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 Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:13 pm
If Dani had an easy way of dealing with Parker, the same could be said for him in regards to her. The bluenette had the kind of temper that was quick to flare up but easily mollified if handled with care and quickness, and except when she felt she'd really been wronged, she wasn't likely to hold a grudge. Luckily for both of them, she was one of the rare females who would accept an apology and have that be the end of it; no more dragging the issue up, no using it as leverage in an argument, no guilt tactics. True, in this instance, the words I'm sorry never actually came up, but Dani felt that they were implied by his backpedaling and the fact that he was holding her hand, sort of, over the table.
She watched him, the color fading from her face as she did, her expression losing intensity with each passing second. Okay, so. His okay hadn't been bad, it had just been... Parker. For someone who liked him because he was different from others, she had to keep reminding herself of the fact rather frequently. Dani felt she was justified, of course, in being upset, but hearing him explain himself made her feel better. He definitely liked that it was a date -- good. He didn't want to upset her -- better. She knew for a fact that it would happen, because everyone upset everyone else at least sometimes, but the fact that he'd try not to meant something to her.
She'd make an effort, too. Not that she wouldn't have anyway, but she'd make more of an effort. She'd try to prepare herself to accept unenthusiastic answers. Maybe. She'd work on training him to give her a bit more than one word, though. That wasn't too much to ask, right?
After what had probably been an uncomfortable silence, she smiled. Had her arm not been broken, she would have brought her other hand up and placed it over the top of Parker's. She almost did, which led to her cast hovering awkwardly above them, before she remembered and rested her arm against the table once more.
"Okay." Was she letting him off the hook, or explaining what had upset her? A bit of both. "I get it now."
Nudging her hand up, she laced her fingers with his, their elbows propped up on the table. Over their joined hands, she grinned. "Don't worry about it, okay? I shouldn't have gotten so mad. I'd better warn you," she added, sighing a little. "I can lose my temper pretty fast sometimes. It usually doesn't last, though, so it's not too bad. And I like, won't ever be mad overnight unless you do something really jerkish, like... kick my dogs or insult my mom, or something."
Her expression clearly said that she doubted Parker would do these things. "Oh, and I need to tell you something else. But, er, not in the restaurant."
She glanced around then, caught the eye of a passing waiter, flushed prettily. Uh, whoops, she was still holding Parker's hand. Well.
"So, we're all set, right?" Because she was getting ready to go, she slid her hand away from his, reached for her purse. "Thanks for dinner, by the way. Next time is totally on me, no argument."
One of the benefits of being such a straightforward girl most of the time was that she was remarkably easy to handle, if only you knew how. Well, and she wanted to let you handle her.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:26 am
For a couple that wasn't really a couple yet, this was an awkward thing to happen on a first date. Truth was, Parker had almost forgotten how to date a girl. They were both in high school, and despite claims otherwise, most high school relationships were more similar to the ones held by elementary school kids on the playground than any lasting or viable thing. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, be the wrong thing. No matter how much he liked her, this little exchange created a prickle of uncertainty. Could this be a sign of danger ahead? The pessimist in Parker nodded solemnly.
Parker watched Dani from across the table, trying to gauge the meanings behind her movements. He nearly let out a sigh of relief when she finally relaxed. Good, a step in the right direction. For a brief moment, Parker worried that Dani might still turn tail and run, but when she laced her fingers through his own, he glanced down at their interlocked hands and then back at her face. It was such a foreign feeling to hold hands with a girl, or with anyone. He wasn't big on physical contact in general -- no surprise hugs, please and thank you -- and he had very few close friends who would be comfortable enough to throw an arm around or give him a playful pat on the back. This tiny bit of contact with Dani was the first he'd had in a very long time. Was it really so easy to avoid people?
When Dani continued speaking, whatever tension had sparked was quickly diffused, floating away with the haze of candlelight in the restaurant. "I say things that people think are intended to be mean when they aren't," he said, cracking a sly smile. "And feel free to insult my father, though I have no dogs for you to kick." Aha, was that a joke? Yes, it was true. Parker could be funny. Or, try at least.
It was time to go, and Parker nodded to Dani. He needed to fill out the card receipt, and with one arm in a cast, he was forced to slip his hand away from hers. The cold chilled his fingers. Flipping open the little black folder, Parker scribbled out a tip and an even more illegible signature, and then got to his feet. "Another surprise?" he said, adjusting his shirt in preparation for the cold outside. Parker said nothing about her offer to pay the next time; he was too fixated on the promise of a next time. Standing beside the table, Parker waited for Dani to exit and then followed her out.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:31 am
Once they were outside, Dani lifted her shoulders against the chill of the night, making the little brr noises that didn't actually do anything to warm you, but felt good all the same. The date could have gone better, sure, but it could have really gone a lot worse. She'd walked into it thinking Parker was gay, hadn't she? And now she had him hooked for a second date, had gotten him to admit that he liked being on a date with her besides, and she'd already gotten mad at him for the first time. While some people might have been wary at the last point, Dani considered it all good.
