When Saturday rolled around, Emily had spent most of the day counting down the hours until her big date with JJ. Most of the day, she had forced herself to stay in bed and rest her head but by 17:00, she found herself nearly vibrating with excited anticipation. In order to distract herself from watching the clock for a solid two hours leading up to when she planned on getting ready to go, she decided to pick up the book she had been reading. Unfortunately, her brilliant plan to pass the time reading backfired tremendously, because when she looked at the time again, she was suddenly running late.

She rushed to shower and get her hair dried, then went to her closet to get dressed. She stared at her wardrobe with a frown, she hadn't been on many first dates, or many dates in general, and nearly all of them had ended horribly once she discussed being asexual. Emily couldn't help but feel a bit nervous when thinking about the possibility that JJ might do the same as all the other women before her, she might just run for the hills when Emily outed her sexuality, or rather, lack thereof. Emily knew from experience that most people seemingly find sex to be a mandatory part of dating, which was why Emily very rarely dated at all, it just became too exhausting for her to becoming interested in someone only to get her heart broken, time and time again. Still, it was better than the alternative of pretending to be someone she wasn't, or pretending to enjoy intimate activities that she didn't. She would just be honest with JJ and hope for the best, because that's realistically all she could do.

"Shit!" she muttered when she checked her watch to see she had been staring blankly in her closet for a good five minutes. She dug to the back of the closet and found one of the three dresses she own, a short black little number that hit a bit high up her thighs, which was just enough leg in her opinion, she hoped JJ would think so as well.

She had just finished getting dressed when JJ rang the doorbell. Emily gave herself a final once over in the mirror, before taking a deep breath and opening the door. As soon as she saw JJ, her heart fluttered at the sight of JJ wearing a dress the same colour of her blue eyes, she looked stunning.

"You look incredible," Emily admitted. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks, but she simply couldn't stop her gaze from lingering.

"You're in a dress!" JJ gasped. She had never seen Emily in a skirt, much less a dress and a very sexy dress at that. Emily's gaze wasn't the only one that lingered, because JJ couldn't take her eyes off Emily's legs.

"Is it okay?" Emily asked sheepishly. It was true she generally avoided dresses as much as possible, the only reason she even owned three different dresses was because she needed them for boring events and fundraisers her mother co-opted her in to attending and Elizabeth wouldn't dare let Emily wear pants at such high-brow functions.

"More than okay, you look beautiful, Em," JJ said. She leaned in and planted a quick peck on Emily's cheek to reassure her. "Shall we go?"

JJ had planned for them to go to dinner and a movie, she admitted it was a bit cliché but she didn't want to go too overboard for their first date, especially since she was already pre-emptively planning many more dates with Emily. She figured they could catch up over dinner, then if things went well, they could cuddle in the safety of darkness the movie theatre would afford, and if things went really well, perhaps they could make out a bit while they were at it. JJ felt like a teenager all over, she couldn't remember the last time she felt giddy about going on a date with someone, but Emily wasn't just someone to JJ, she was much more than that and JJ desperately hoped their night together would turn into the beginning of something more long-term.

JJ spent most of dinner just staring at how beautiful Emily was while they talked about just about everything they could think of. The topic of conversation barely mattered while they visibly swooned at each other from across the table throughout their meal. When dessert arrive, Emily's tone became a bit more serious as she tried to segue into the conversation she had been dreading in the back of her mind.

"Hey Jayje, there's something I want to talk to you about," Emily confessed softly. JJ nodded between bites of cheesecake. "You see, the thing is, I'm...well, there's no easy way to put this...I'm asexual." Emily paused and waited for the reaction she had become accustomed to seeing from other dates, but instead of JJ looking appalled, she simply furrowed her brow a bit in contemplation.

"Oh...okay," JJ replied. She wasn't confused about what Emily was saying, it was more that she was slightly confused at why Emily prefaced her statement with such hesitation.

Emily decided maybe JJ didn't fully understand what she was trying to communicate. "I mean, I really like you and I'm glad we're trying out this dating thing, but I just wanted you to know up front that I'm probably not going to want to have sex with you." Emily paused again, waiting for the repulsion the she was usually met with after clarifying what being asexual was like for her.

