie, a second scrunchie held between her lips. She looked stood next to Equius, peeking over, and giving a little chuckle as she finally got her hair secured.

"What is so funny?" He looked down at her, eyebrows raised behind cracked lenses.

She dropped the scrunchie into her hand and wrapped it around her wrist. "You. You're very cute sometimes. Here, bend down a bit, I'll put your hair back for you."

Equius cocked his head, bending down awkwardly to comply, and Aradia gently swept his hair back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. She pecked his cheek and took the tomato from him, and his skin prickled at her touch, the roots of his hair growing damp. "There you go. Here, I'll work on the veggies, you go ahead and pour a little sauce-about a cup's worth-in the bottom of the pan and spread it around with the spoon."

He then nodded and marched to the other counter, pouring the sauce without measuring. He then spread it as she had dictated, turning back around. "I've done as you said."

Aradia finished rinsing the mushrooms and started to slice them. "Great! Spread a layer of noodles out over top of the sauce. After that, grab a spoon and drop little spoonfuls of ricotta on the noodles."

Eager to obey her command, he opened the package of pasta and layered it as carefully as he could, dropping the cheese on soon after.

Aradia meanwhile finished a few of the mushrooms and finely sliced some basil, and had begun to slice and dig the seeds out of a tomato with her fingers. She peeked over, knuckle-deep in tomato guts, and smiled. "Perfect! Sprinkle a little mozzarella over that, and then start layering some mushrooms and basil while I finish this."

Equius continued to build up the layers of the dish as she had stated, thinking less of the "command" aspect of it and more of the integral stacking.

Aradia thinly sliced the tomato and passed it over, and instructed him step-by-step on the rest of the lasagna construction, layering praise with each step. When the final layer was done, she popped the pan in the oven and set the timer, "Perfect! We've got a good while before it's done, though. How would you like to spend it?"

Equius thought for a moment, removing the hair tie and letting his hair fall down across his back, "We shouldn't go far."

"To the couch?" Aradia suggested. A little couch-borne cuddling, yes, that would be quite pleasant.

"That will do nicely." He took Aradia by the hand and led her to his couch; large, plush, and deep blue. Both made sure to step around the machinery parts spread out on the living room floor. He settled down and finally removed his cracked sunglasses once more, having forgotten he had left them on.

Aradia sat down next to him, cuddling up to his side. She kicked off her heels and tucked her ankles under her, as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Comfy!"

Equius drew his arm around Aradia's waist and pulled her closer to him with a nod, "Once again, a positive result of my nobility."

Was his tone... playful?

"Indeed, you are ever the gentleman!" she giggled, tucked up to his side. "And, as such, would you be so kind as to afford a girl an even more pleasant spot to sit?"

"Where might that be?" He asked, stroking a shaking hand down further to the side of her hip.

She shifted and slid herself into his lap, grinning widely, her long skirts bunching up as she straddled his legs. "Right here. Seems like a seat you'd only save for special guests, and I'd like to think of myself as one." She wrapped an arm around his neck, "Unless I'm being presumptuous?"

His breath caught in his throat briefly, both of his hands stilling upon her hips. The closer she came, the more anxious he grew, more aware of the sweat trickling down his back. He reached a hand over to the side of the couch, grabbing for the towel she had offered him earlier and dabbing at his forehead as he muttered gruffly, "I apologize for my behavior."

Aradia laughed, "For what? Being adorable? Gentlemanly? Trust me, I don't mind." She pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.

Still with the towel in his hand, he let it fall to his knee as he was kissed. He let the hand come up behind her neck, pulling her down sharply. A bit too sharply as it turned out.

She shifted with a grunt of discomfort, and offered an apologetic look, "Want to try that again, a little easier this time?"

Mortified, he growled to himself and groped for the towel. He pressed the cloth to his forehead again, "I apologize! Confound it, I knew this would happen!"

"What would happen?" Aradia asked as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I am too rough if I'm not careful." He laid his head back against the couch. He sighed deeply, eyes screwed shut in frustration. Aradia could feel how his pulse thundered in his chest with her intimate vicinity.

With a soft sigh, she nuzzled his shoulder, "Equius, I'm not injured. You and I, we're still getting used to each other, right? So, we each do a little forgiving as the situation warrants, including with ourselves. Okay?"

Equius pressed his cheek against the side of her head, inhaling the scent of her and sighing fondly with a nod. He pulled her closer, his hand moving to the small of her back.

"You're sweet, but remember that I'm made of sturdy stuff. You won't break me just by touching me, okay?" She nuzzled his cheek and took his hand, gently guiding it to her thigh.

Equius blustered, "Er, Aradia?"

"Yes Equius?" she said, letting her hand work back up his arm towards his shoulder.

"You put my hand on your thigh."

"Well, it didn't look like it was going to get there by itself."

His hand shook once more before he gripped the bountiful flesh, fingers sinking in slightly as he groaned quietly.

She giggled and kissed the corner of his mouth, as she began to toy with a lock of his hair. "See? I'm still here, totally unharmed."

