Servants Quarters, Room 1, Tuesday evening

[walter_n_wires]

Walter had offered Nadia dinner and dinner he had prepared. He decided it didn't really matter what he cooked as long as there was plenty of hot sauce to go with it, so he had lamb and rice stuffed tomatoes and peppers and a big bottle of hot sauce

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[side_spook]

Hey, Nadia didn't eat absolutely everything with hot sauce.

Just, you know, almost absolutely everything.

She could smell the food from the moment she'd come into the dorm building. Following her nose to Walter's room was not something she'd ever complain about.

She knocked. It was only polite.

[walter_n_wires]

"Unless you're a pretty Argentine, we aren't having any," Walter called to the door before pulling it open.

"Ah. Just what we ordered."

[side_spook]

Nadia smiled a bit at that. "What's that they say? Flattery will get you everywhere." She stepped forward. "And the food smells great."

[walter_n_wires]

Walter closed the door behind her and waved her toward the dinner table he'd arranged with his desk and the extra chair filched from the desk his non-existent roommate had no use for.

"I'm glad you think so. If there's anything you need, I can check the refrigerator downstairs."

[side_spook]

"Very fancy. Definitely fit for a butler and his girl." Nadia shook her head. "I'm sure you've got everything, but thank you."

Though any delay she could put on actually trying to explain what had happened this weekend again would be taken under due consideration.

[walter_n_wires]

Walter pulled out a chair for her. "Since flattery is getting me everywhere, I suppose that means I can tell you that I have everything now that you're here."

[side_spook]

It was a lie, she supposed, but it was a pretty lie, so she let it pass as she sat down. "You can definitely tell me that, though I'm half-wondering where you're hoping to get, tonight."

[walter_n_wires]

Not a complete lie, he might argue.

Walter brushed his fingers lightly over her hair before taking his seat on the other side of the desk.

"I want to hear your story and spend time with you." He shook his head and picked up his water glass. "Other than that, I don't know. It's been more than two years since I've done anything but kiss you."

[side_spook]

Nadia smiled softly and looked down. "If you want to stick to kissing for now, that's okay. But if you want to do more, well . . . that's more than okay."

[walter_n_wires]

That was enough to render Walter's mouth completely dry. How convenient that he already had a water glass in his hand.

"I... would like that, but I think we should wait until your head is feeling better." He smiled slightly and rather hated himself for being a bit of a gentleman. "Just so we'll both be sure it's not the knock on the head speaking for you. A day or two should be enough, yes?"

[side_spook]

He brought it up and he wanted to wait a day or two?

Nadia really hated concussions. "My head's okay. I took painkillers, I didn't go into a coma. We don't have to wait. . . ."

[walter_n_wires]

Walter was starting to wonder if this was her way of trying to get out of telling him what had happened to get her that concussion to begin with.

"You are determined to keep our record of not finishing meals, aren't you?" He smiled to try to make it clear that he was, yes, joking, and yes, not actually disturbed by that.

"I only have one more... not exactly objection. Just one missing and rather vital element."

[side_spook]

". . . A condom?"

[walter_n_wires]

Walter nodded wordlessly.

No, that wasn't even a trace of a blush.

[side_spook]

Nadia nodded slowly. No, that wasn't even a trace of a smirk. "I have some." She leaned her chin on her hands. "I never took them out of my purse when I moved."

[walter_n_wires]

Walter nodded slowly while he reminded himself that those weren't two year old condoms in her purse.

"Then I'm going to insist we eat dinner, just to be different, and we'll see...."

If this was a ploy to keep from telling him what had happened, it might just work.

Until the morning.