The Dark (open)

[Perplexia]

Raven laughed softly taking the black rose, "i love it..its almost poetic. she said with a smirk." She took his hand and let go of it to place the flower in a vase. She returned to his side taking his hand again.

"I will see whatever you wish, but if its a horror movie, then you can count on me practically climbing into your lap in fear. For i am a girly girl when it comes to those suspense horror thrillers. As for a monster, i hardly think so. You rescued me from one remember?" She reached up and kissed his cheek.

They proceeded down to the car that awaited them.

 

[Bluemage]

Xavier smiled as they proceeded down to the car, "A horror movie will make you climb into my lap? Well, maybe we should go see one of those then." He smiled softly, squeezing her hand a little bit, unsure himself whether or not he was being serious.

He led her out to the car, his eyes scanning the dark streets quickly before he opened the door of the black BMW with the tinted windows so that she could get in, since he was trying to act gentlemanly. He smiled softly as he watched her carefully. He thought about the rest of their date. For a place for them to eat, he really hadn't been able to think of much. He didn't spend a lot of money on the food of people, and as a result didn't know many of the places that it could be purchased aside from a grocery store.

The walk on the beach was probably going to be the height of the evening since it had plenty of potential to be romantic. He smiled as he thought about it, imagining the way that the moon would play on Raven's hair and skin. He wasn't really sure that he was going to be able to resist the urge to skip past that third date and go immediately to the kiss. He climbed into the vehicle after her, taking up a spot beside her. He pulled his seatbelt on (safety first) and looked over to her smiling softly.

 

[Perplexia]

She smiled up at him placing her own seatbelt on. The driver took them to the Movie first. Xavier was in true date form, opening the door for her. He stood and looked at the titles. She didn't hear what he chose, but he ushered her inside getting her a soda from the concession stand before leading her to the theater they would be watching the movie in. He chose some seats that would keep them in the dark but yet with a good view of the movie. He placed his arm around her and she pushed up the arm of the chair and scooted next to him. She enjoyed being close to him. He'd calmed down a bit since their bathroom incident. She trusted him, and she wanted him to understand, it was not him that kept her from his bed.

 

[Bluemage]

Xavier smiled softly when Raven had pulled up the arm rest and then snuggled up against his side. He smirked softly and looked back up at the screen that was still blank, waiting for the movies to begin. He whispered softly to her, "This should be amusing. Anything with a title swamp monsters from mars..." He chuckled softly, "There aren't even swamps on mars. That makes no sense at all." He chuckled for a few more moments, slowly running his fingertips over Raven's shoulder, his arm still draped around her. He watched the blank screen for a few more moments and then looked over to her again. He stared at her for a few more moments before he whispered to her again, "I never told you how absolutely amazing I think you look, did I?"

 

[Perplexia]

She smiled up at him "oh, so you picked a horror movie after all you brat" she laughed poking him in the ribs. She enjoyed the way his fingers felt over her arm.
"No sir i don't think you did" she replied, and "thank you".
The previews started and then the movie. Every time she jumped he laughed. She buried her head in his chest still jumping. Finally the movie was over and she was half on his lap and half on her sleep. "I told you I'd end up in your lap" She laughed as he lifted her lightly to her feet and led her out of the theater to the car. "I'm starving" she said lightly as he got in beside her.

 

[Bluemage]

He had smiled softly when she had ended up half in his lap by the end of the movie, just like she had promised. Really it had bet both of his expectations, being frightening enough to get her to cuddle into his lap for comfort, yet being outrageous enough to make him laugh on the inside. The whole idea of swamp monsters from a planet that was now mostly desert, other than for frozen reserves of water was just ridiculous.

