(no subject)

[pappybear]

Who: Belinda Harris (Beanstalk Jack) and David Fisher (Papa Bear)
What: Belinda left her pliers over at David's work, so he brings them to her and they have some lunch
When: Backdated to Thursday afternoon
Where: Belinda's place of work and then a panini shop
Rating/Status: PG-13 / Completed over AIM


Belinda: Belinda's place of work was a place of strangeness and wonder. It was a small office located uptown, with a front reception area and, in the back, about seven or eight cubicles populated by seven guys and Belinda. It smelled vaguely of Doritos and Red Bull, and was decorated mainly by posters and action figures and cardboard cutouts. Aragorn and Spider-Man stood guard at either side of the entrance to the cubicle-farm. Belinda's own cube was on the far side, somewhat isolated, but still as geeky as the rest of it. There was a slightly-balding middle-aged guy at the front desk, Melvin, who had on a t-shirt that said "There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don't." He was reading Dune and answering phones.

David: Why David had opted go by Belinda's work and drop off the pair needle-nosed pliers that she had left at MetLife a week earlier, was beyond him. Was it maybe that he actually knew what needle-nosed pliers were while at the same time he didn't know jack about every other little gizmo she had had in that toolbox of hers? On the other hand, was there some entirely other reason that he couldn't quite figure out? All David did know was the address of the IT company she worked at, as it had been on the bill sent to MetLife... Now, holding the pair of needle-nosed pliers in a tight fist, David walked up to the front desk and chose not to meet the glare of a life-size cardboard cut out of Spider-Man, instead focusing on the receptionist. "Hi, is Belinda Harris here?" Getting a skeptical glance from the guy, David added. "She left some pliers at my work a week ago..." David illustrated this statement by lifting the hand with the pliers still clutched firmly in it, giving the appendage a small shake.

Belinda: Giving a helpless glance over his shoulder into the cubicle farm, Melvin nodded his head in the general direction. "She's back there." That was all the help he was going to give; of course, it would be dangerous for him to head back there. It was suspiciously quiet; you could almost hear a pin drop. "It's been a quiet day," he added, almost in explanation. The strange silence continued for nearly another minute, until there was a sudden explosion of noise. What looked like a dozen tiny arrows flew across the cubicles, from one side to the other. "Trebuchet!" a male voice shouted. "Cannons!" one called back, from the opposite side of the room. Someone, a high-pitched male voice, was quoting Return of the King. Belinda was huddled with her team, shield made of cardboard carefully fastened to one arm, Nerf sword held in her other hand; they were ducking under the cubicles, near the door. No one noticed David's entrance; they were too concentrated on the battle.

David: She's back there... It's been a quiet day. Turning in the direction the guy had indicated, David watched the quiet (almost too quiet) square of cubicles. An 'uh, thanks', directed at the already disinterested receptionist, David was just about to head down one of the rows of cubicles, when pandemonium broke loose. The sudden explosion coupled with the battle cries made David jump and take an involuntary step backwards. Maybe... Maybe this had been a mistake... Maybe he should've just coughed up the shipping charges and mailed the pliers back to her? Obviously, she was either busy or the company was under a terrorist threat -- though the latter seemed unworthy due to the receptionist's mild behavior. Gathering his nerve, David took a few steps forward and craned his neck a bit, gaze scanning the seemingly empty (though he knew better) cubicles. "Belinda?" When another explosion erupted and more shouts were crowed, David repeated her name, a bit louder.

Belinda: There was a plan going on; they were under heavy fire from the arrows and the paper ball-cannons, but Belinda had a stronger ground force. Sure, they had air strikes, but a good regimen of foot soldiers was worth more any day. "All right, men," she spoke to her army. "What speech do you want?" There was a small squabble, but it was decided that Braveheart was preferred. Belinda's voice raised, loud enough by far for David to hear it. "Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live. At least for a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now," the arrows and cannons stopped, while the pre-battle monologue went on. "Would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance-" her voice was echoed by a few of the members of her squadron, theirs much quieter. "Just once chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives..." dramatic pause. Belinda and the rest of the army drew up, and appeared - shields raised, swords at the ready - "but they'll never take..." And that was when Belinda saw David, standing a couple of feet away. Her jaw dropped. Her soldiers shouted "OUR FREEDOM!" and ran at their other coworkers. Belinda sheepishly pulled the cardboard shield off of her arm, and lowered her sword. "Um. Hey." Her smile was almost apologetic. Five feet away, nerf swords and plastic light sabers connected on the field of honor.

David: It was a good speech, actually. One of his favorites. However, Belinda playing the part of William Wallace wasn't ideal, though her Scottish accent wasn't half-bad. Interest decided to replace what had only moments before been uncertainty; though the whole scene did nothing to prepare David for the sight of her: cardboard shield strapped to an arm and her Nerf sword brandished high... He found himself amused, a lopsided smile plastered onto his face. An approving look given to her armor and weapon of choice, David's smile met his eyes. "Sir Wallace." He said by way of greeting, though there was no hiding the good-natured tease in his voice.

Belinda: Belinda couldn't decide whether she was embarassed or not. Biting her lower lip for a second, she set the sword carefully aside and took a few steps away from battle, looking over her shoulder for a second at the fighting. Her team was winning, just as she'd suspected. "David," she answered him, and turned her attention back to him and his eyes. She grinned up at him. "It's a surprise to see you here. If I'd known you were stopping by, I would've called a cease-fire." She was definitely pleased to see him, though. No doubt about that.