"Emily, I really like you too. If sex isn't your thing, then it isn't your thing. I don't know much about asexuality, so please excuse me in advance if I ask stupid questions. The most important thing is for you to feel comfortable in whatever this is, or what it might become. I'm happy to learn with you." JJ smiled and placed her hand on Emily's. "Thank you for being honest with me, Em. I really appreciate you trusting me with this information."

Emily sat in stunned silence, she had seen plenty of reactions from dates in the past, but she had never been thanked for telling a date she was asexual. On the contrary, from her experience most women would find any reason to end the date once Emily came out to them, but not JJ, she was offering to learn and was willing to communicate so they could both enjoy their time together. No one had ever offered Emily patience before. She wiped her eyes to keep from crying at how touching she found JJ's simple reply.

"You appreciate me?! I'm the one who's thankful right now. Jennifer, you really are amazing," Emily grinned in relief and in awe.

"I know!" JJ laughed as she tried to deflect Emily's compliment to keep herself from blushing.

When the check came, they had a brief argument over who would be paying. JJ insisted on covering it, since she was the one who asked Emily out, but she compromised by suggesting Emily could just pay the next time they went out, which only made Emily excited that JJ was already planning on them having a second date.

On their way back to JJ's car she reached for Emily's hand, but realised she didn't want to be presumptuous about what type of physical contact Emily may or may not be comfortable with. She decided it was best just to ask, even if she felt slightly foolish about it when Emily happily took her hand and intertwined her fingers with JJ's.

"I want to be clear, just because I don't experience sexual arousal the same way most people do, doesn't mean I'm not entirely attracted to you," Emily explained.

"I just wanted to be sure," JJ replied, blushing in embarrassment.

"I promise, I'll let you know if you ever do anything that feels uncomfortable, okay?" Emily reassured. "I mean, I hope you'll do the same for me."

"Sounds like a deal," JJ agreed. She leaned her head against Emily's shoulder while they walked hand in hand to the parking lot. Other than getting in and out of the car, they continued holding hands all the way to the movie theatre.

Emily couldn't help but think back to when JJ first took her hand while they were undercover in Alabama, that night JJ's hand in hers had felt like a spark of electricity, but having JJ's hand in hers while they were out on an actual date, felt as comfortable and warm as being wrapped in her favourite blanket in the middle of winter.

When they arrived at the movie theatre, the movie they planned on seeing was already sold out. JJ admonished herself for not getting tickets in advance, she had assumed she wouldn't need to since the film had been out for a few weeks already. Neither of them were quite ready to call it a night, so Emily suggested they go to her favourite park and do a bit of stargazing. She pointed out how they could try to see some of the seasonal constellations that she expected to be visible on such a clear night. JJ loved the romantic idea of stargazing and also loved how much she was learning about Emily's passions.

09/11

The park was dimly lit by street lamps but there was a large open space where the light didn't touch, perfect for staring at the night sky. JJ grabbed a blanket out of the trunk of her car and they set up on the grassy knoll. The breeze made it a bit chilly but nothing too uncomfortable and JJ figured if she got too cold, she could probably use it as an excuse to cuddle up to Emily.

Emily sat down next to JJ and smiled, "You look so beautiful in the moonlight."

"Thanks, Em," JJ whispered. She wasn't a stranger to receiving compliments about her looks, but usually she would deflect them or turn them into a joke to try and hide how uncomfortable it felt for people to call her beautiful. But something about Emily saying it made JJ's heart race and her cheeks blush.

JJ laid back on the blanket and Emily did the same, their hands intertwined while resting on Emily's stomach. She pointed out certain constellations and told JJ some of the stories behind them, which JJ found to be completely fascinating. During a pause in conversation Emily smiled in contentment at just how much she was enjoying their time together, she had previously imagined what it would be like to go on a date with JJ but her fear about coming out rarely let her imagination get very far. As if JJ knew what Emily was thinking she rolled to her side, propping herself up on her elbow while she looked at Emily happily.

"Thank you for talking to me at dinner," JJ said.

"Thank you for not running for the hills."

