[closed/complete]

[noladyofthelake]

Characters: Merlin (prophetiaemrys) and Nimue (noladyofthelake)
Date/Time: 07/07, late morning
Location: Balthazar Restaurant
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nimue's temper
Summary: Nimue propositioned a mystery man; Merlin got propositioned.

Comments

[prophetiaemrys]

Merlin wasn't one to get nervous over meeting new people. But given that he believed this was the same woman that approached him the other day, he wasn't sure what to expect. Merlin always liked the strong, confident types, even if they didn't always like him. Still he was up and out the door by 8 just so he could walk to the restaurant. Get his morning jog in while still going somewhere.

The city bustled in it's morning schedule: horns honking as people tried to drive into the city for their jobs and taxis driving like mad men just to get their customer to their destination in a timely fashion. He was perfectly fine walking, though if the time ran a little short there were enough tube stops to get him there. He hadn't really known what to wear to such a torrid encounter, so he wore his favourite pair of black cargo shorts and a white wife-beater. Knowing he'd probably need to look nicer, he had a blue button-down in his messenger bag for when he got closer. His hair pulled back in a super short ponytail, he was just happy to get it off his neck.

As he approached the restaurant, he through on his blue shirt and walked into the beautiful air-conditioned building. The place looked like an expensive french cafe. Merlin could only hope to be able to pay for his food after celebrating the Forth with the extra money from his paycheck.

His dark eyes scanned the room before falling on the beautiful lady that had approached him the other day. From what he could see, she almost looked naked at first glance, but that may have been a plant of his imagination from yesterday. His cheeks immediately felt warmer at the sight of her. Given that she was someone from those forums though, he hoped she wasn't someone who wanted to kill him. Though a goddess would be more fitting for what she had whispered to him.

"Hello," he smiled. "I suppose life is full of coincidences... Are you waiting for someone?" He asked playfully, before taking a seat. "I guess I'll keep you company until they get here."

[noladyofthelake]

Nimue surreptitiously glanced at the door to the restaurant. It was getting closer to the time she'd set for her meeting with the mystery man and her confidence was starting to falter. He had five minutes to get there, and if he didn't arrive by then she was considering just going ahead and ordering so she could eat. As it was she had already started in on her second mimosa; all hail liquid courage to say the things you might feel awkward saying otherwise.

She wasn't sure what to expect from him; she could barely remember what he'd been wearing when she spoke to him before. All that had stood out to her were his brown eyes, height, and the easy confidence he seemed to exude. All good things to ponder over, but not exactly key for confirming the person approaching the table was the one she'd been waiting for. She should have done like the people in the cheesy romance movies she loathed watching and told him to look for the girl with the flower in her hair or something equally cliche. And yes, she did actually have a flower in her hair, tucked into the barrette that was keeping her from accidentally getting a mouthful of it, but that was besides the point. There was a man approaching her table.

Calmly setting aside her menu, she smirked at him, her eyes quickly flicking over his form to absorb every detail. She approved of his outfit; perfect for this weather; and the shirt ponytail gave the impression that he was a bit of a rebel. Even if he wasn't who she thought it was this could still go well.

Her smirk slowly morphed into something more akin to a smile as her eyes lit up, appreciating his boldness. She wanted to laugh but felt it best to play it just a little cool. Her eyebrows raised slightly when he took the seat opposite her, nodding at his comment. "Aye, I'm waiting for someone, but company is never unwelcome." She let him get settled, noticing the waitress coming towards their table with another menu and inwardly took a deep breath. Something about him seemed incredibly familiar, but she couldn't place why.

"So, stranger, what brings you out this morning?" she asked conversationally, wondering how honest he'd be. "I only ask because if the person I'm waiting on doesn't show I'll take what I can get."

[prophetiaemrys]

Merlin smiled up at the waitress as she placed the menu in front of him and ordered tea with cream and sugar. What could he say his five-ish years in England gave him a few British habits. Setting the menu down without looking at it, he looked over at his table mate. Just like the day before, she pinged the back of his brain as someone familiar, but he couldn't place it. He was good at names and places, but alas his brain was failing him now. His eyes caught on the flower in her hair; a subtle sign of innocence that he found ironic given how they met prior.

"Oh, the sun usually. But today I had a meeting with a fellow philosopher. She picked this amazingly posh restaurant for breakfast and I couldn't say no. In fact, she demanded that I meet her here." He laughed, unconsciously he pushed his fingers through his hair, though it wasn't as satisfying when his hair was up.

"I guess being second best in an eyes of a stunning woman is still better than some. No offense, but I hope he doesn't show." Merlin leaned in saying the last part in a whisper.