Once they had got back into the vehicle and she had mentioned that she was hungry he shrugged as he looked at her for a moment, doing up his seatbelt. He thought about it before speaking softly, "What is it that you are hungry for, Raven?" He looked over to her, smiling softly, "I'm sure that my driver knows a wide assortment of restaurants, both sit in, and fast food. Really, whatever you would like to eat will also be fine for me." He watched her closely, taking the time to enjoy the way that her dress hugged her form, showing off her curves. His mind wandered back to how she had ended up in his lap, and he had to stop his mind from creating scenarios where she had gotten into his lap for a completely different purpose.

 

[Perplexia]

She leaned over and spoke to the driver, who nodded and took them up by the river bank. He stopped in front of a little restaurant that looked almost deserted.
Xavier helped her out of the car and looked at the place she'd picked, it really didn't look like much of a place at all. As he opened the door he'd enter a very authentic Italian restaurant. "Raven!!" Exclaimed the host, "oh so good to see you, and you bring a friend.. Mama Raven brought a man i told you she not funny." Raven buried her head into Xavier's chest to hide the embarrassment.

She laughed lightly as he led them to a table in the back. "i discovered this place" she said lightly "while doing a column, its one of the best kept secrets of the city. I've never been to Italy, so i like to think that i'm here. The article generated a lot of business for them. They were able to eventually get their whole family over from Italy. The man that you saw, he's the founder, his wife evidently thought i was a lesbian" She laughed a little. The waiter came to the table. "anything u want for free papa says" She smiled, give us a moment please" He nodded and left. "I don't know if you can eat or drink anything" She almost looked embarrassed to ask the question.

 

[Bluemage]

He smiled softly when she asked him if he could eat anything. He opened the menu and looked through it with interest, "I cannot eat shellfish." He flipped to the second page, looking at everything that was in it with interest. He stared at it for a few more moments and then smiled softly looking up at her, "I am actually partial to Italian food. There is always enough of it, and it is always absolutely delicious." He smiled as he watched her over the top of his menu for a few moments, "I suppose I should have spaghetti and garlic bread. It has been quite some time since I had that." He smiled and then slowly closed his menu, watching her closely now, "Has this date been more of a success than the last one so far?"

 

[Perplexia]

she smiled at him her eyes searching his to try and figure out if he was kidding with her or not. "yes" she said laughing to his question. "i'm having so much fun being out with you. I am sorry to say, that i think no matter how hard you would have tried on our first date i would have made it worse regardless. Thank you for calling me out" she smiled at him again her eyes dancing. The flickering of the light over his skin made her smile. He was so handsome, so alluring, she felt absolutely like a princess with him.

The waiter came back, and Raven ordered for herself "red wine, a bottle if he wants it too, and i would like the baked ziti with extra sauce and an appetizer of your cheese bread plain, unless he wants garlic on it, and I'll want a canoli for desert. He smiled and nodded looking at Xavier.

 

[Bluemage]

Xavier smiled softly, "The garlic cheese bread, and spaghetti for me. Thank you, sir." He smiled and then looked back to the woman who he was currently dating while the man slipped away with their orders and their menus. He now had nothing to hide behind, though he didn't supposed that was all that bad. He watched her, noting the way her chest moved when she breathed, the way her eyes would look over him as if constantly taking him in for the first time. He definitely liked the way that she was looking at him. It made him feel large and important. With all of the goth women he had simply been a good fuck who got off on drinking blood. With her, he was neither of those, at least not yet, and still she seemed captivated by him. He blinked slowly, and continued to watch her closely.

It hadn't taken him all that long before he had spoke again, "So, we didn't do anything for our first date because you weren't in the mood, we have had a second date which I feel had been quite amazing, but then again, I think any time where I get to spend time with you is a very good evening. What is it that we are going to do for our third date, other than finally kiss at the end of it?" He smiled as he looked at her, "Or am I thinking too far ahead of myself, and we only decide if there is going to be a date number three after we are completely finished date number two?"

