[Aidan]

[starchilde_lost]

Valentine's day had almost been a disaster. And since then, Rachel had been trying to come up with some plan to make things up to Aidan. He didn't expect it and she knew he wasn't harboring any deep-seated resentments about it, but she just wanted to do something nice for him. Because she was his girlfriend and could. So she figured a nice candle-lit dinner for just the two of them would be a nice way to start.

It was when she found the outfit backstage at the club that things started to get interesting.

With devious glee she put an invitation that would lead him on a scavenger hunt to a variety of locations. In the boutique, she left him a suit that he could wear, at the Hub was waiting a bottle of wine, at the waterfall was a basket of desserts (with all of his favorites) and as he made his way to her hut, she sprinkled the path with some flowers.

Inside the hut, Rachel waited patiently, her small home lit entirely by candlelight and some jazz playing on her iPod. Dinner was on the table and if she'd timed it perfectly, it wouldn't be cold in the least when he followed her last instruction. Come inside and claim your prize.

Comments

[likesthestooges]

"Well, I think what we should take away from this is not that I previously imagined you incapable of making something like this, but that you're so good I assumed someone who cooked full time did this?"

He was glad she was blushing instead of getting offended, not that he expected her to actually get offended but he was sure she would give him crap about it sometime. The family dinner question caught him a little more off guard.

"Family dinner? Yeah, that would be- that would be fine. I mean great, that would be great."

[starchilde_lost]

"I just freaked you out, didn't I? I promise, I'll make everyone behave themselves." She paused. "As much as I can, I mean." She took another sip and laughed a little. She knew she had zero ability to prevent Doc from grilling Aidan a little and Nathan... well, she had no idea how he'd react to this whole thing.

"It won't be a big deal, I swear, just a nice dinner. Doc will probably bring his Captain, there will be you and me and Nathan... might bring his attack dog. But we'll keep the dog outside, that I can promise."

[likesthestooges]

"No," Aidan said, shaking his head. "You didn't freak me out, I promise. Surprised? Absolutely. Freaked out? Not at all. It's just been a long time since I've been asked to meet someone's family."

Even longer since he was asked to meet a girlfriend's family. It was a very surreal thought, trying to take the normalcy of it all in.

"And I'd love to do family dinner with you."

[starchilde_lost]

"That's a relief." She took another sip of her wine with a light sigh of relief. "I kind of already started planning it. I mean, I wasn't going to spring it on you or anything, and if you said no we wouldn't, but Doc's been wanting it, and I know Nathan wants an excuse to glare at you for awhile, and..." She was rambling. About things she didn't need to be rambling about tonight.

"Sorry, but yes, thank you, I promise you won't regret it, or at the very least I'll be sure to make up for it." With a slight smirk, she slipped her foot from her shoe and ran her toes along the inside of his calf. Screw subtlety, if she got in hot water with the dinner thing, he already knew exactly how she'd make it up to him anyway.

[likesthestooges]

Aidan was glad that she believed him about not being freaked out by the dinner. He didn't want her to think that he was always trying to placate her, that wasn't a good basis for a relationship and she didn't really need that. Rachel was a big enough girl to handle things.

Which was proven by the way that she ran her foot up his leg. It was a tiny gesture that served to get him even more worked up than he already was.

"Can I fake like I regret it horribly just so I can get the making up?" he asked.

[starchilde_lost]

"I think I might appreciate it more if you genuinely enjoy it." She hoped he did. She really wanted everyone in her life to get along. For once. From what she'd read about home, it seemed like that part of her life was going to get worse before it ever gets better.

[likesthestooges]

"I don't think that will be too much of a problem," he reassured her. Even if he wouldn't normally get along with everyone she invited he'd had a lot of experience being diplomatic when he wanted to.

"If it's half as good as this dinner everyone will be in a good mood just from the food alone."

[starchilde_lost]

"Really? You like it?" It was silly, but that simple compliment meant a lot to her and she knew she was blushing as she reached for her wine again. She'd never seen herself as... domestic, but she had to admit, it had its appeal. She'd never do it full-time or anything, but it was something she should probably do more of.

[likesthestooges]

Aidan had to chuckle at the blush to her face, especially considering the dress that she was wearing. Being so full of interesting surprises was one of the things he liked best about her.

"You would have made a very excellent 40s housewife."

[starchilde_lost]

"That's good, because I'm not sure I have many other marketable skills. It's housewife or soldier, I guess." There wasn't much in between where she was concerned. She wondered if, in some other world, she got to go to college, be a normal woman.

