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It wasn't the best of answers, and her brief disappointment showed in her face, but almost as soon as it appeared, it was gone. Parker was direct, so he had no reason to lie to her. She was mildly comforted by the fact that he didn't seem to care that she was snugged up pretty close to him, but her ego thought he could have been a little more enthusiastic. Okay, a lot more enthusiastic.

She had to keep reminding herself that Parker was different from other guys, or she was going to actually get a bit irritated. Even though she knew it was unreasonable, that had never really stopped her in the past - the only thing that did was taking a deep breath and ignoring the source of the annoyance for a time. So she liked Parker and he was being stubborn about liking her - so what. She'd get him, if she could. If not, she'd resolve to be his best platonic girlfriend ever, and she'd pick out his boyfriend for him.

It was the least she could do, after all. If he wasn't destined to date her, then clearly she was the only one who could find a suitable significant other for him. They got along surprisingly well most of the time, so it only made sense.

Pleased with herself, she smiled, saying lightly, "Okay, good. I figured it was fine, but I thought I should ask anyway."

She rarely rode the subway, but it wasn't too difficult to get used to the motions of it. Aside from the first time she'd bumped into Parker, she managed to leave a slight amount of space between them, which she considered only appropriate. They were sharing a bar, sure, but that didn't mean she had to crawl up in his bubble and send him running for the window before she even had the chance try anything.

Because if it turned out his preference didn't tend toward men, she would definitely try something. She wouldn't be obnoxious about it or anything, because come on, she was still a girl, but she'd drop some hints even he couldn't ignore.

Well, unless he really wanted to.

What, did he think she was some kind of overbearing monster of a girl who bullied everyone into doing what she wanted them to do? There could have been a slight grain of truth in that, but only in that she'd chosen to surprise Parker rather than ask him if he wanted to go out for dinner. But that was a nice surprise, okay. And sure, she showed up at Hillworth sometimes, and she'd dragged him to Tallulah's birthday party, but that had been fun. So she wanted to hang out with him, big deal. That didn't mean she was incapable of asking permission for something.

God, she wasn't the kind of girl who was going to completely get up in someone's face when they didn't want her there. She was amazing, all right, and anyone who didn't like her was crazy or just jealous (probably jealous), but she didn't go out of her way to impose herself on someone if they made it clear they didn't want her around. She thought Parker had indicated, in his own way, that he liked her presence. He'd never outright said he didn't, and she liked to think that he was man enough to say so. She'd have to lose some respect for him if he wasn't, anyway.

Ugh, why was she even worrying about this so much?

Oh, right. Because Parker was telling her she wasn't the type to ask permission. What was he implying, anyway?

"If you ever don't want to do something, you can just say so." There it was, the beginning of a pout around her mouth. Had Parker known her actual age was only fifteen, the look would be much more easily explained.

Still. She wanted to have a good time. Okay, she could shove that to the back of her mind too - though it was getting harder and harder - and try to move on.

But goodness, she was going to go a little bit crazy if Parker kept this up.

He distracted her by asking about her cast, and she lifted her arm, staring at it in mild distaste. After a moment, she replied, "I think I have like, a week. And then I have to work the muscle back up before I can go back to doing all the things I used to do, ugh. Really lame, right?"

There was a vague part of Dani that felt like she should be offended by Parker's tone, but because she liked him, and because she wanted to think the best of the situation, she was mollified. Mostly. She didn't return to her previous levels of bubbly happiness, but the frown left her face, and she shot him a brief, fond look.

So the crisis had been averted, temporarily. They would get back to the core of the problem later, but she was happy to know that her suspicions on Parker had been confirmed. He was straightforward, and he would tell her if he didn't want to spend time with her. (Not that she saw that happening any time soon.)

"Okay, then." The train slowed, and she swayed into the pole, glancing over her shoulder. At the woman's voice, she brightened, already excited once more for the dinner she had planned.

Gaze dancing back to Parker's, she replied, "Yep! This is our stop!" It seemed that a lot of people were getting off there as well, which made sense. Dani had taken them into the heart of Destiny City's restaurant district, which might have seemed intimidating considering she'd insisted it wasn't anything fancy, but she hadn't been lying. There were more upscale restaurants, there were middle range ones, and there were fast food ones. You just had to know where you were going.

And she did. Gripping Parker's hand, not really giving him much choice in the gesture, she started to pull him along. Just in case he freaked out about it, she said over her shoulder, "So I don't lose you, okay?" and then looked forward again.

She was the one who knew where they were going, after all. It only made sense that she take him by the hand and drag him along. Right?

Okay, so she also wanted to see how he would react to her holding his hand, a little.

Okay, a lot.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately?) Dani was also waiting to see if Parker would tug his hand away from hers. Though the crowd had thinned out enough that it wasn't necessary by any means for her to lead him around by the hand, she'd been a little thrilled when he'd twined his fingers with hers instead of just letting her haul him around by his fist. They'd had a few bumpy moments along the way, but the fact that he didn't immediately yank his hand back and wipe it on his pantleg seemed like a good sign to Dani.