 

[Perplexia]

Raven couldn't help but laugh. "you are unquestionably the most exceptionable man i think i have ever met." Her eyes danced as she looked at him. "I'm afraid if i ever give you that kiss you'll pester me to death of when we can cross the next step." she laughed again smiling at him. "I'm pretty certain their will be a third date, possibly even a fourth if you can behave yourself" she teased. It was very rare she ever made it past date number two. With him she could find no faults other then she was risk of falling madly in love with him. The thought terrified and excited her.

"As for what are we going to do for this third date, That is completely one hundred percent on your shoulders."

The waiter brought her wine, and brought the cheese bread. She sipped it carefully as she watched him. "So tell me about you Xavier, i feel like we've explored my past, my passions, and my lack of, but we haven't talked about you, who you are."

 

[Bluemage]

Xavier smiled softly when his spaghetti arrived and stared at Raven for a few moments, sticking his fork into the tender noodles which had been drizzled in a red sauce. He watched her for a few moments as his fork turned, looping the noddles in the tines of his fork, "I am an author of romance novels, the kinds of things that they sell at grocery stores so that lonely and dissatisfied women can find the comfort in my words that they cannot find in the arms of men." He turned his eyes down to his plate, "I am also author and artist for a comic about a sarcastic youth and his ordinary friends who are thrown into out of this world situations." He slowly brought the wound up noodles up, slipping them past his lips, where he chewed them for a few moments before swallowing.

He lifted her green eyes to once again take her in. He smiled softly before speaking more, "I have a good deal of knowledge on hand to hand fighting techniques which would probably make me a good teacher of self defense. I try to avoid participating in sports, since it wouldn't be very sporting. I once designed a line of gothic clothing." He blinked slowly "I have an allergy to shellfish." He brought his hand up to his chin, "I am a cat person simply because I can't be walking a dog all of the time. I can play most stringed instruments, piano, and the harmonica." He stuck his fork back into the spaghetti, "I have lived most everywhere, but was quite taken with Ireland, since it seemed there was always a fight, a reason to drink, or both." He smiled softly at that.

He thought about it a bit more and then took the bite of spaghetti that he had wound around his fork into his mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. He watched her closely, wondering what it was that he was supposed to say next. He smiled softly and then looked back to the plate in front of him, "I lost my taste for fighting and then came here to live the big city life. I started a cosmetics company, and live quite comfortably, as you've seen, off of the money that I get from the shares."

 

[Perplexia]

She listened intently to him as he spoke revealing parts of himself and who he was. Not only did it become apparant that she was in danger of falling in love with him, but it became apparent that she had already begun. Her eyes danced as she smiled watching him eat, she took small forks full finding herself missing the embrace of his arms. At one point or another she was going to have to stop punishing him for every other man's sin against her.

"thank you for sharing your life with me" she said softly "I hope that one day, you'll teach me some of the things you know, let me read one of your novels, hear you play for me, and perhaps share some of the things you've seen that you cherish."

She had half of her meal packaged to go and shared her canoli with him.

She took his arm as they exited the restaurant saying goodbye to the owners who started singing "Its Amore" She blushed again hiding her head into Xavier's chest. She placed her food in the car and walked with him down to the river bank. The stars danced upon the shimmering water with the moon.
They found a bench to sit on and enjoy the view. It was beautiful and romantic. He pulled her down on his lap and wrapped his arms around her. Never had she felt so secure and so alive. She turned softy running her hand over his face. Her eyes locking with his before she closed them, bringing her lips to his for their first kiss.

 

[Bluemage]

He smiled as he walked with her and sat in the bench, pulling her into her lap so that they could share body warmth. He then watched as she moved her head forward. His eyes went wide. Was she going to...she was...He felt her lips against his and closed his eyes quickly, enjoying the sensation of the gentle kiss. He didn't add any pressure to the kiss, just holding her close, his lips still against hers.

He kept her in the kiss for a few more moments. He stayed there and then slowly broke away from the kiss reluctantly. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her with his emerald eyes watching her closely, his fingers slowly running up and down her back, enjoying the closeness that he was feeling. He could still taste her on his lips, his eyes were still half lidded.