[likesthestooges]

"Both of which, you're very good at," he said, leaning forward to reach out and take one of her hands in his.

"Which means you'd probably be good at most anything you tried, that's just where you directed your talents. You should take up something else, I think you'd surprise yourself."

[starchilde_lost]

"I have no idea what that would be, but I guess I'll keep my eyes open." Taking another bite she smiled at Aidan, refilling his wine.

"What about you? Do you have anything you want to try? Work-wise, I mean." She smirked.

[likesthestooges]

"I like being a nurse," he said with a shrug. He wasn't sure that there was much else on the island that he was really interested in that he hadn't already done.

"A stunt car driver career might have been fun, but not very practical to pursue here on the island."

[starchilde_lost]

"Stunt car driver?" It made her smile, imagining him behind the wheel on a movie set. Something flashy and incredible, high speed and dangerous. Going out with starlets after hours and attending premieres. "I can see that."

[likesthestooges]

"I've had a lot of jobs over the years though, so generally only new ones interest me," he admitted. Either that, or jobs he had done in the past but you couldn't really do now.

"I guess I could join one of those Colonial, historical villages and be really good at that."

[starchilde_lost]

"I bet you could. Show 'em all how it's done." She could just see it, too, Aidan in period clothes, leading tours of adoring little kids, telling them tales that were in no history books anyone could find. She sometimes wondered, with men like Aidan and Logan, those that didn't age over decades and even centuries, what it was like to have memories so long.

She certainly never expected to have lived as long as she had, she couldn't imagine looking ahead and knowing that she could see centuries pass.

[likesthestooges]

"I could grow my hair out again and bring back the Colonial dialect," he said with a laugh. It was interesting to think that outside of vampires is that no one knew what the accent in Colonial America sounded like.

"I do miss tri-cornered hats though."

[starchilde_lost]

"Maybe if you're a very good boy, I'll try and coax one out of the clothing box for you." For fun, she let every entendre she could drip off of the good boy part. Not that he was ever a bad boy in any regard, except for maybe gauging her ability not to freak out in a given situation, but certainly not in any other kind of way.

Her perfect boyfriend is an ex-vampire. That probably says a lot about her doesn't it?

[likesthestooges]

"You are a very bad girl," he said, matching her tone when he told her she was a bad girl. As romantic and delicious as the dinner was, it was also torturous to have to delay the rest of the evening. Torturous in a good way, but still torturous.

"But that's one of the things I like about you. You're very versatile."

[starchilde_lost]

"You seem to bring out all the bad girl in me. I was a very innocent little girl before I started swimming with you." Which admittedly was a stretch, but she had been a lot bolder since meeting Aidan. A lot. To underscore the fact, she rose her foot along the inseam of his pants, almost up to his thigh.

She really wondered how far she could push that before he just set dinner aside and headed straight to dessert.

[likesthestooges]

Aidan smiled at the fond memory of the first time they were together. It was almost ridiculous to think how it had all turned out, but he was glad for it. There weren't many times in his life when he was really, truly happy.

Things got just a little happier though as her food slid higher up his leg, causing him to cough a bit and squirm in his seat.

"I can't say I'm disappointed about that."

[starchilde_lost]

"I guess you're not." Her foot slid a little higher and she picked up her wine, grinning over the glass. "Are you enjoying the meal?" She'd noticed the squirm, alright and decided to play it for all it was worth.

"It's hot enough for you, isn't it? I don't need to warm it up for you, do I?"

[likesthestooges]

Aidan suddenly found it a bit hard to think as Rachel's foot slid higher up his leg toward his crotch and the double entandre made it even worse. Or better, considering how you looked at it.

"I wouldn't say it's too hot," he replied, reaching a hand down to begin rubbing her foot.

[starchilde_lost]

"It isn't? That's good. I'd hate for you to get burned." Funny thing about feet. Rachel, like most people, had two and the other was slipped from it's heel to begin another slow rise along his other leg. It was a little awkward, but she managed it quite smoothly. Although the impromptu foot massage felt really nice.

[likesthestooges]

Okay, that was just plain wicked. He had been attempting to diffuse the sexual tension of the situation and she just kept plowing ahead. It was almost as if she wanted him to lose control. Rachel was very good at this game.

"Very tricky, Rachel Grey," he said, his voice slightly beeper with desire. "What am I going to do with you?"