[noladyofthelake]

Nimue took the opportunity to order a cup of green tea, finishing off the mimosa while hoping the champagne wouldn't affect her thinking too much. She debated commenting on his choice of beverage but chose not to, instead studying his face while he spoke to see if she could determine why he seemed so familiar. He didn't have the inherent ferocity she usually atrributed to one of the knights, but something about him spoke of home. Perhaps he was a fae of some sort, or a learned hero. Regardless, he was hot and funny - two traits she liked in a man.

"The sun is quite nice today, perfect weather for philosphising... if that is indeed a word. And yes, Balthazar is a bit on the posh side but the food is worth the price." She spoke from experience. "Demanded, you say? Sounds a bit bossy to me. I hope, if this fellow philosopher of yours shows, that she doesn't eat you alive. Unless you like that sort of thing..."

His othet words caused her to laugh openly, shaking her head and biting gently on her lower lip before speaking. "Oh, lookit the cheek on you!" Nimue leaned in closer as well, letting her fingers trail over his arm. "Who said anything about you being second best?"

[prophetiaemrys]

"I've always been a big believer in if the word had meaning in a sentence than it must be a real word. Otherwise you wouldn't have used it." He glanced down at the table, his hands folded in front of him and stretched slightly toward her. "You say bossy, I say confident." He shrugged and laughed at her next comment on the subject. He tried to think of some sort of snarky come-back to it, but as his mouth opened and closed he couldn't get a comment out on it.

Inside his mind he took in a deep breath as her fingers gently passed over his arm. Oh she definitely had a way about her. He couldn't remember the last time he had a completely sober person hit on him. And she was damned good at it. "I always seem to fall into the shadow of greater people." He replied, looking at her lips and then into her eyes. Moving his other hand to her arm, his own fingers gently brushed over her wrist.

She had such an interesting look to her. He hadn't gotten to study her as much the day before. There was no appropriate way of asking her if what she had said the day before to be true or accurate. If he was anything, Merlin was a gentleman- when not completely pissed. He could initiate when it was obvious the other person was too shy to start a conversation, but this girl was not one of those people.

"So you're into good food, nice weather and philosophizing. What else are you into?"

[noladyofthelake]

"I've never doubted the meaning of any word I've used, though others might have. I don't keep them around for long." She was still a little unsure of what to make of him and this situation, knowing that he was probably wondering what had possessed her to walk up to him yesterday and say the things she had. She wasn't usually so forward, at least not in public, but something about him appealed to her. "Would you believe me if I said she's quite confident most of the time but doesn't often make naughty offers to virtual strangers, or should we dance about the topic a bit longer?" The waitress chose that opportunity to come back, giving her time to gather her thoughts while they ordered.

Speaking quietly, so the waitress couldn't overhear, she took a moment to address him. "Order whatever you like, this is my treat as I invited you out." Her tone was friendly but firm, one that intimated it would be unwise to argue with her. "And I can hardly believe that. There's a power about you, one that makes me feel as if you shouldn't have to settle for being in anyone's shadow." She knew she was being blunt but didn't rightly care. Anyone with his aura would be mad not to aspire to more. In consolation, in case he might have found her words strange, she slipped her foot out of its sandal and brushed it up along his calf lightly.

After placing her order she smiled, gesturing for him to do the same. Part of her wanted ths waitress to leave so they could get back to the conversation but the more devious part of her was debating doing something somewhat scandalous so she could see his reaction. The only thing stopping her was that she didn't want to scare him off or get kicked out of the restaurant. At least, not before eating. Sighing softly when the waitress finally walked off, she answered his question.

"Many things, but to save time I'll only name a few. I enjoy a good book, action movies, I jog, dance naked in the light of the full moon… oh, and I have a cat. She's a bit of a whore though, know anyone wanting a kitten?"

[prophetiaemrys]

Nodding to the waitress as she approached, he didn't get a chance to answer the question. Instead he smirked at the comment mischievously. Merlin bit the corner of his lip when she offered to pay. Demanding again. It wasn't that he was about to argue, but he was definitely not going to let it happen. A lady should never pay. First the teasing along his arm and now the foot on his leg. He couldn't hold back a soft laugh which made the waitress look at him strangely. He ordered one of the few cheaper things on the menu, though even that was nearly 10 dollars. He hoped this was as good of food as she said. When the waitress left he continued the conversation.

"Power and being in the spotlight are two very different things." He smiled. "I actually never minded." He reached down to her foot and pulled it up onto his chair. He wasn't going to let her be the only one giving signals. Pressing his thumb into the soft muscle, Merlin started to massage her foot.