David: David returned the grin and with a slight chuckle added in. Eyebrows lifted as he motioned towards the cubicles and the whirling chaos of thrashing light sabers and Nerf swords. "I wouldn't want you to stop the epic battle of the century all because of a civilian." Though she had, hadn't she? At least she had removed herself from said epic battle and what's more, she was.. Embarrassed? Shaking his head a bit, David remembered the pliers digging into his palm, lifting them out to her stupidly. "You uh, you left these at MetLife..."

Belinda: "My men have been trained to go on without me," she joked, checking on the battle's progress occasionally. "I've got some good soldiers in there." She laughed a bit, and stared up at him for a second. "Oh," Belinda reached out to take the pliers, looking down at them, and then back up at him again. "Wow, thanks. I'd kind of wondered where I put those. I figured Barry just stole them." There was an uneasy pause, and Belinda tucked the pliers into the pocket of her carpenter jeans. One would think she'd be more comfortable and at home on her own turf, but she was just waiting for one of the guys to notice David and completely mortify her.

David: This was silly. Not the fact that there were grown people having a battle that spanned numerous fandoms, or that they seemed to be really into it... But that here he was, standing there and practically radiating stupidity, in a suit and being forever watched by a cardboard Spider-Man. "It sounds like you've trained them well..." He paused, giving her an apologetic smile. "I should let you get back to slaughtering the enemy..." Not to mention it looked like she had been having the time of her life, and David was in no position to ruin it... Nor did he want to.

Belinda: "Who's this?" the aforementioned Barry popped up, after his epic death scene, light saber still tucked under one arm. Belinda sighed, and shrugged her shoulders. "This is David, he works at MetLife, I left my pliers and he re-" "Star Trek or Star Wars?" Barry focused his attention on David. "Or LOTR?" added Jerry from across the cubicles, actually using the acronym in conversation. Belinda gave an apologetic smile, and waved to her coworkers.

David: Tearing his attention away from Belinda to focus instead on a grown man with a light saber wedged against his armpit, David's eyebrows rose, confused to say the very least. "Excuse me?..." Then another man popped his head up and added his two cents. Frowning in concentration, David figured this had to be some sort of initiation and thus it would be best if he answered truthfully... Always the best plan of action. "Star Wars." He replied, figuring that the show that he had seen on opening night 30 years ago was a surefire bet... Though, a part of him wondered if he was about to be shot with little arrows or stabbed with a Nerf sword for insubordination or plain poor taste.

Belinda: That seemed to placate about half of the room, and the rest of them got a warning glare from Belinda. "Okay, guys. Cease-fire, somebody make sure Melvin is taking care of the phones, will ya'?" Belinda wasn't the official boss or anything, more like the unofficial den-mother. "I'm going to walk David out." She took his arm, carefully, guiding him back out toward the waiting area. "So, that was my cube-farm," she told him, and laughed. "The geekiest place on Earth." Of course, if David survived that, she was pretty sure he could take anything. It was kind of a good thought. "You don't seem too traumatized."

David: The half that didn't seem to appreciate David's taste in movies, seemed to want to burn Belinda with laser eyes, though she seemed to handle herself well enough around them... Though David was fairly certain that if he worked there, he'd probably end up paranoid, sleeping with a gun. Letting her guide him towards the waiting area, David turned as she stopped, smiling down at her. "It's a great place." He laughed, the outer corners of his eyes crinkling. "Oh I've seen my share of horrors.. Though it's gotta be said that when I walked in, I thought Melvin was going to eat me."

Belinda: Belinda laughed, shaking her head. "Melvin hardly ever cannibalizes anyone," she teased him a bit, nudging his shoulder a little before she let go of his arm. "Crazy bunch of guys. So," she just stood there for a second, and then looked at her watch. "Hey, do you want to grab something to eat? There's this awesome panini place about two blocks from here." She was feeling just a bit self-conscious, especially since she was just dressed for a day in the office; geeky t-shirt, carpenter jeans, converse sneakers, no make-up. If she'd known David was going to drop by... well, she probably would've tried to look a bit more feminine, at least.

David: As she nudged him, he chuckled lightly, returning the nudge, "Heeeey.. No hitting the old man... God, you think hips grow on trees?" When she released his arm, David was almost disappointed, though he couldn't pin down exactly why. For a brief moment, David felt uncomfortable, standing in the middle of a waiting room piled high with comic books and old copies of Sci-Fi Weekly... Debating on leaving and letting Belinda get back to her battle, David waged his own inner battle, his feet staying cemented in place. When Belinda spoke up about grabbing a panini down the street, David found himself nodding and inexplicably glad. A thousand and two replies zoomed through David's mind... Replies that made him sound clever, intelligent, witty, impressive... Instead, he stuck with the reply foremost in his mind, coupled with a smile. "I'd like that."

Belinda: "Oh, hush," she shook her head, laughing. "We can rebuild you, we have the technology," she intoned, winking. Belinda's face lit up just a little bit when David agreed to lunch. "Awesome!" she chirped, reaching up to tuck her hair back behind her ears. "Hang on right here, I'm going to grab my coat." She was quick about it anyway, lest one of her fellow geeks start to harass him; she got her coat and scarf, and her purse, slipping her arms into her coat sleeves while she walked back out to meet him again.

