86.5: Discuss something your partner has given you.
It was lunch, and nothing more. But it was so desperately needed, it was practically on par with sex.
Except that this was Nathan, a man who knew his priorities. Most days, anyway. And it didn't matter just how much Italian blood flowed through his veins, food did not top sex. Never had, never would. No matter how often others wished this might be true. For his own sake, if no one else's.
But really, today had nothing to do with sex. Today had nothing to do with food. It was all about distractions at the moment, and his gratitude towards the person providing them. Considering it was colder than hell, and the person in question had no real obligation to do what she was doing.
He did have to wonder if there would be a line past which all these little kindnesses would end. The flirting, the lunches, the occasional spending time together when sufficient excuses could be made to do so. It had to stop sometime, Nathan was sure of it. It was only a matter of when, and following that, how long it would take him to get over it when it did happen.
He'd be prepared.
Damn it, he'd been in a better mood a minute ago.
Nathan shook his head at himself, pushing open the door to the restaurant and marveling how quickly he'd been able to take himself from any impending sense of comfort this lunch was supposed to bring. This really had to stop.
"So what happened?"
The stop at the sound of her voice was just short enough that Nathan had to conceal a stumble as he rounded back. Mary smiled, but she didn't laugh. Another kindness, or it would've been if he couldn't see the laughter in her eyes.
"Life." With dignity that he really didn't have, he stood straight, fixing his tie. "Thank you, I know this was last minute."
She waved it off dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I was just trying to figure out Christmas shopping." She promised, and gave a polite smile to the hostess while they both walked up to get a table. "Two, please."
"You still need help?" Nathan wasn't a hundred percent sure what he was offering, why he was offering it, but he didn't take it back.
And he didn't even contemplate changing his mind about that until he caught the startled expression that flickered across her face. Nathan opened his mouth to clarify, expand on it so it didn't sound quite so whateveritsoundedlike, anything-- Then she seemed entertained. He relaxed some.
"I can handle it." She followed the hostess with him to the table. "I'm a big girl. Why don't you tell me what you needed this lunch so badly for?"
To save himself any more trouble, Nathan prepared to let loose a shtick about stress. Christmas. Politics. Work. Family. Something tame. Anything he could save face with that was quick, where you could hear the bulletpoints.
The highly distracting hand that landed on his arm, giving a brief but reassuring squeeze before it was gone as quickly as it had come ruined everything.
Comfort, what he'd been looking for originally, had finally begun. Sliding into the seat opposite her, Nathan found himself marveling once again. Not over his own doubts and fears, and how they just about always wrecked everything. But over just how easy he'd been manipulated in the space of minutes.
"So. Have you always been that talented?"
Mary smoothed out her shirt absently, then looked his way and shook her head, allowing a faint smirk. "It's something I developed over time." She said honestly. "And you looked like you needed it."
He always found them. Nathan didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he always found them.
"So?"
Always.
"It was just a bad interview. A few too many questions about why I'm supporting Proposition X." His shoulders sagged some with the release as he continued. And she listened. She always did.
It couldn't last. But God help him if he wouldn't enjoy it while it lasted. And though it wouldn't allow him the proper distance once it all ended, he'd just have to thoroughly hate himself for that later.
Not as if that wasn't normal either.
Muse: Nathan Petrelli
Fandom: Heroes
Word Count: 710
Partner: Mary Winchester (iwantafamily)
OOC Note: Yet another merciless kidnapping. iwantafamily's mun has twenty four hours to come up with the ransom if she ever wants to see her precious Winchester Momma ever again.
Except that this was Nathan, a man who knew his priorities. Most days, anyway. And it didn't matter just how much Italian blood flowed through his veins, food did not top sex. Never had, never would. No matter how often others wished this might be true. For his own sake, if no one else's.
But really, today had nothing to do with sex. Today had nothing to do with food. It was all about distractions at the moment, and his gratitude towards the person providing them. Considering it was colder than hell, and the person in question had no real obligation to do what she was doing.
He did have to wonder if there would be a line past which all these little kindnesses would end. The flirting, the lunches, the occasional spending time together when sufficient excuses could be made to do so. It had to stop sometime, Nathan was sure of it. It was only a matter of when, and following that, how long it would take him to get over it when it did happen.
He'd be prepared.
Damn it, he'd been in a better mood a minute ago.
Nathan shook his head at himself, pushing open the door to the restaurant and marveling how quickly he'd been able to take himself from any impending sense of comfort this lunch was supposed to bring. This really had to stop.
"So what happened?"
The stop at the sound of her voice was just short enough that Nathan had to conceal a stumble as he rounded back. Mary smiled, but she didn't laugh. Another kindness, or it would've been if he couldn't see the laughter in her eyes.
"Life." With dignity that he really didn't have, he stood straight, fixing his tie. "Thank you, I know this was last minute."
She waved it off dismissively. "Don't worry about it, I was just trying to figure out Christmas shopping." She promised, and gave a polite smile to the hostess while they both walked up to get a table. "Two, please."
"You still need help?" Nathan wasn't a hundred percent sure what he was offering, why he was offering it, but he didn't take it back.
And he didn't even contemplate changing his mind about that until he caught the startled expression that flickered across her face. Nathan opened his mouth to clarify, expand on it so it didn't sound quite so whateveritsoundedlike, anything-- Then she seemed entertained. He relaxed some.
"I can handle it." She followed the hostess with him to the table. "I'm a big girl. Why don't you tell me what you needed this lunch so badly for?"
To save himself any more trouble, Nathan prepared to let loose a shtick about stress. Christmas. Politics. Work. Family. Something tame. Anything he could save face with that was quick, where you could hear the bulletpoints.
The highly distracting hand that landed on his arm, giving a brief but reassuring squeeze before it was gone as quickly as it had come ruined everything.
Comfort, what he'd been looking for originally, had finally begun. Sliding into the seat opposite her, Nathan found himself marveling once again. Not over his own doubts and fears, and how they just about always wrecked everything. But over just how easy he'd been manipulated in the space of minutes.
"So. Have you always been that talented?"
Mary smoothed out her shirt absently, then looked his way and shook her head, allowing a faint smirk. "It's something I developed over time." She said honestly. "And you looked like you needed it."
He always found them. Nathan didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he always found them.
"So?"
Always.
"It was just a bad interview. A few too many questions about why I'm supporting Proposition X." His shoulders sagged some with the release as he continued. And she listened. She always did.
It couldn't last. But God help him if he wouldn't enjoy it while it lasted. And though it wouldn't allow him the proper distance once it all ended, he'd just have to thoroughly hate himself for that later.
Not as if that wasn't normal either.
Muse: Nathan Petrelli
Fandom: Heroes
Word Count: 710
Partner: Mary Winchester (iwantafamily)
OOC Note: Yet another merciless kidnapping. iwantafamily's mun has twenty four hours to come up with the ransom if she ever wants to see her precious Winchester Momma ever again.