"Hmm, good books, jogging, action, dancing naked and a cat... sounds like you may be a temptress who keeps her body fit." He titled his head slightly as his eyes wandered down her body hidden behind the loose dress. Merlin didn't want to say the word Sorceress or witch. That was a subject he preferred not to even think about. "I could ask my sister, but I don't know many other people that I talk with beyond my jobs."

[noladyofthelake]

A triumphant smile graced her lips for a brief second when he laughed, pleased to see that he apparently enjoyed her attentions. Nimue also caught the way he seemed to want to say something when she offered to pay. He could try and claim chivalry, but this was the modern age and she'd done all the initiating, so he could stuff his disagreement. The fact that he ordered one of the cheaper menu items was almost adorable, really, as if she wouldn't catch on to what he was trying to do. If he was going to act like he ignored her then she'd just make sure he learned quickly that she was not the type to sit passively when someone tried to overrule her, especially not when it was someone she barely knew.

"So would you say you're more a 'power behind the throne' type?" His response could help clue her in to who he was. "If that be the case then I can agree with you." Gasping when he took hold of her foot, she could honestly say she hadn't been expecting that. Humming softly, Nimue closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying herself.

"That's one way of putting it, though I'm not sure anyone else who knows me would use the word temptress." She'd been called many things throughout her lifetimes; that was never one of them. Nimue almost couldn't believe he hadn't gone with the more obvious answer of witch. "If she's interested do let me know, otherwise I run the risk of becoming a crazy cat lady, and that won't help my social life much."

[prophetiaemrys]

He raised his eyebrows at the question. "I wouldn't say behind the throne... maybe to the side, off in the corner of the room, waiting in the hall for a word." Merlin clued into the wording she had used.

First she described herself as a witch and now mentioning the throne, Merlin suddenly felt like this meeting could turn into trouble. His eyes followed the curves of her face as she took pleasure in his foot massage. The logical man inside his brain said he should try to skip away from the subject of thrones or skip out of the restaurant, while the louder curious man who may or may not be slightly sexually frustrated by her flirtations said to just go with the flow.

This time he couldn't help but take in the shallow breathe he had done mentally a moment before and licked his lips. "I will send her a text as soon as I... get back from the bathroom." Yes, the bathroom was a good idea. He could try to figure out who she was without being distracted by those lips or eyes or gentle speckling of freckles on her cheeks. Setting her foot gently back on the floor, he stood up and smiled at her.

"I'll be right back." Instinctively he kissed her knuckles before heading to the back corner hall that obtained the bathrooms. Given that she said that she didn't usually give dirty suggestions to strangers, he didn't expect her to follow, but that depended on who she really was.

[noladyofthelake]

She nodded as if she understood. "So you were in more of an advisory position, then," her voice held the dreamy tone of someone distracted but still doing their best to stay in the conversation.

Where the abrupt change in his demeanor and the sudden friction between them came from, Nimue had no idea. Had she said or done something to scare him off? She must have, considering how self-assured he'd been before what with the foot massage and bantering. It all happened so quickly that she wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, but there was no mistaking his behavior was suspect. And, quite frankly, it was a little upsetting as well. She'd thought things were going well.

Hiding her confusion as best she could, she murmured a quick reply. "Alright, I'll be here." Part of her wanted to say something sarcastic but she was floored. Maybe he remembered he had a girlfriend, or he thought she was coming on too strong. The fact that it could be her inquiries about his past crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as quickly as it came. She refused to entertain the thought that he couldn't have just changed the subject or told her he'd rather not talk about it as he wasn't a child.

Wiggling her foot back into her shoe, she was torn between confronting him and just letting it go, but her mind was already made up. They were adults, and she deserved an explanation. With that in mind, she knocked on the men's room door. "Just letting you know that was a horrible excuse. If you'd rather not stay nobody's making you." Coward.

[prophetiaemrys]

Merlin splashed water on his face. Given the time of day the bathroom was actually empty and peaceful. He closed his eyes and went over the little information he had. He only knew vaguely who was on those forums from his past. She wasn't Morgan; Morgan wasn't actually much of a sorceress and had very much pointed herself out on the forums, but she had also warned him. He tapped his fingers on the counter as he looked into the mirror trying to figure it out. There were several things he could have done to make his disappearance into the bathroom less hurried, but even a smart kid like him did stupid things.

When he heard the knock on the door, he jumped slightly. Yeah, she sounded angry. He opened the door quickly, glanced at her a moment and pulled her into the bathroom. "I'm sorry..." He shook his head. "I do want to stay." This time he pressed his lips together a moment he pushed back a piece of hair behind her ear. "I just. I don't know. Maybe both of us aren't as confident and naughty as we appear." He smiled with a shrug.