For that matter, she didn't either. She just grinned at him, giving his hand the lightest squeeze, and started walking again.

Holding hands was a big deal but then again, it was not. She'd held his hand before, when he was in a hospital bed and he'd looked so broken and unlike himself. She considered that much heavier than the hand holding she was doing now, if only because this was a casual atmosphere and the hospital really had not been. Truth be told, Dani wouldn't run around hand-in-hand with just anyone, especially not considering the rumors that could start if any of her classmates saw her, but she didn't care if people saw her holding hands with Parker. She'd already gone to Hillworth to visit him, so she figured any rumors that wanted to circulate were already well on their way.

And she didn't mind so much, as she had nothing particularly to be embarrassed of. Sure, she was the one chasing Parker around, but there was nothing wrong with a confident, enthusiastic young woman!

Who may or may not be attempting to date a gay guy! (As the night went on, she was convincing herself more and more this was not the case, however, if only because she didn't want it to be the case.)

"It's not very far," she supplied cheerfully, resisting the urge to swing their hands like a little girl. But barely. "Actually, just down the street."

She lifted her cast to point, gesturing to an old-fashioned looking building that nevertheless appeared to be lovingly tended. It had bricks on out outer face, and a few potted plants around the doorway; inside, they could see that it wasn't entirely crowded, but there was a smattering of couples and families spaced out enough to provide a welcome, friendly atmosphere. Compared to the slight chill of the early evening, it looked downright warm and friendly.

The sign above said Henry's. It wasn't a particularly well known restaurant, but it had never shown up with a poor rating in one of those newspaper food critiques. That had to stand for something, right?

As they approached, she turned to him again, this time barely able to contain her excited smile. "Looks nice, right? Just the kind of casual to make it fun, but like, not a burger joint or anything."

She thought it was ideal for a first date.

Hey, it had worked for her parents.

Five points for Parker, Dani thought, delighted that he held the door open for her. It was something her father would have done, that she saw him do for her mother no matter where it was they were going, and she thought it was a sweet, gentlemanly gesture. She also liked feeling like a lady, which she was, most of the time. Okay, sometimes.

Dani was the type of girl who wanted to be treated like a lady when it came to niceties like holding the door open and offering your umbrella when it was raining, but otherwise, she wanted to be treated just like another person. She didn't want anyone to assume that because she was female there were things she couldn't do, things she shouldn't see or hear, or any of that nonsense. It wasn't exactly straightforward like she normally was, but honestly, what fifteen year-old girl didn't want to be treated like a girl once in a while?

She didn't think it was too much to ask. Apparently, neither did Parker, which earned him a big, bright smile before she walked through the doors.

There was one of those little sections where you waited to be seated, but they'd arrived at a good time in the dinner rush, and the waitress turned to them almost immediately. "Two?"

"Mhm!" Dani replied, glancing at Parker briefly before back to her. "Hi, Jenny."

Jenny was an older woman, not elderly by any means, but she'd certainly been working at Henry's for a while. Most of the staff knew Dani's parents, as they came by Henry's fairly regularly when they went out, preferring it to most other places for the sense of nostalgia. She'd been a few times with them, not enough to be considered a regular herself, but most of them knew her name and face.

She did have powder blue hair, though. It kind of left an impression.

"Come on then, honey. And who's this?"

As Jenny began to lead them to a booth, Dani smoothed a hand down her sweater vest. "This is Parker. He's my -- friend," she faltered a bit on the last word, surprised by how much she'd want to say "boyfriend."

She slid into the booth, setting her purse on the seat next to her, and glanced up. She assumed Parker would sit across from her, and apparently, so did Jenny.

Wow, she'd almost made a huge slip-up. The kind of slip-up that had epic consequences, like, the collapse of Rome, or something. Okay, so not that bad, but Dani's ego probably wouldn't have been able to handle Parker precisely and quickly telling the waitress no, he was not her boyfriend, she'd actually just dragged him to the restaurant for reasons unknown.

God, that would have been embarrassing.

Dani thanked Jenny as she left, picking up her own menu and flipping through it with casual interest. Usually, she ordered one of the salads, and not because she was one of those girls who was afraid to eat in front of guys. She actually liked salads, big salads, with tomatoes, olives, tuna, peppers... the works. Her mother was constantly bemoaning the fact that Dani actually liked to eat in a healthy manner, and her parents often wondered exactly whose genes she took that from, considering they were much more prone to the things that tasted amazing because they were terrible for you. She wasn't exactly certain where she'd gotten it from, either, but she wasn't complaining. She liked what she liked, and it kept her healthy and strong, so there really wasn't anything to complain about.

She pressed her lips together, eyes scanning the salads, then opened them with a faint "pop" as she considered. A salad sounded good, but then again, so did the parmesan crusted chicken... she might have to actually go for the chicken.

Parker distracted her from her perusal of the menu, which was probably a good thing - she would overthink what she wanted to eat otherwise, and then end up picking the wrong thing because she argued with herself over which would be better. She blinked at him, then laughed, shaking her head just slightly; oh, Parker. She knew he wasn't good at small talk, really, but she liked him anyway. She wasn't laughing at him either, just in a sort of fond amusement, wondering exactly why he felt like he had to clarify.