David: Laughing as Belinda declared that they could rebuild him, David gaze lingered perhaps a bit too long as she tucked her hair back behind her ears. Blinking a few times, and managing to snap out of wherever he had been, David managed a reply in the affirmative, as she left to get her coat and purse. The smile fell as she turned and began to move off in the direction of her cubicle, wondering what the hell he was doing... But then as soon as she was in eyesight again, he perked up, smiling and as pleasant as ever. Heading towards the elevator with her next to him, David resisted the urge to offer his arm, instead deciding on the cleverly witty statement he had neglected earlier as he pushed the down button. "Bring a woman pliers, and get lunch. I always thought it was all about flowers." The elevator dinged, David following her in. Turning around as Belinda pushed the ground floor button, he caught the man who had had the light saber protruding from his armpit earlier, glaring at him as the doors slid closed.

Belinda: It was definitely a first for the guys in the office: some mysterious stranger showing up and taking their resident girl away. None of them really knew how to deal with it, whether they should react protectively or be jealous. "Well, it only works with girls in tech support. Normal girls still prefer flowers," she told him, looking out and just catching a glimpse of her coworker glaring. "Oh, the boys," she sighed a little. "Sorry about them. I don't know if they're going to try to wage war against you or what. They're not used to strange men coming to see me." Though that said a little bit about her love life, probably.

David: David wished he had told the guys in Belinda's office that his intentions were purely platonic and that it was just a friendly panini lunch... Though he wasn't sure anymore... Anyways, what business was it of theirs anyways? They were off waging war and he had obviously taken their fearless leader prisoner. "I'm glad I brought pliers then, maybe next time I'll show up with a spray can of air." A few moments’ silence, then Belinda spoke up about how those guys upstairs weren't used to seeing men visiting her. "Now, I don't believe that for one moment..." He paused, letting the seriousness and underlying meaning of his statement soak in, before adding in a slightly teasing tone. "I bet your cubicle's full of lost and returned pliers."

Belinda: "Be still my heart," Belinda said, putting her hand over her heart for a second and then laughing a little bit. "Spray air, great Scott. Throw on a couple of RAM sticks and it's a sure bet." She tilted her head a little bit, listening to him teasing her; she felt her cheeks warm, and she looked down, with another little laugh. "Mm, not quite. You wouldn't believe me if I told you," her tone was teasing right back, hiding a serious kind of undercurrent to her voice. When they reached the bottom floor, she headed out of the elevator, situating her scarf around her neck while they moved toward the door. "In fact, none of them's actually seen a guy come for me since I started working there," she admitted, glancing down, away, anywhere and everywhere. "Probably why Melvin was giving you the hairy eye."

David: Ram sticks? David had heard of fish sticks, but ram sticks? Seriously? ... David smirked, staring straight ahead at the closed elevator doors, though as the elevator dinged, signaling their arrival, the doors sliding open, David stepped out after Belinda, falling into step beside her. Laughing out loud, and getting a few strange looks from the people milling around in the main lobby, David remained oblivious and instead focused on the last two words Belinda had just said. "Hairy... Eye." He laughed again, opening the door for her, and shutting it once they had both stepped out into the chilly December air. "That's great! No, really.. I don't think I've ever heard it explained quite so eloquently."

Belinda: Stepping outside, Belinda pulled her coat tighter closed, buttoning two of the buttons and giving him a strange look. "Oh, there I go, using words you've never heard of," she laughed a bit, shaking her head. Oh well, at least he seemed more amused than weirded out. She led the way to the left, toward that fantastic panini place. "So, you're on your lunch hour I'm assuming?" she asked him, walking fairly slowly by his side... maybe a little bit close by his side, admittedly. It wasn't just the cold, either.

David: David continued to chuckle, the close quarters didn't go unnoticed... Though, oddly enough he didn't mind it. "Yes ma'am. You're looking at a free man for the next," he paused to push up the sleeve of his coat, checking his wristwatch. "Forty-seven minutes." Resisting the urge to tuck an arm around her shoulders, David instead busied himself with replacing the sleeve of his coat over his wrist. "So.. What else do you do when you're not fighting crime being a super techy-genius knitting bodyguard warrior?"

Belinda: Laughing a little bit, Belinda shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, what don't I do. Tonight is Wednesday, so I've got a few hours of volunteering at the human society and then my gardening club. And pretty much every night I have different stuff. Knitting circle, cooking class, kick boxing, yoga, volunteering at the YMCA, the soup kitchen, and the women’s shelter. Those are the main ones, anyway." She walked carefully, still not trusting the sidewalks after all that snow; now there was just a layer of slush on the ground that she had to contend with.

David: Having a grand time navigating through the slush on the sidewalk, David watched the sidewalk in front of him for a while, smiling lightly as he listened to her list all of the things she did while not Nerfed out and preying on innocent coworkers. "It's amazing how you always keep yourself busy... I don't know how you do it." Looking over at her, David offered her a smile but none too soon as the slush got the better of Miss Harris, making her slip. Automatically, David reached out, arms tucking around her waist and pulling her towards him, miraculously keeping her from face-planting on the snowy sidewalk. "Whoa, watch out there." He said, smiling down at her. Realizing that he still was practically hugging her to death, David straightened her up, making sure she found her balance before he dropped his arms back down to his sides.

Belinda: Belinda had been certain for a minute there that she was going to fall and break her face open. But David had saved her, ever the gentleman, and she'd grabbed onto him instinctively, hands clinging to his upper arms. It was amazing how fast she could go speechless, staring up at him with wide, somewhat-startled eyes. It only lasted a second, though it seemed much longer because her heart had skipped a beat (not entirely from the surprise of almost slipping, either) and then she was able to catch her breath and let go of him, clearing her throat a little. "My hero," she said, and laughed a little bit. "Major brownie points there," she managed to tease, taking a step and then another. The place they were heading was only a couple of doors down, now.

