Happy birthday Belle

[with_aprice]

He knew that Belle didn't make a fuss about her birthday, so when she mentioned going out to dinner with her dad on Sunday night he just nodded and told her to have fun, and offered to take her patrol that night.  She, of course, told him she'd do a sweep when she got home; she didn't like him being out at night alone

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[onceaheroine]

"Not a thing," Belle smiled, climbing the stairs to his house slowly, keeping pace with him. She'd graduated high school less than a month prior and had elected to take a year off to save money and work on training up to be a better slayer.

They'd walked the short distance to his house, even though it was still light out. Her birthday had changed things -- they didn't have to sneak around for much longer. That was a chat she planned on having with him within the month. "Mrs. Lucas has her big barbecue on Wednesday -- are you going to come?"

[with_aprice]

He's trying to avoid 'birthday.' It's not easy.

"That sounds lovely. you don't have to be home at any particular time?" There's a hopeful not in his voice.

[onceaheroine]

"Not really. Dad trusts me not to be an idiot, and I'm out of school and no longer a minor." Belle shrugs. "As long as I'm home before he wakes up in the morning, I think everything's fine."

[with_aprice]

"I won't keep you so late as that." Though he thinks, more and more, that he'd like to keep her, period. It's hard to let her walk away, to wake up and find she's left the bed in order to be home. It's only on the rare nights that her dad's away that she can actually stay until morning, and he misses her.

He kisses her, chasing her tongue for a moment before the smell of browning butter reminds him that he needs to see to dinner.

[onceaheroine]

She's been considering this conundrum herself, wondering about renting her own apartment -- maybe with Ruby? Ruby's been talking about moving out -- and spending time here. That would require finally admitting to her friend that there was 'something goin' on' that hadn't been shared to this point... and Belle wasn't sure how that conversation would go.

When he pulls out of her arms to check dinner, Belle heads to the library. The big ash bucket is only half full, so she can clean out the grate -- her task, given Nick's knee -- and start laying in the bare bones and firestarters for a fire tonight. She won't start it until just before dessert, but if all the fussing's done while there's time to kill, that's a good thing.

[with_aprice]

Between tending the fish and risotto as they cook he takes the salad to the table and checks on the cobbler. When everything's ready he makes his way to the library and stands in the doorway, watching her. She's not only prepared the fire but cleaned the grate as well; he didn't protest much when she took over that chore, in part because it's easier not to kneel, but mostly because it's so wonderfully domestic. He loves when she uses the kitchen , loves that she has shampoo and soap in his shower and extra clothes in the drawer.

"Dinner's ready, love."

[onceaheroine]

Belle wipes sooty hands off on her jeans and gets up. The simple task has been good for her -- clearing her head and resetting her mood a bit. "It smells amazing, Nick."

[with_aprice]

"Someone has to make sure you eat decently." His grin is a wry one; she's not good at remembering breakfast but in general it's her that needs to remind him to eat, not the other way around.

[onceaheroine]

Belle snorts, crossing the room to his side. "Smartarse," she drawls, the last syllable distinctly not a product of her American childhood. That one's all him.

[with_aprice]

Every once in a while she says words with a distinctly Scottish inflection. It's probably a sign that they spend too much time together (or that he talks too much) but he loves it.

"Been called that before." He grins as he captures her against the doorframe, arms wrapping around her and mouth stealing a kiss. "Hungry?"

[onceaheroine]

"Ravenous, actually." Belle smiles sheepishly. "I ended up skipping lunch with the appointments I had and errands I had to run."

The irony isn't lost on her.

[with_aprice]

He slips his left hand into her right, a touch that is so common he barely thinks about it, and leads her to the dining room where he holds out her chair for her.

"M'Lady," he intones with a half serious bow.

[onceaheroine]

Belle laughs softly, and dips a surprisingly graceful curtsy for him -- the last few years of training have been good for her poise. She takes her seat and lets him tuck her in towards the table, in spite of her urge to go and assist him in bringing in food and sorting things out. He's gone to a lot of effort and she's already half-ruined it, so she's going to behave.

[with_aprice]

Nothing is ruined, he would tell her if he could read her mind. He would also appreciate the restraint in helping him, though. She's young and strong and able bodied, and could do this in half the time he was sure, but he liked to take care of her when she allowed it.

He brings the risotto in a bowl, but the fish already plated on his best china dishes, the ones that belonged to his great-grandmother. Salads already on the table and the candles are lit; last of all he brings the chilled champagne, opening it and pouring them each a glass. He's never known her to drink irresponsibly, and it seems silly to treat her as his equal but not allow her a drink because she's under 21.

[onceaheroine]

Belle beams when he manages to open the champagne without the audible pop. The bottle kind of just sighs open and she laughs in delight, "Smooth, aren't you?"

The only time Belle has ever gotten actually, genuinely drunk was with Ruby; Nick was out of the country at the time, called in by the Watchers' Council for some sort of meeting thing. Belle was fuzzy on the details. She was fuzzy on the whole drunken evening, too.

[with_aprice]

"All of us have our little talents. I worked in a restaurant once, a little French cafe where champagne was commonly served. The sommelier taught me a little, both about serving and tasting." He pours them each a glass.

It's probably for the better that he doesn't know about whatever she and Ruby got up too, though he would have liked the sight of a drunk Belle.