He spoke softly, "You skipped the third date..." He stared into her eyes for a few more moments and then spoke softly, "May I have another?"

 

[Perplexia]

Her eyes searched his as he broke the kiss.
"no" she said laughing lightly to his question "Only one per date."
She then kissed him again opening her mouth to his and letting their tongues entwine in a slow magical dance. She could still taste the garlic and spaghetti, She was lost in his lips, his tongue his kiss. The way his hands felt on her back. If she wasn't already sitting she would have no leg control at all. For the first time she stopped thinking loosing herself in him.

 

[Bluemage]

He pouted slightly at the mention of there only being one kiss per date and had been about to voice his concern when suddenly her lips had crashed down against his open mouth as she claimed yet another kiss. Her tongue had jumped out into his mouth striking at his, much the same way he would have expected some kind of snake to attack. He hadn't expected that kind of speed at all from her. He definitely hadn't expected that kind of action just after she had told him that he wouldn't be getting another kiss. His eyes quickly fluttered closed.

He returned the kiss after a moment of confusion, deciding that perhaps this was for their previous date, or on credit or something. His tongue jumped out, running along the edges of hers before exploring the warm, wet expanse of her mouth, tasting her dinner in her mouth. His senses had picked up a definite change in her body. He felt her grow warm, smelled as her body became excited. Everything about her was screaming at him to not let go. He knew that he couldn't let go though. He couldn't afford to have her come to her senses at this point.

 

[Perplexia]

she continued there kiss letting out a soft moan into his mouth as he responded. She couldn't think and didn't want to. Her body turned molding against his. His arms kept her close in a warm protecting way. She didn't want to be anywhere but in his arms. Raven knew that she'd be lost in him the moment her lips touched his. She wasn't going to run anymore, she wasn't going to hide. She loved him, always had, perhaps from before she ever knew him. Slowly her lips parted long enough to say "take me home" before she kissed him again.

 

[Bluemage]

He continued to kiss her and then suddenly her lips had left his. He thought for a moment that she had come to her senses and that she was about to step back and slap him across the face for taking advantage of her or something. Instead she told him to take her home and had then pressed her lips to his in another kiss. He responded to the kiss for a few more moments before he had slowly broken it and had spoke softly, "Alright."

He then picked her up in his arms while he got up and carried her back to the BMW with the tinted windows. He held her body close to his with one arm while he struggled with the door with the other hand, opening it and slipping into the vehicle with her. He made sure that she had her seatbelt on and then chose his spot in the middle seat so that he would be as close to her as possible. He looked up at the driver and spoke softly, "Home."

It hadn't taken long before they had arrived back at the building and he had carried her to the elevator in his arms, bringing her back up to his floor. His eyes hadn't been able to stay away from hers. He wasn't quite sure yet why it was that she had decided to call the date short, perhaps because she had kissed him early and she thought that was all that he had been looking for. He watched her for a few more moments as they entered his floor and then spoke softly, "Alright. We are home now."

 

[Perplexia]

"Xavier," she said softly looking up into his eyes. "set me down" she smiled as he set her down. she took his hand and took him out onto the balcony. "Please sit"
He looked at her confused but did. "I'm afraid" she said softly "i'm afraid because at dinner i realized i had already started to fall in love with you. I'm afraid because at the river, i realized that your lips on mine never made me feel so whole in my entire life. I'm afraid, because i realized that i was yours, and i can't do anything about it, and what scares me the most, is that i don't want to do anything about it. I don't want your lips to ever leave mine, i don't want to not feel your arms around me, I want you in ways i can't even explain. I need to know if you are feeling the same. before i say anything else"

 

[Bluemage]

He looked at her for a moment as she talked like that. He watched her closely, trying to think of the best way to intervene, or to speak up. Was he supposed to interrupt her. He decided that wasn't proper so he waited until she was finished talking. He looked at her for a few moments, still not sure what to say. He then brought his hand up, the fingers of his other hand when around the ring, which he then pulled off, turned around and replaced so that the heart was facing his knuckle. He looked at her for a moment and then slowly brought his hand down again, still watching her.

He wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't imagine how he could say anything other than what she had said. He slowly pushed himself up off of his seat, "I love you too, Raven. You could have summed up your entire speech with three words, but instead took the time to describe how you felt for me. The only issue that I have is that you still never did say those three words." He smiled as he watched her for a moment and then spoke again, "I am not going to leave you. I can promise you that." He watched her, "And you can want me in as many ways as you want. I will not deny you any."

He looked at her for a few more moments, his emerald eyes focusing on her he then spoke softly, "All you needed to do was ask and I was yours."

 

[Perplexia]

She took the ring that was on her hand and held it up slowly taking it off and placing the heart toward her knuckles. Tears fell from her eyes as they went back to his. "I love you Xavier, I've loved you all of my life..i know that doesn't' make any sense.. but I've always belonged to you, I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." she walked into him wrapping her arms around him tightly. Her body clinging to his as if it was a part of her own. She didn't want this moment to ever end. "you realize that neither of us are going to get any work done for a while. I have a very strong feeling that once you take me to our bed, i won't be leaving it for a while" she laughed softly into his chest wiping her tears of joy from her eyes. She felt complete, and that she belonged.

 

[Bluemage]

Xavier wrapped his arms around her when she had moved forward and clung to him as if she was out in the middle of sea and he was some sort of flotation ring and was her only hope of not drowning. He gently patted her back as she let out tears into his shirt, and he wondered for a moment if he had somewhere said something wrong. He then heard her start talking about bed activities. He blushed a little at the mention of that, still running his hands up and down her back, "We don't know that for sure. Maybe it will turn out that I am really terrible in bed." He smiled softly at his own little joke and looked out at the skyline, enjoying the scene, and enjoying that Raven was still in his arms, her head buried in his chest.

He thought about it for a few moments, "Or if you decide that I am really excellent in bed we might not stay in bed." He shrugged softly, trying to make the situation seem lighter with humor, "Or maybe you might just handcuff me to the bed and enjoy me until you are absolutely satisfied." He thought about it and then smiled, "I suppose we could call you in sick for a while though. I don't know...what's a good illness?" He smiled softly, and continued to watch the skyline, wondering if she had been hinting that she wanted to take him to bed immediately.

 

[Perplexia]

she laughed lightly into his chest her face blushing. I was going to work at home for a while anyway. I just need to call them and have things forwarded to my email. At the most I'll have to go in once a week, I'll have the car take me if you prefer. At some point tomorrow i will have to work on that article. Its due by Wednesday to editing. She continued to keep her arms wrapped tightly around him as she talked.
For the first time Raven felt free. Free from the walls that had enclosed her for so long. She'd given him her heart and he took it embracing it and giving his in return. She smiled softly as he continued to look over the horizon. "whats on your mind" she asked softly running her hand on his chest.

 

[Bluemage]

He smiled as he looked down to her rather than remaining focused on the sky, "I was just trying to think of ways to make sure that you stayed with me." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, smiling softly, "But I suppose you don't plan to go anywhere, do you?" He smiled and then looked back into the apartment, "If you would like to head back inside...it is getting a bit cool out here now." He continued to slowly run his hands up and down Raven's back.

 

[Perplexia]

she smiled softly "I can't imagine ever wanting to leave you Xavier" she said softly kissing his chest lightly. "the only time i will leave you is when i die of old age. Or when you kick me out with the first wrinkle" she smiled softly stepping back and taking his hand leading him back into the penthouse. She closed and locked the doors for the night before taking his hand again. Her eyes danced as she looked up at him, a smile across her lips. She was practically glowing from the joy she felt inside of her. The warmth that traveled through her body. Not being able to take the distance she stepped back into his embrace.