I5DT - Date night, take two

[Ryan Gabriel]

The trick is finding someplace that has good dancing. They just tend to be a little on the pricey side.

[Rachel O'Brien]

I bet we could start taking over the XUB. Rachel replied.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Yeah, but if you don't have to get all dressed up, it doesn't count, Ryan teased. After all... I don't get enough opportunities to see you in a dress. Or to wear a suit.

[Rachel O'Brien]

I can wear dresses more. Rachel offered I didn't realize you liked them so much.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Oh, hell yes. I'm probably the only guy you'll meet that likes formal stuff and getting all dressed up for it," Ryan admitted with a smirk. "You think I picked this place for the snooty attitudes people have?"

[Rachel O'Brien]

"I thought you picked it for the food and the dance floor." Rachel said "And because you think that you need to give me nice things if I'm going to want to be with you."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Well, those were bonuses, but this was just the place that would give us the best excuse to dress up while we dance. For, y'know, a dress code?" he teased, leaning in and giving her a little kiss under her ear.

[Rachel O'Brien]

"I say we make our own dress code." Rachel teased "Besides, sometimes its fun to go to a club."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Oh, I love clubs. But we've done that a lot, and we'd never done this. Not that there's not good reason to do clubs more often than this, but still."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Variety is the spice of life." Rachel agreed, squeezing his shoulder gently.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan smiled, leaning in and kissing her again as the song ended (affording them, of course, a little more time to do so this time).

[Rachel O'Brien]

"I think I need a drink." Rachel said, "Dancing is thirsty work."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan smiled and nodded, then offered her his arm to head back over to the table.

[Rachel O'Brien]

Rachel hesitated for a moment, then took his arm as they headed over to the table.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan smiled a little, stopping as they arrived back at their table, lifting her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles before pulling out her chair for her.

[Rachel O'Brien]

"You're laying it on with a trowel tonight." Rachel mused as he helped push in her chair.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Maybe," he admitted. "But right now, you're letting me do the stuff that I've had to force myself to skip for a while, so I'm going to enjoy it," he added, winking at her as he sat down.

[Rachel O'Brien]

"I know." Rachel said "Its just that all of this" she made a gesture that encompassed him, the room and her outfit "is a bit overwhelming."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan looked around, making a little conciliatory nod. "Well... let's break it down a little. Ignore the people around. Is me going out of my way to be a gentleman such a bad or unusual thing?"

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Its a confusing thing." Rachel said, trying to explain her reasoning. "I mean...you don't need to court me. I'm yours. Yes, I want you to treat me well, but this goes well beyond that. Which means that either you feel unworthy, and are trying to 'deserve' me, or that there is something that you want from me that I'm not giving you."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I can see the logic, based on the douches you've been with before," Ryan admitted. "Honestly? I love you. I think you're amazing. And I think you deserve to be treated like a lady." He shrugged. "Call me old-fashioned, I blame my upbringing. Yell at my dad if you want."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Why would I do that?" Rachel asked "Your dad is the one who is nice to me. Seriously, though...I just...at the end of the day, I just don't get it."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"There's nothing to get. You're the woman I love. I was raised with very specific ideas of how a lady is supposed to be treated. Holding doors, pulling out chairs, all that jazz. Watch my parents sometime, I learned it from my dad. And I like doing it for you. I just do. No strings, nothing."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Yeah." Rachel said quietly "No strings."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan sighed, shaking his head.

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Its not that." Rachel said "I was just thinking, its ironic that you would say that, because, for the first times in my life, I want strings. Great big honking strings, that hold the three of us together so tightly that we can't get away."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan couldn't help chuckling sadly. "Rachel, you know that's not what I meant. You're always going on about doing things trying to get sex. I mean I'm not doing it to get anything. And you know that."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"I know." Rachel said "I'm just not used to a relationship where sex is just...a way of expressing affection."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Well, it's not a bad way, I'll grant you. But we've got more than that." He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "Consider me wrapped up in an iron chain for you," he said with a little smirk. "Forget strings. I'm yours. Always. Not going to change."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"And one day, thats going to sink in." Rachel said, squeezing his hand back.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Then I'll keep telling you until it does," Ryan said. "Look in my mind if you want. Deep, not just what I'm thinking right now."

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Ok." Rachel said, cupping his cheek as she slipped into his mind, looking for what he wanted to show her.

[Ryan Gabriel]

In the center of his mind, she'd find it. There was a section set aside for Bear, but the urgings of his mind shuffled her aside to the other half, set aside for her, and her alone. And there she'd see herself, possibly a bit idealized through Ryan's eyes. Links of emotion wrapped around her... love, affection, a couple threads of worry, and many, many more. Even someone as new as Rachel to reading emotions would be able to tell that removing her would create a complete emotional collapse, one he might not ever completely recover from. There was something about the way everything was built up that had a sense of permanence, sort of the way a new home does after you've finished decorating and furnishing it.

[Rachel O'Brien]

After she'd taken it all in, Rachel slowly withdrew from his mind.

"Thank you." she said quietly, her eyes shining with love and unshed tears.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan reached across the table, brushing a tear out of one of her eyes. "Now do you believe me?" he asked quietly.

[Rachel O'Brien]

"Yeah." Rachel said softly, pressing a kiss into his palm "I do."