David: For the briefest of moments, David was certain time had stopped. David was no stranger to sparks and whether what had just happened was a spark or a fluke.. Maybe the product of the cold December weather? Too much air in the brain? Whatever it was, (and against his better judgment), David wouldn't have minded rewinding and catching her again. Gathering himself up, David grinned, albeit a smidge sheepishly, in her direction. "Seems like I'm getting a lot of those lately," realizing how entirely wrong that sounded, he added quickly, "brownie points, I mean..." Stopping next to a restaurant storefront, David eyed the sign declaring that 'world famous paninis’ were made there. "I bet this is the place," he said, stepping aside to open the door for her.

Belinda: "How ever did you guess?" Belinda grinned a little bit, teasing him a little, with a gentle poke to his side. She ducked into the restaurant, wiping her feet on the mat and unwinding the scarf from around her neck. "Here we are, the home of awesome paninis." It was one of those quirky little restaurants that were all over the city, if you knew where to look. Belinda lingered by the door, looking up to the menu and then to David. "Let's grab a table, shall we?" They'd have to order at the counter, but after they put their coats and stuff down, preferably.

David: Bending at the poke, David followed her in and shut the door behind him, wiping his feet and taking in the atmosphere. It was a cozy little place, though he had never heard of it... Then again, until today he had never had an excuse to head down to this section of town. Blue eyes giving the seating area a once-over, though surprisingly it was a tad crowded, David spotted a couple standing up from their table near a window. "There's one," he said, motioning to the table. Leading the way over, he shucked his coat off and draped it over the back of one of the chairs.

Belinda: She followed right behind him, pulling her coat off and setting it on her chair. Belinda dug through her purse until she found her wallet - it looked made of duct tape - and then she shoved it into her back pocket. "I think I'm going to get the peppercorn chicken," she informed him, with a nod, while she waited for him and then stepped with him into the line. "So," it was at least a couple minutes' wait, she estimated, so she started conversation. "When you're not selling insurance or saving girls from breaking their faces open in the winter, what do you do?"

David: Scanning the menu, David was slightly disappointed that there wasn't a hot dog panini, but then again no restaurant was perfect. "Peppercorn chicken sounds good, but I've got my heart set on the French Dip." David decided as he stepped into line next to Belinda. Yes, it was true, David liked to dip. "When I'm not out fighting crime as Insurance Dude?" He teased. "I like hitting balls off the pitching machines over at Bryant Park, I take Martin to story time every Saturday at the library.." Honestly, his list of activities didn't even measure up to Belinda's, but then again his life thus far had been his family, so his schedule, now that he was on his own, would fill up considerably in due time.

Belinda: Nodding a bit, Belinda looked momentarily perplexed. "Pitching machines? Baseball, right?" It wasn't the usual kind of stuff she heard about, that was all; sports were somewhat foreign to her, especially the team sorts of sports. She wasn't that interested in them, and none of the guys at work cared much about pro sports. "Story time, huh? Aw. Did they ever read him Goldilocks and the Three Bears?" she asked, tilting her head and looking up to him with a little smile. She'd never really been interested in a guy (and she was coming to terms with the fact that she was, indeed, interested in David) with a kid. It made things only slightly more complicated.

David: Well, there was always Hooters and poker night.. But perhaps he would save mentioning those two activities for another day. Laughing at Belinda's expression, David nodded. "That's right. It's good exercise, but sometimes it's so busy that it's hard to get a cage." David gave her his best over-the-top pompous face, lifting a fist and rubbing the backs of his knuckles on the lapel of his suit jacket, a blonde eyebrow lifting. "Ah yes, they've read him all the classics, including Goldilocks and the Three Bears AND Jack and the Beanstalk." Hand dropping back to his side, the pompous expression on his face was replaced with a smile directed down at her. "Once they even let me make a construction paper turkey."

Belinda: Belinda couldn't help but giggle, shaking her head at David - he just amused her a lot, really. It was pretty nice. "A construction paper turkey? Wow, that's amazing," she intoned. "Good to know they're still reading the good stuff. And it's not all Harry Potter and whatnot." Oh, she couldn't even lie - she loved Harry Potter. She'd dressed up for the last two book releases, plus for the movies. "I always loved making those construction paper chains. When I was seven, I made one that was about... twenty feet long," she estimated, laughing. "At least."

David: David's eyes glinted with unspent mischievousness as he pursed his lips in thought, nodding at the mention of Harry Potter, which wasn't too bad, and then the construction paper chains. "That's a pretty big project, you must've been pretty ambitious..." The line moved a fraction, David stepping forward along with Belinda to fill in the spaces. "Now see.. When I was a kid we didn't have paper, just stone walls and chisels." David's face split into a grin.

Belinda: Belinda mock-glared at David for a second, then laughed, shaking her head. "Must've been hard to do arts and crafts back in the stone age." She stuck her tongue out at him, and then leaned against him a little. She sighed. "Ah, yes, I was ambitious back then. Ah, the summer of 1989. The smell of construction paper was in the air. The scotch tape was plentiful and my scissors always cut straight."

David: David would've been labeled a liar and stuffed in some reform school if he said he didn't enjoy her leaning on him... Feeling a mite braver, now that they were in line and well on their way to a hearty lunch of paninis, David settled an arm against her shoulders, palm cupping the shoulder opposite him. Cleverly, David made the arm around her shoulders seem to be something of a joke, adding a good friendly shoulder-squeeze and a hearty laugh for good measure. "Hey now, we happen to have had some of the best rock gardens out there." As Belinda described the summer of 1989, David chuckled, giving her shoulder another squeeze, leading to a small hug in the process. "Ah yes, construction paper smell and a bunch of scotch tape... Your chains were no doubt the toughest in the land."