"Why would anyone run for the hills from you?" JJ asked. Seemingly in total shock at even the idea.

"You'd be surprised," Emily shrugged. She didn't want to think of the women that had come before JJ who hadn't understood or who had asked her to compromise her sexuality to suit theirs. She didn't want to think of all of the times she had been pressured into sex and had been miserable the entire time. She just wanted to enjoy JJ's company and feel comfortable in knowing this was something new. Something exciting that she had never experienced before, JJ wasn't like any of those women and Emily already felt more comfortable with her than she had on a date in a long time.

They laid together talking about just about anything they could think of, simply because they both found conversation with each other so easy. Emily was actually quite surprised by just how easy it was for her to be herself around JJ and how JJ genuinely listened to what she had to say, even when she was explaining myths about stars.

Emily tried to commit the moment to memory, everything about it was perfect. The way JJ's hair fell in her face, the way her hand felt in Emily's, the way the air was crisp and cool enough that JJ had curled into her chest so Emily could wrap an arm around her. Emily wanted to remember every part of that first date, because there was still a tiny bit of doubt in the back of her mind, telling her JJ might change her mind about Emily and if there was any chance this would be their only date, Emily didn't didn't want to forget a single detail.

The hours passed and soon it was nearing midnight. The temperature was dropping and JJ felt a shudder run through her as she curled closer to the brunette, looking up with a sort of pensive smile. Emily met JJ's gaze and felt her stomach fill with a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

"Can I kiss you?" Emily asked softly.

"I would like that," JJ replied with a grin.

Emily leaned in and closed the space between them. Their lips met in the briefest kiss at first, but JJ placed her hands on either side of Emily's face, pulling her in for a longer, passionate kiss. All either of them was focused on was each other, up until their embrace was interrupted by a blinding light as they turned to see two police officers shining flashlights at them.

"Ladies, this park closes after dark," the officer stated.

"Uh, thank you officer. We were just leaving," Emily said embarrassed they had been caught in a passionate kiss like a couple of teenagers out past curfew.

"Do you have ID," the second officer asked.

JJ smiled politely as she reached in her purse and pulled out her badge.

"Oh, apologies Agent..." the officer replied. "Well you two best get a move on. Have a good night." And with that the two officers made their way back to their patrol car, even though they still watched the couple to make sure they did, in fact, leave the park.

Emily and JJ laughed like school kids as they loaded up the car. "I cannot believe we just got caught by the police," JJ grinned.

"I cannot believe you showed him your badge," Emily admitted.

"She asked for ID!"

"You could have showed a driver's license, like a regular person! You didn't have to rain on their parade," Emily said as she got into the passenger seat.

"Well, I think showing them my badge at least ended the conversation quicker," JJ chuckled. She placed a quick kiss on Emily's cheek before starting the car. She waved to the officers as she drove past their patrol car, which made Emily burst into laughter again.

When they reached Emily's apartment, JJ parked outside and they still managed to find ways to postpone the inevitable end of their date. Between random conversations and stopping to listen to certain songs on the radio, they sat in JJ's car for another hour before it was impossible for Emily to hide her yawning.

She took JJ's hand and kissed it softly as she finally let it out of hers for nearly the first time since dinner. She pressed one last kiss to JJ's lips before opening her door to leave.

"I had an amazing night," Emily confessed.

"I did too, we should perhaps make a habit of this?" JJ asked hopefully.

"I would really like that. I'll see you at work tomorrow. Good night, Jennifer."

"Good night Emily."

JJ watched to make sure Emily made it inside safely before pulling away. She still felt the warmth of Emily's kiss and pressed her finger against her lips thoughtfully as she smiled and drove home. JJ couldn't remember the last time she felt so giddy after a first date and she was eager to see where her relationship with Emily would go from there.

JJ was still blissfully smiling when she got home. She checked her phone and was happy to see a text from Emily.

[Thanks again for tonight, you are awe-inspiring. xoxo] sent at 01.26

JJ replied with a quick message saying she enjoyed the night too. Which led to them texting back and forth for another half an hour until JJ ended falling asleep. With her phone still in her hand, she drifted off to many pleasant dreams about Emily.