(Untitled)

[no_more_chianti]

You know what the thing about Boston is?

It gets damn cold in December.

Nevertheless, Clarice is braving the weather, because her roommate has gone home for the holidays and she, Clarice, is out of coffee, which means she's making her way to the little cafe down the street because she knows they're still open

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[spcl_agt_cooper]

If Dale Cooper were thinking about it, he would realize that he can't really remember the last time he grinned so widely his face hurt.

"Clarice?"

He's by the door, with his cup of coffee, and he sounds almost ridiculously hopeful.

[no_more_chianti]

Clarice looks up, startled, and she knows who that is--

"Cooper?"

She knew there was a reason she liked this place.

[spcl_agt_cooper]

The beaming isn't likely to stop any time soon. "Where'd you come in from? Gordon's been -- there've been a few problems, and -- I never found out where you'd gone."

[no_more_chianti]

"Oh--"

She's still smiling, too, though she doesn't know quite what to do with herself; loosening her scarf seems a good place to start, as it's a lot warmer in here than where she came from.

"I requested Seattle, but they said-- they sent me to the Boston office." Her smile turns a little helpless, a little rueful-- what can you do. "It's been kind of-- busy. And I meant to call, but I didn't ..."

She trails off, shaking her head. "Wow. How are you?"

... Something about Gordon and trouble? That can't be good.

[spcl_agt_cooper]

Cooper opens his mouth. Closes it.

Says, finally, "You know, Clarice, I'm all right, and I'm certainly a lot better than I was before you walked in."

[no_more_chianti]

Clarice ... kind of flushes, a little. But not so you'd really notice it, in this light.

Mostly she just smiles.

"Well-- that's good. I'm glad to see you too, Cooper."

And, of course, her expression is not any softer than usual. "Wasn't sure when I'd get the chance."

[spcl_agt_cooper]

"Me neither," he says, and he can't stop smiling. "So? What do they have you doing? And you're working out of the field office there, or...?"

[no_more_chianti]

"Yeah," she says, nodding. "Yeah, they-- well, mainly, I'm the one who drives to Maine whenever something happens up there."

She smiles ruefully.

"But I've done some work out of Boston. They've been really good about ... you know. Seeing I get settled."

[spcl_agt_cooper]

"Good," Cooper says, almost fiercely. "Very good."

Because he remembers -- the Bureau in her world didn't treat her as well as she deserved. Deserves.

" -- well. Can I help you get settled here?" His smile gets a little crooked. "Or rather -- can I buy you dinner?"

[no_more_chianti]

She grins.

He has no idea how good that sounds.

"You most certainly can, Mr. Cooper," she says.

And is about to add something silly-- "much oblige," or some other twangy, hills-accented kind of phrase-- but she figures Cooper might take it literally, and she doesn't want him thinking she thinks she'd owe him for dinner.

Sometimes it's possible that she thinks too much.

[spcl_agt_cooper]

Sometimes.

Sometimes it's possible that Cooper behaves like a relic from several decades ago.

"Day just keeps getting better," he says, and offers her his arm.

[no_more_chianti]

She smiles, taking it.

She misses chivalry when Cooper's not around.

"You said it."

[spcl_agt_cooper]

It's like the bad things that've happened in the last couple of months -- they're shoved a lot further away, now. The house, the dead walking again, Gordon getting suspended, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and his troubles with Nyarlathotep --

There's dinner with Clarice Starling, and right now that's the most important thing -- the best thing -- in this world or any other.

Which is why he covers her hand with his, briefly, before they advance to the bar. "You know what I haven't had in a while? Indian."

[no_more_chianti]

She smiles, gaze flickering to his hand on hers for just a second. Then she looks up at him consideringly.

"You know," she says, "I didn't much care for it before I got to Boston, but I'm starting to really develop a taste."

You can't not, up there; they make it that good.

"Any chance you like Chicken Tikka Masala?"

[spcl_agt_cooper]

"Clarice," Cooper says, "I can't tell you how good that sounds right now." Beat. "With naan. Lots of naan."

[no_more_chianti]

Clarice beams!

"Oh, yes. Definitely with naan."

She unbuttons her coat and drapes it over her arm as they head to a nearby table. The sight of waitrats startles her less than it should, after such a long time gone.