Belinda: Belinda, very pleasantly surprised by David's arm around her shoulder, leaned against him a bit more firmly. Her head tipped to the side, and came to rest against his shoulder. "Rock gardens, right." She winked to him, and moved her arm around him, too, resting casually around his waist. It felt kind of good, to be close to a guy like that. She smirked up at him. "They were the toughest. No one made paper chains tougher than mine." Moving forward with the line, she tickled his side gently, a mischievous look in her eye.

David: It did feel good... Being close, his arm tucked around her and her leaning against him, it felt like that for the first time in a month he was a whole person again. When he was with Belinda nothing mattered... He could forget about his divorce, Aileen, leaving behind a broken home... Because all that mattered when he was with Belinda was in fact, Belinda. Sliding his hand to rest against her back as she leaned against him, David met her smirk half way with a smirk of his own. "The stone chains were a bit too heavy to hang on the Christmas tree..." He flinched as she leveled a tickle at his side, laughing and taking the offending hand in his own. "You and your hands, woman." He teased.

Belinda: "Stone chains. How'd you manage those? Must've took years to chisel them out of rocks." Belinda was sure that the only reason David captured her hand was because she let him; biting her lower lip, to keep in a laugh, she looked up at him, trying to look as innocent as she could. Despite the giggle working its way out of her mouth. "You're ticklish, it'd be a crime not to tickle you," she said, laughing again and squirming a little bit, to free her hand and go back for his side again. She was vaguely aware that they were being just slightly immature, but she didn't mind.

David: Only that morning he had been at work and decided to make the trip over to Belinda's office to drop off her pliers... Thus he had seen a war of light sabers and Nerf swords, had been invited to lunch and had unwittingly flirted horribly with a girl 18 years younger than himself. Hell, if he had known all of this was going to happen then he would've put on his lucky Scooby-Doo boxers for the occasion. As he let her squirming hand go, David gave what side he could reach and that wasn't pressed up against him, a gentle poke, knowing full well that she would try to tickle him again. Let the other restaurant goers stare... At the moment David was having the time of his life just cutting loose and being silly with a pretty woman... "Excuse me," the cashier repeated again, obviously irritated at being ignored. "What can I get you?"

Belinda: Grinning, Belinda's fingers paused over David's side - still touching but not tickling - when she heard the annoyed cashier speaking up again. "Oh! Sorry," she laughed, shaking her head and giving David's hip a little bump with her own. "I'll have a Peppercorn Chicken panini. One of the combos with the chicken noodle soup, and a diet Coke, please." She reached for her wallet while she waited for him to order, resisting the urge to pinch him while he was talking to the poor employee. He definitely brought out her playful, mischievous side.

David: At the hip bump, David cleared his throat, gathering himself and if they had been fooling around anymore, he would be currently straightening his tie. He gave the cashier an apologetic smile, threatening to fall into laughter, "French Dip, please.. Combo, with..." He paused, looking up at the menu posted above the counter, "Tuscan soup, and a Coke please." Mouth twitching as he clamped it shut, he busied himself with removing his wallet from the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Belinda: Belinda giggled, pulling enough to pay for her food out of her wallet. She tucked her wallet back away, and leaned her head on his shoulder, in a rare quiet moment, while they paid and change was made and their order went up and through. It was pretty nice. "I've never had Tuscan soup," she mused, to fill the silence. "You'll have to let me try yours."

David: Clearing his throat one last time as the cashier rang him up, David doled out the money for his food, getting change and replacing the wallet back inside his dark gray suit jacket. Stepping to the side with the other folks waiting for their lunches, David tucked his arm around her shoulders again, feeling pleasantly comfortable and perhaps even a little bit peaceful. Turning his head so that his mouth brushed her forehead, he smiled. "If you like spicy soup, you're more than welcome to try it."

Belinda: Looping her arms around his waist, she gave him a little squeeze and smiled a little bit, up to him. "I like some spicy things. I'll try anything once," she said, paused, and then scrunched her nose a little. Well, she hoped he wasn't as dirty-minded as the crowd she was used to, but got ready the pinching fingers anyway. At this rate, she was going to be sort of disappointed when they had to sit down and she had to separate a little from him.

David: Belinda astounded him. Any other woman that heard the words 'divorcing' and 'children' would've high-tailed it at the next opportunity, but that had been a week ago and as far as he could tell, instead of growing apart they were getting more and more comfortable with one another. Now, he wasn't going to lie and say that there were absolutely no red flags at the moment, but he wasn't about to let those red flags ruin the here and now, after all they both deserved to invade each other's personal space. Noticing the hand poised for a tickle assault should he choose the wrong answer, David merely smiled down at her, leaned just enough and lightly kissed her forehead. "The Force is strong with you, young Harris."

Belinda: "Good answer," Belinda said, approvingly, biting her lower lip, though her smile still showed through. She tilted her head up a little and looked at his lips - a surefire sign that she was thinking about his lips - and, of course, was interrupted by the arrival of their lunch at the pick-up counter. It was just as well, she supposed; that kind of forward thinking was a little bit, well, too forward, maybe. Reluctantly pulling away, she picked up the tray with her soup, drink, and panini and started back for their table.