[noladyofthelake]

Nimue had every right to be angry at him. Suffice to say she was also hurt by his actions. She really only intended to stay long enough to receive some sign that he'd heard what she said. She didn't want to get into a fight with him outside the bathroom at one of her favorite breakfast spots, that would taint the place for her and make her never want to come here again. She was about to walk away when the door opened and he glanced at her, and before she could say anything she was being pulled into the bathroom. Curious about the men's room, having never been in one before, she quickly looked around before the feeling of his fingers tucking her hair behind her ear reminded her she'd been dragged in here for a reason.

Much as she heard and understood what he was saying, it wasn't doing much to calm her down. It took a lot for her to put herself out like she did, and he was making her regret it. "You should be sorry," she practically spat, an unhealthy touch of bitterness laced about her words. "How do you think I feel? I straight out admitted to you that this is not a regular occurrence for me and you didn't bat an eye, but instead of just admitting you're uncomfortable you ran off to the loo? I would have understood, you know." Her burst of anger brought her Irish out as her eyes momentarily glistened with a hint of tears. "We should just forget this, I'm sorry. I'll get my breakfast ta' go." She started to turn away, the mood effectively broken for now.

[prophetiaemrys]

He couldn't stand to see the tears in her eyes. His attempt at humour obviously didn't work. Sighing, he put his arm up so she couldn't leave him. Merlin wasn't sure if she would slap him or not, but he wasn't going to just leave it at that.

"I was not uncomfortable with your advances. I'm afraid of getting hurt. And I know it sounds like an excuse and obviously I hurt you in my actions, but I did intend on going back to you. I just wanted a moment to think. You send my brain into a whirl and all the talk about naked dancing and thrones... I just," he paused taking a small breath.

After a moment, he leaned in and lightly kissed her lips. It seemed like the right thing to do. His heart was pounding with adrenaline from a variety of things but mostly because he hated when girls were angry with him. (Something he ran into often in his lives.) And the fact that she had been putting herself out there without him meeting her directly in the advances. He wrapped his fingers into her hair and rested his forehead against hers. "Let's not forget this," he whispered.

[noladyofthelake]

She wouldn't slap him. For all her bluster and frustration she might get a bit loud, but not physical. Pausing at the arm he put in her way, she had no choice but to hear him out. Nimue was willing to do so, but not happily. She was already embarrassed enough.

"And you think I'm not afraid of the same thing? I don't really date, or go out to meet people. I try, but it never goes well. People just seem to know there's something... different about me. I thought you'd understand..." she would have said more, but then he kissed her, and the ability to think coherently ceased to function.

Stunned at first, she kissed him back just as lightly once she realized what was going on. The kiss sent tingles up her spine and intensified her need to find out who, exactly he was. She knew it had been a while since she'd last given into any of her more primal urges, but it was unheard of for a simple kiss to give her that kind of sensation. When he pulled away to rest his forehead against hers she licked her lips, savoring what still lingered of his taste on her mouth. "If that's what you'd like," she replied, hesitantly.

[prophetiaemrys]

Her kiss back pulled at his senses, bending them in bright spirals that had that feeling that she was so very much like him. He had never felt so pulled in before. Merlin understood perfectly well that people were often scared off by the oddness about them. Even if at first they were attracted to it, they tended to feel put off after some time. But she was like him, he saw it in her the first time she approached him. Of course, his mind hadn't pointed it out until later given what she had said, but he had known.

His puppy brown eyes matched hers as she replied in that almost meek manner that so opposed their initial interactions even at the table. He pulled her lips to his again, this time deepening the kiss. The want to know who she truly was forgotten again as he felt his nerves vibrate with the energy of two odd souls meeting. It wasn't as new of a sensation as it was so much more intensified with her. His hand weaved further into her loose hair while his other hand rested gently on her hip near the small of her back.

[noladyofthelake]

The brief chance to breathe was taken advantage of, her higher brain functions starting to return as she stared into his eyes unable to hide her shock. She wanted to ask him if he'd felt it too; the subtle familiarity that something about their kissing was right or even meant to be. Nimue believed in the power of kismet and all her instincts were screaming at her that this was a sign of some sort, but before she could start to question it he crushed his mouth to hers again.

Her lips parted just a little under his, a whimper filling the air as her tongue darted out shyly. Letting her eyes shut as he set the pace, it occurred to her that she could get used to this. Resting her hands on his shoulders to try and quell the trembling in her knees she pushed herself tight against him when his hand settled on her hip. She would have let this go on all day if she hadn't been jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of the door opening, reminding her of where they were.