The call comes as he pours the wine into their glasses. He throws her an apologetic look as he picks up the receiver and she can hear Buffy's muffled voice through the line as she explains the demon she encountered during her early sweep. Rupert turns slightly away from her, leaning against his desk to listen to his charge as she continues with a rushed description. He plucks a notepad and pen from the pile on the other side of him. He jots down a couple of particulars and makes various suggestions for Buffy while reading over his notes.
"I'm sorry about this," Rupert tells her when he hangs up, promising to look into Buffy's mystery demon.
"It's okay, what can I do to help?" Jenny asks as she rises from her seat on his couch to his personal library in the corner of his living room.
He follows her as she moves around his place, fairly familiar with the tomes he keeps at home and the library. There are questions in his eyes, a certain wonder in the quirk of his lips. She isn't sure what's put it there; her familiarity or her offer of help, resentment-free and unwavering.
"What?" She asks, her hand pausing on the shelf, poised to snag the first volume he suggests.
"I appreciate the help, but it really is alright," Rupert stammers.
"You remember I enjoy this, right?" Jenny reminds him. "When we first met and you drove me crazy in a whole other way than you do now?"
Her throwaway comment hits him the moment it leaves her mouth and his lips twitch as she pauses. "The feeling is entirely mutual," he replies. "I was wondering if our dates had hampered the penchant we have for bickering."
"Oh, don't worry, England, you still drive me crazy," Jenny concurs with a flirty little smile. "But I want to help. Hopefully, it won't take all night with the two of us working on whatever Buffy has encountered and we can at least get to salvage some of it for ourselves."
He considers for a minute and Jenny thinks he's about to refuse for some convoluted reason that makes sense to him and no one else.
"You're being awfully accommodating."
"Maddening, isn't it?"
"Astounding," he agrees. "Still, my point stands, this is becoming a precedent and I'm grateful for your acceptance of it, but it does leave me wondering how long-?"
"How long till I get pissed off and storm out?" Jenny finishes his unspoken question. This is date night, anyone else might get annoyed at the repeated interruption. She isn't anyone else.
"You have a pretty good reason to interrupt our dates. People could die if you and Buffy don't act. I'm not going to be scared away or hold it against you because we need to crack open the Black Chronicles and do research; we still get to spend time together."
"You are unlike anyone I've ever met," Rupert tells her, in awe of her pledge.
"I've never been involved with anyone like you, either," Jenny replies somewhat consciously.
Her past relationships were fleeting, some of them understood her recreational research into the occult, and some of them didn't. Rupert's life was so entangled in that world that it was impossible to separate that. It isn't fair to hold his or Buffy's calling against him when it isn't his fault; she'd probably think less of him if he brushed it off. She doesn't think he should abstain or think he is unable to share his life with anyone.
His situation is unique.
"For the record, I don't think I'd make these allowances for anyone else." His self-depreciation doesn't allow him to quite believe her. "Appreciate the fact that I'm flexible when it comes to date night, Rupert."
"I'd still like to make it up to you when we have time," he offers.
She smirks. "Be careful with your promises, England, I might want to test how flexible you are."
"I'll be more than happy to oblige when you're ready, Jenny," he returns easily, leaving her slack-jawed as he pushes off of his perch on the desk to reach past her for the book in front of her hand.
She rolls her eyes at him. Because for all of his stammer, he has these moments, when he comes back at her, matching her flirting with his own, catching her off guard in the best kind of way.