Welcome to Gaia! ::

That brought only a light laugh from her, but no real smile. Her light had been extinguished.
Teagan took up her butter knife and began balancing it between the tip of her index finger and the table. What she would have given to just have at the plant next to her strung with lights, but the plant had done nothing to spoil her evening. It was allowed to live another day.

"So I guess if we're here talking business, I guess we should talk about the work you did the other day. They really loved it. If you really do need a job, I could work something out somehow with wages instead of dates."

"I think you should stay."
Teagan's great wall around her heart was slowly crumbling, and with the drop of one great stone came that small confession. She wanted him to. But on reasonable terms, she did think he should stay.
"Get more credits together, maybe find a place to stay. Be a bit healthier. It miht do you some good..."

It is me.

Teagan saw it in the way he looked at her in that pause. She was the one making him leave. Why, she wasn't so sure of. Perhaps it was just how tangled he was in his feelings for Raquel and how she made it worse. But again, how she did that, she wasn't so sure.

And once more she found herself muttering, "Alright." though nothing really was all right.
In another awkward silence, the food was brought to their table on a very hot plate. The chicken was the largest Teagan had ever seen, covered in barbeque sauce, with sides of potatoes and corn. A traditional home meal just for them to share.
It was a pity Teagan didn't have much of an appetite.

"A business walk?" she asked coyly before digging into the meal. Teagan would definitely eat to her heart's content, because the entire date would be rendered needless if no one even ate. That being said, Teagan held a forkful of chicken up to him and with the most determined, serious look said, "It's part of the deal."

"What am I going to do with you, Nat? Y'all can't even keep yourself fed when food's right in front of you." Teagan pushed the dish towards him a bit to prompt him to keep eating. After they were done and paid for, then they could go on their walk to wherever.

"Slow down... it's not going anywhere. Gosh, you'll have to come over for food every day so I know you're fed and alright."
Though as soon as she said it, Teagan blushed. It sounded like she wanted to cling to him and keep an eye on him. It was so strange what a few kisses could do between people.

Just a place for food, she told herself. that was all she was if everything before had been heat of the moment and just business.

Once they were done and Teagan had been given the meal in a carry container, Nat paid and it looked like their dinner was over. Teagan didn't want coffee or dessert. Nothing could take away the sting of the night so far.

"So," she said while walking to the front of the restaurant. "You said you wanted to walk?"

Teagan followed as if led on a leash. Her hand in his, on a beautiful night... the torment was promised to be endless for such a short walk.

"You didn't quite say it like that," she said softly. "But thank you..." A few fireflies came out to twinkle ahead in the dark. Darn you, thought Teagan. Everything's just wonderful.