David: For a moment their eyes locked and something of a spark passed between them; David swearing that he could just get lost in those beautiful brown eyes. But then, Belinda's food was set on the counter and she pulled away, picked up her tray and made her way over to their table. It was difficult to completely mask the disappointment in David's posture and face; though he did take a deep gathering breath and lifted the hand that had just been tucked around Belinda's shoulders, forefinger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose momentarily, eyes closing. The slap of plastic on metal signaled that his food had arrived, and reluctantly opening his eyes, David picked up his tray and made his way back to their table, sitting down across from her.

Belinda: Their momentary separation gave Belinda a chance to recover - after being that close to David, she almost felt like she needed a second. He really had this strange sort of alluring thing about him. Those pretty blue eyes and that pale skin, and his light hair. It wasn't the type of guy she usually went for, but she was definitely all about it right now. Belinda set her tray down at the table and sat, watching David head over. She sat quietly for a moment, stirring her soup and then reaching for her straw. She tore the end off the wrapper and, playfully, blew the straw-paper across at David, laughing softly.

David: If he didn't look at her, David was certain that he wouldn't want to touch her shoulders, her waist, anything at least for the duration of their lunch... Staring intently down at the bowl of Tuscan soup in front of him, David was just about to sample it when the straw-paper beaned him on the forehead... Picking up straw-paper, David settled a playful scowl in her direction. Setting the offending straw-paper down on the table, he grabbed up his spoon and made to swoop in on Belinda's chicken noodle soup.

Belinda: Belinda was fighting a losing battle against giggling; she picked up her own spoon, leaning across to try out David's while he was occupied with her chicken noodle. "Gotta admit I have good aim," she finally said, laughing a little and leaning a bit closer to his side of the table, so she didn't spill the spoonful of soup before it got to her lips. "Spicy," she noted, after she tried it, looking over to him and smiling a bit.

David: Nose scrunching as Belinda made a move on his own soup, David merely smiled, spooning out some of her chicken noodle soup in the process. "If straw-paper launching was an Olympic sport, you'd win the gold." Popping the spoonful into his mouth, David's smile grew. "Not bad," he admitted, reaching out and settling his hand on hers.

Belinda: Turning her hand over underneath his, Belinda slipped her fingers through his, twining them together and giving his hand a small squeeze. "Mmhm," she agreed, happily, trying her own soup out after a moment. It'd been a while since she'd felt those kinds of butterflies in her stomach, the kind that made her feel all trembly. And it'd also been a while since she'd tried to eat one-handed because she'd rather use the other one to hold someone else's

David: Maybe one day Belinda's butterflies could have a play date with David's butterflies. While it hadn't been a long time since David had felt them, it had been long enough and he wasn't about to tell them to shove off; actually, he liked knowing that even though he wasn't a brand-new model, that here there was a woman obviously interested in taking him out for a test drive. Holding her eyes with his own for a brief moment, David merely picked up his sandwich and dunked it in the small cup of au jus before taking a bite. Thankfully, he could accomplish this with one hand.

Belinda: Belinda ate in relative quiet, happy and trying to manage her nerves. She was right about the paninis, though, and eating one-handed was definitely enough to keep her occupied. When she finished her sandwich, she looked up, watched David for a moment, and then reached over. "You've got a crumb," she told him, brushing the corner of his mouth with her thumb. It might've been an invisible crumb. Or an imaginary crumb. She wasn't above inventing crumbs just for an excuse, to be honest.

David: His mind having been preoccupied with other things, David hadn't realized how hungry he was until he had begun to eat. Polishing off his sandwich, David began to work on the Tuscan soup, pausing only when Belinda spoke. Looking up at her, he blinked a few times as the pad of her thumb touched the corner of his mouth, staring at her a time and pretty much forgetting the soup in front of him. "I.. Uh, thanks." He smiled, his thumb gently rubbing across the tops of Belinda's knuckles.

Belinda: If Belinda had to make a list of things she wanted to do right now, 'kissing David' would've come in right above 'breathing oxygen'. But of course, it was more complicated than that, and she didn't give in to the urge to lean across the table and do the deed, because that would probably be taking things a little too fast. If they were teenagers, maybe, but they were divorced, baggage-carrying adults. Instead, she just smiled back and gave his hand another squeeze. "No problem," she told him, keeping his gaze for a long moment. "So, do you approve of the panini?" she asked, almost nervously.

David: Mentally, David gathered himself from whatever hormone-driven dregs he had crashed waist-deep into. They were both adults for crying out loud and thus the attraction and the thoughts of what she looked like without clothes on, had to be pushed as far away as possible. Opting for a soft laugh, David eyed the crumpled piece of panini paper near his elbow. "It was good, considering I've never had one before." Obviously the man needed to live a little. Eat more exotic foods like paninis and cool whip in a can... "Can't believe I never knew this place was here."

Belinda: "How can a man of your age go through life never having had a panini?" Belinda asked him, playfully, shaking her head a little. "We're going to have to introduce you to some new food. You've had Indian, right?" If Belinda had one weakness (besides older men with elf ears, apparently) it'd be a good samosa. "Oh yeah. New York has tons of good little restaurants."

David: If 'going to introduce you to some new food' meant that David would have to continue going out to dinner and lunch with her then he was all for it (for the sake of broadening his horizons, naturally.) "Ahhh, now Indian I have had." David spooned up some of his soup, swallowing before continuing. "Give me Naan and some Lamb Curry and I'm set." He teased.