She'd sat by him at the park, hadn't she? She knew that he wasn't the best at small talk, and he liked to discuss serious, thought-provoking things. That was fine with her, all things considered. It was nice to have someone speak to her for once and not treat her like she'd only understand them if they used words of two syllables and under. Maybe some would have thought their initial conversation was boring and awkward, but it had inspired her to like him, want to get to know him better.

And so here she was. Trying to get to know him better.

"It's okay, Parker. I like you anyway." She winked, folding her menu in front of her. She'd decided on the chicken. "Just like you like me anyway even though I probably make enough small talk for both of us."

She tilted her head slightly, giving him a thoughtful, half-amused look. "I actually really like you anyway. Isn't that funny? We barely know each other but I feel like we could be really good friends. I mean, not everyone would go to an ice skating party with a broken arm."

She grinned then, remembering the both of them, and how much better she'd felt having Parker there. "That's what's so great about you. To be totally honest, I don't just like, invite guys out for dinner all the time."

She felt the need to clarify this, for reasons mysterious. Then she realized she was talking a lot, so she abruptly stopped, looking at him expectantly.

What did she expect? She wasn't exactly sure. She did know that she wanted to make it clear to Parker she wasn't one of those girls either, who led guys around by their nose and let them think they were her good friend if they weren't. Or, you know, whatever.

Parker's opinion mattered, because she wanted him as her friend (and because she like-liked him, but okay, that had already been established.) so she was bound and determined to make sure it was a good one. No miscommunication allowed.

Dani seemed satisfied that Parker understood what she was attempting to convey, or at least as much as she was willing to share, so she smiled briefly and rested her good hand over the top of her cast. Only a week left, ugh. A week. Part of her wondered exactly how that was going to change their dynamic, because with the cast off, she was going to have to juggle her schedule around to fit Parker in. Normally, Dani would say that it needed to be the other way around, that Parker would have to be the one to shuffle himself in between school, running, visits to the activity center. She surprised herself by wanting to make the effort, and it showed on her face for a moment.

Well, that was that. If she was willing to shuffle her own activities to let Parker in, there was no denying that she really liked him. She'd have to invite him to dinner at her house at some point, introduce him to her parents. That would be awkward, she knew, simply by virtue of it being her parents. Her dad was not going to be impressed.

At some point, she also ought to tell Parker how old she was. She had the feeling he was assuming older, as most did, and it was beginning to feel a bit like a lie. Or, well, not exactly a lie, but a willful deception, and she didn't think that was a good way to try to begin a relationship.

Because she'd decided that was what she was going to do. Build a relationship. She'd all but dismissed the idea that he was gay (and if he was, it was going to really piss her off now) and had decided that he was going to come around to the idea of liking her. He already liked her, obviously, but enough to date her.

Dani wasn't a girl who was often plagued by self-doubt. This worked in her advantage with someone like Parker, she thought; it allowed her to take the necessary steps and call the shots where she was pretty sure he wouldn't.

"Well, I liked you when I first met you." She said it a tone that clearly indicated everyone else didn't matter nearly as much. "And actually, you'd be surprised. Some people just don't like me."

One eyebrow hiked, and her expression clearly said she could not fathom these circumstances. It would have been comical if she wasn't entirely serious.

Dani knew there was a reason she liked Parker. Okay, there were a few reasons she liked Parker, each one as compelling as the next, but some of the main reasons were the facts that he was honest and he maintained eye contact. Eye contact was very important to Dani, as she had very little patience for a gaze that wandered to her bust -- but honesty was even more important. She preferred to be honest and straightforward herself unless there was something significant to be gained (or protected) by lying, so she could definitely appreciate the trait in someone else.

Plus, he was totally right. At least, he should have been. Everyone should have liked her, considering she was friendly, athletic, enthusiastic, and always willing to help. Those that didn't tended to be other senshi, whom she was sure were just irritated that she was taking the spotlight and getting things done while they just puttered around and tried to be useful. In truth, this was not fair at all, as Dani rarely knew what she was doing except throwing herself bodily at youma and hoping for the best, but it soothed her to think this way.

She was pretty much all about personal gratification, in the way that most pretty fifteen year-old girls were.

Dani opened her mouth to respond, but was distracted by the arrival of the waitress. She shifted, head tipping up toward her, and said politely, "I'll just have water, please."

After Parker ordered his drink, the waitress assured them that she'd be back in a few minutes with the drinks to take the rest of their order. Dani wiggled back into place again, pointing her knees directly at Parker under the table, and set her hands atop it once more.

"Thanks, Parker. It's really sweet of you to say so." She grinned, broadly, clearly pleased with him. "I guess it does seem kind of crazy that someone doesn't like me, but I've met my fair share. They aren't important, though."

The implication was, they aren't and you are. Because clearly, anyone who didn't like Dani rated much further down on the cosmic totem pole than someone who did. That was just common sense.