Equius kissed the opposite corner of her mouth as well, breath feeling fog-heavy in his chest as he uttered, "You're beautiful..."

"And you're a flatterer." She smiled and nuzzled against his neck, "Thanks, though."

His hands, now more steady, slid their way up her sides, molding to her curvaceous shape as he breathed against her skin.

She squirmed, subtly, and let her lips brush against his neck before kissing him softly just below his jaw. He exposed more of his neck to her, his hands sliding through her hair and holding her against him. Firmly, but not painfully.

She kissed her way down his neck, stopping as soon as her lips met his shirt collar. She could so easily unbutton his shirt, she could hook her fingers into his collar and tug down lightly, but...for all her bravado, she was not quite ready for all that might come from even beginning to undress him.

Oh, but that time was coming, wasn't it? The time was coming when she might kiss his bare chest, when he might hold her close, his naked stomach warm and moist against her own bare skin...Aradia squirmed in his lap. She might not be quite ready for the reality yet, but the thoughts were nice. Very nice.

"You can touch me as well, as much as you like as well..." He said; he had wanted to refrain from such lewd thoughts, but Aradia made it so difficult, especially when she touched him like that...

Though her cheeks were tinted, she simply nuzzled into his neck, one hand idly stroking his opposite shoulder, "I thought I was."

He then lifted his hand and held her face in his hands, stroking her jaw briefly before pulling her close and settling her lips on his. He inhaled quickly with a low moan in his chest.

She countered with leisurely kisses, soft and sweet, as she adjusted her posture, squirming to get a little closer to him, as close as possible. Gradually the kiss elevated to the point where his tongue slid along her lower lip before taking it gluttonously between his.

Aradia licked at his upper lip and nibbled it, letting her hand slip down his chest. His shirt was slightly damp, but she could not care; she was far more interested in the firm musculature and the heat that seeped through to her palm.

His hands laid on the backs of her thighs, gripping and holding onto her as he felt himself begin to harden. He stalled in realization, but only for a moment before pushing his tongue up against hers.

She pushed back, subtly, into his hands as she caressed his tongue with her own. The hand in his hair tugged a little and she could not help but let slip a sweet, barely-audible moan.

Equius groaned in return, murmuring into her mouth , "Aradia..."

"Mmm?" Aradia stole another peck to his lips, not wanting to stop. She pressed her chest against his, her whole body feeling warm and buzzing.

His hands drifted further up to grip her backside in his hands, continuing to kiss her. He himself was overheated, but he couldn't bring himself to care, she was so lovely and she wanted this, it was exquisite.

She drew herself closer, as close as she could, her body working on its own; her mind was, at best, a distant observer as she ground down into his lap, until she noticed something that was decidedly not his thigh, and wow, okay, there was a lot of decidedly-not-thigh there.

She paused and tried to collect herself; was she ready for this? Maybe. The spirit was definitely willing, but was she ready for that much of this? No, not yet; she was a virgin and she knew she'd need to put forth some kind of stretching regimen for a while first.

"Equius, I...," she began apologetically, "I don't want to stop, but, I don't think I'm quite ready to, y'know, just yet. I never have before."

She looked into his yellow-tinted eyes, searching for understanding. For a brief moment, those eyes seemed to glimmer with a dark joy, but he reigned himself back in with a nod and an exhale against her lips, "Then what is it you want?"

She chewed her lip, briefly, "I like this. I like making out with you, being physical like this...I'm just not ready for sex yet, and I hope that's okay with you." She looked into his eyes as she swept aside a lock of hair that had stuck to his damp forehead, "I hope you aren't disappointed."

He shook his head and tried to adjust her in his lap, only then noticing how hard he had gotten. His eyes widened as he flushed and inched her halfway off his lap, "Curse my-!"

She stopped him with a kiss, cupping his cheek in her hand. He relaxed all over, a small grin upon his lips when he pulled back from her.

Aradia smiled softly, "No guilt, okay? We're both turned on, that's not a bad thing! I'm just...not ready yet." She moved to kneel beside him on the couch and laid her head on his shoulder, "Thank you for being patient with me."

He nodded, leaning over toward her. His lips brushed the base of her throat. She arched her neck for him and threaded her fingers through his hair as her eyes fluttered closed.

A shrill ding then came from the kitchen.

Equius bolted upright with a forced casual nod, "Right then."

Aradia sighed, just a little disappointed by the sudden lack of Equius on her neck, but she straightened her skirt and stood. She offered him a hand up, "Well, let's see what we've wrought, eh?"

He stood on his own, "Yes we will."

She took his hand, anyway, and led towards the kitchen. The two had both been too distracted before to catch the tantalizing aroma, but when Aradia opened the oven and pulled the lasagna out it was nigh inescapable. "Not bad, huh?"

"We would need to taste it in order to verify its quality." Equius's eyes drifted to the excited girl before responding, "Although I do believe it is indeed 'not bad'."

She opened up a cabinet to get some plates, a slight wiggle in her hips, "See? Told you I was good at giving direction. Now come, I don't know about you, but I've worked up an appetite!"