Belinda: "Good," Belinda laughed a little, sipping her drink. "It's samosas for me." She liked a man who liked Indian food, though, so it made her smile a bit wider. Until she glanced at her watch, and then she made a face, scrunching her nose up a bit. "Lunch hours fly by way too fast," she sighed.

David: "Would you believe I've never had samosas?" He said playfully. Setting his spoon down, David glanced at his watch as well, unable to mask his disappointment. "Especially today.." He gave her hand a last squeeze before letting it go. "I'll walk to you back to your work? I'm sure you've got wounded soldiers to attend to." He said, slipping on his coat and picking up both their trays.

Belinda: Belinda was pretty disappointed, too - at least she was sure they'd hang out again, soon. "Triage will have hopefully taken care of it by the time I get back," she quipped, laughing a little, smiling her thanks when he picked up her tray. "But I do have our next attack to plan." She slipped on her coat, pulled her scarf around her neck, and offered her hand to David.

David: Oh geez, in his haste to be a gentleman, David had forgotten that the first thing to do was help a woman put on her coat NOT pick the damn trays up. But what if she had taken her tray before he had the opportunity to get to it, he could've helped her put on her coat but then he would've missed out on yet another important facet of etiquette... Obviously whoever had thought up this stuff had more than two hands. Disposing of the trays, David, his hand over hers and hopeful to make up for his last breech of etiquette -- opened the door for her. Once they were outside, curiosity got the better of him. "Which one was Triage?" Hopefully not the glaring one, but then again they were all glaring at one point or another.

Belinda: Squeezing David's hand, she stepped out the door and led him out. Despite the snow, she kind of wished it was a really long walk back to work, so they'd have more time to finish talking. Unfortunately, it was just two blocks. "The one who plays the Healer in the weekly D&D group," she joked, one hand in his and the other curled around, to hold near his elbow, all but hugging his arm. It was some definitely positive body language, that was for sure.

David: There could be two reasons for the way Belinda had all but pressed herself flat up against him when they had left the restaurant, either she was worried about slipping again or... "Healer in the D&D group..." David intoned, practically unable to hear anything over his heartbeat. "What's a D&D?" Oh God that sounded so wrong, but it was all he could do to hope that D&D wasn't some modern sex thing.

Belinda: Jaw dropping a little when David asked what D&D was, Belinda had to look up at his face to determine that, dear god, he was totally serious. She felt bad about laughing, but she really couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "Dungeons and Dragons? You know, uh, tabletop role-playing game? You make a character and go on adventures?" David was so wonderfully normal. It was strangely nice.

David: When she had started talking again, David was just about to ask her to repeat herself since his horrible heart was indeed too loud, but thankfully he got most of what she said, so he decided to save what little dignity he had remaining. "Heeey..." He teased, nudging her gently. "No laughing! Whatever happened to being respectful of your elders?" Though secretly, David enjoyed the laughter and smiles, it had almost taken an act of God to get Aileen to smile and laugh, especially a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Deciding not to ask what 'tabletop role-playing' was, David instead continued on like he knew what she was talking about. "What's your character like?" He asked, leaning to kiss her forehead as they continued to walk down the sidewalk.

Belinda: It took her a second to answer, just because she was basking in the forehead-kissing that was going on. Was there a limit on how many times your heart was supposed to skip a beat? She wondered if there may be cause for concern. "She's a necromancer. That means she can raise zombies to do her bidding," she told him cheerfully, and squeezed his arm a bit.

David: Glancing over her, David reached over with his other hand and moved a few wisps of hair away from her eyes. "So she can make them go to the market or pay bills? What about cooking her breakfast?" Obviously he was teasing, but then again with David's less-than-adequate experiences in the world of tabletop role-playing and paninis alike, one never really knew for sure.

Belinda: "Definitely," Belinda laughed, tipping her head up toward his hand a little, practically shameless in how affectionate she was being. "In between all the death and destruction and world domination," she added, grinning a little bit. They were getting pretty close to her office, and Belinda was slowing down quite a bit.

David: David found himself faced with a slightly nervous chuckle as she tilted her head up against his fingertips, causing him to place his had back at his side. "Oh well... As long as they, ah, get their homework done... I suspect." David leveled a small scowl at Belinda's building as they stopped in front of the door, though managed to pull the door open for her, waiting until they were both inside before shutting it again. "Could I ride the elevator up with you?" He asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice.

Belinda: Belinda laughed a bit, shaking her head a little bit and going with David into the building. "Yes," she answered him, immediately. "Definitely," she added, nodding, though disentangling herself from him a little bit. If one of her fellow geeks saw her and David like that, she would never hear the end of it. When they reached the elevator, Belinda pressed the button and waited with him, resting her head on his shoulder.

David: The man at the desk in the lobby gave the two a questioning glance, obviously not used to seeing Belinda with anyone of the opposite sex and much less in their space as it were. David, somewhat oblivious to the complexities of women keeping their reputation solid in the IT business, nodded at the man, who returned the gesture and went back to his clipboard. Thankfully, he did understand why she had disentangled herself from him, that while he may be comfortable with himself and what he did in whatever company, that she wasn't at that point her life yet. The elevator doors sliding open, David automatically rested his hand on the small of Belinda's back as they stepped into the elevator, the doors shutting behind them, David leaned over and pushed the button for her office.

Belinda: Inside the elevator, Belinda rested her head on his shoulder, contently. "I'll see you soon," she said, almost decisively. "Definitely will. You'll call me?" Her eyebrows raised when she asked him, hopefully. Deciding to take the opportunity, while they still had some privacy, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, tenderly. It was hard for her to do the PDA thing at work because there was this really weird balance to keep, between being a woman and having to fit into this 99% male industry. And Belinda definitely felt the pressures of that.

David: Smiling down at her as she rested her head against his shoulder, David tilted his head to rest against the top of hers, 'content' seeming to be the word of the afternoon. "Definitely. I mean, ah, I don't have your phone number.. But if you give it to me I'll call you." David felt his heart do a few more of those infamous flip-flops as she kissed his cheek. Smiling so much that he knew his smile muscles would be permanently stretched, he comforted himself by tucking his arms around her waist and giving her a hug. After a few moments (perhaps longer than a normal hug should last?) David drew back, hands sliding from around her waist to her sides, giving them a small rub. "Thanks for introducing me to the wonderful world of paninis."

Belinda: Belinda's arms curled around David's neck when they hugged, and rested there even when David pulled back. Her fingers curled through his hair, and rubbed the nape of his neck gently. "Well, thanks for bringing me back my pliers," she said, with a half-smile. She didn't quite notice that the elevator was stopping at her floor, she was a little too wrapped up in the moment.

David: When she continued to drape her arms around his neck, David found himself stooping a bit to allow the continual physical contact, finding that he was, in turn, resting his forehead against hers as they continued to have a nice little - dare we say romantic? - moment. Smiling like it was going out of style, David was oblivious to the elevator stopping and then the doors sliding open... Completely and utterly wrapped up in one Miss Belinda Harris.

Belinda: There they stood, perfectly framed by the elevator, and Belinda was really only thinking about little things, like how oddly pale David's skin was or how his eyes were seriously blue, and how his ears were kind of pointy. That was all. "I'll put my number in your phone in a second," Belinda said, softly - she didn't need much volume, because they were so close. And maybe she was leaning just a little bit closer.

David: Those eyes, David imagined that a man could get lost in those eyes if they looked into them for too long... She wasn't his usual type, though having never batted an eye in the direction of any woman but one's wife for 9 years, was bound to tweak his 'type'. There was so much energy in the woman before him, so much fire and inspiration. David wondered how so much could be fit into such a small but truly significant person. When Belinda spoke again, most of it entered through David's ears in a jarbled mush, the ding of the elevator a part of that. Rocking his forehead back from her's, David was aware of her fingertips still toying gently with his hair at the nape of his neck, and the fact that their faces were moving closer together. Upon feeling her lips barely against his own, David was rocketed back to reality by a shout in the cubicle-farm, sounding suspiciously like the ending of Aragon's speech in Return of the King.

Belinda: It was sort of like being woken up from a really nice dream, the sudden intrusion of Lord of the Rings banter from no less than ten or fifteen feet away. Sighing, Belinda looked down, and then took a small step back. "My soldiers await," she joked, moving her hands from his neck to her sides. "Here, let me see your phone," she said, holding her hand out. She had to give him her number, still.

David: "Wh -- oh." He blinked a few times, gathering himself up with a sigh. Digging into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he found his cellphone and handed it over to her. While he shouldn't've felt embarrassed he was, mainly due to the fact that his phone did not have a camera on it or internet capabilities AND he was in the presence of a wonderfully sexy woman who obviously was on top of these sorts of things.

Belinda: Taking his phone, she eyed it momentarily and then shook her head a little. "Wow." She thought it was cute. It was just a plain... phone. Belinda was definitely the proud owner of an iPhone. She just didn't like to brag. "Very efficient," she said, smiling a bit and saving her number in his phone.

David: Making a face, David's eyebrows lifted as he craned his neck to look over at the phone's screen as she began pressing a bunch of buttons and opening what few menus the phone had on it. "Well it does what a phone's supposed to do." He smirked, laughing lightly. "I mean it's not like I need internet on it or a camera for God knows what reason."

Belinda: Belinda laughed a little, finishing with his phone and closing it, then handing it back to him. "Here, wait," she reached into her purse for her phone, took his picture and put in his name and everything, then handed it over for him to put his number in, on the touch screen. "You're so old-fashioned," she said, smiling. It was a good thing.

David: Pocketing his phone, David had a smile for her ready to go, when she lifted something up to his face and for the briefest of moments, he was blinded by a flash and then the next thing he knew she was shoving the offending thing into his hands. Blinking owlishly for a few moments, he lifted his empty hand and rubbed at his eyes briefly before squinting down at the ... Phone? His face was on the screen, looking mildly startled but all in all it wasn't a bad picture, his name beneath it. "I am," he replied, smiling. "Hopefully that's a good thing in your book." Pretty sure he could do this, David pressed his number in and handed it back to her, unsure of how to save or lock it in -- whatever the kids were calling it these days.

Belinda: Belinda gave him her best innocent look, taking her phone back and saving his number, then tucking the thing carefully away again. "It is," she reassured him, then glanced out toward the cubicles for a second. "I should get in there," she said, frowning a little bit. "I'll see you later, though, papa bear."

David: Smiling over at her, David was content as he could be, except for the minor fact that she had to get back to work as did he. He was bound to be a few minutes late, but as the boss of the homeowners department and the amount of overtime he had racked up in the past 14 years, David assumed he could be a little late and not get his wrists slapped. "Take care, Belinda... Uh, fight the good fight?" He teased, finding her hand and squeezing it briefly before letting it go.

Belinda: Belinda squeezed his hand back, letting him go and stepping out of the elevator. "I will. Bye," she lifted her hand and waved at him, standing and smiling and watching him until the elevator doors closed. And then, of course, she had to deal with Melvin and the other handful of guys who'd seen them.