She had a temper. She was not shy about expressing how she felt. So, Parker was going to see her temper; it was just inevitable. He'd handled it well, which was all that really mattered. Besides, as awkward as their date had been, it had nothing on her parents' first date. Though in the same place, her mother had been pregnant with Dani at the time, which had led to all sorts of interesting situations.
Dani was pretty sure she wasn't supposed to know that detail, though. Or that she was, um, a happy accident. Her mother had informed her when she'd had a little too much wine one night, and Dani had just kept it to herself. It didn't really bother her much, since she knew who her parents were (obviously) and they loved each other, and her, very much. It was a little weird to think that they'd gone about the whole relationship thing so backwards, but to each their own.
Glancing back at Parker, she grinned at him, leaning over to nudge his upper arm with her shoulder. He was opening up to her little by little, and she liked it. They'd only seen one another a handful of times, but he'd definitely cracked a joke back in the restaurant! That was progress if she ever saw it. Of course, that also meant she needed to come clean about how old she was.
It wasn't like she'd been lying or hiding it. He'd just never asked. But, if they were going on another date, well, he needed to be clear.
So, she sucked in a breath, peering up at him. "Parker," Her face was curious, but not overly so. "How old do you think I am?"
After a beat, she added, "I'm not going to be one of those girls who goes aaaah, jerk, I'm not that old! if you get it wrong. It's just, I know you're eighteen, but you've never asked how old I am, so I was wondering how old you think I am."
She was smiling, which was probably a good thing. Probably.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:12 pm
The air was cool, and a more suave person might have curled an arm around Dani. Parker just rolled his shoulders forward, tucking his hands into his own pockets. It was one thing to admit he was interested in her and wanted to date. It was another thing entirely to cross the lines of physical boundary. Parked might have been older, but he found it very difficult to be open with someone -- in any way. For him to be openly affectionate, he would have to admit more feelings than just liking her. To admit deep feelings... that would be quite a hurdle.
For now, though, Parker was just content to be around her, even if she seemed to like surprising him. He didn't say so, but he hoped it was a good surprise, though the pessimist in him warned otherwise. When Dani finally spoke, Parker inadvertently drew his brows together. So early and they were already having to "reveal" things? Yikes.
"Parker, how old do you think I am?"
Parker stared, blinking slowly. What kind of question was that? "Um," he said, uncertainty creeping into his voice. What the ********. Was this a trick? Was he on To Catch A Predator? Or did she have some kind of weird developmental disease? Maybe she was really 35! Parker was a worst case scenario kind of guy, and his mind went spinning off in every possible direction, drumming up all the worst reasons for her to ask that question. He took a few moments -- too many probably -- before he answered.
"You're in high school," he said. And then, "You are in high school?" She said she went to Meadowview, but he was suddenly paranoid, trying to think back to any signs of lying in the blue-haired girl. "...17?" Dani never talked about college so he assumed she was not a senior, not like him. She was way too mature to be a freshman, and her body suggested she might be older than him, certainly not younger. So... why would she ask this?
Parker didn't understand, and he didn't like that. Concern seeped into the lines of his face.
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Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:09 pm
Parker was not the first person to assume she was older than she actually was. Part of it was because her physique had matured fast, but she knew she was more responsible than most girls her age as well, so it wasn't just her body. On the one hand, she could be exceptionally mature if she needed to be, but the truth of the matter was, she was still a teenage girl. A teenage girl who needed to come clean about her age quick, because Parker clearly had the wrong idea.
Most of the time, she didn't care if people assumed she was older. On the rare event that they thought she was younger she did mind, especially because it tended to hinge on her attitude (anyone who caught her throwing a fit thought she was closer to thirteen than fifteen, it seemed) but that was rare enough she was able to ignore it for the most part. Seventeen was actually kind of modest, which she appreciated.
"Almost." She paused, scuffing the toe of her sneaker against the pavement. She didn't look down, but she brought her lower lip in, chewed on it for a moment. Well, she'd opened the discussion, she ought to follow through. "Almost seventeen."
She wrinkled her nose at the concern on Parker's face, not liking to see it there. He was probably going to freak out and change his mind. Wasn't it borderline illegal for a fifteen year-old and an eighteen year-old to date? But they were both in high school. Well, that probably didn't matter. Was it totally illegal? ... uh oh. She had no idea.
"Actually. I'm almost sixteen." She puffed her cheeks out, lifted both hands. "I'll be sixteen in August. I figured, you know, you should know."
She shifted her weight from foot to foot, watching him. Someone else might have kept this information from Parker until a birthday rolled around, but Dani would have considered that too dishonest. Honesty was the best policy except when it wasn't, which was her personal motto, so she hoped he appreciated it.
She also hoped he didn't go running for the hills. She really hadn't thought this part of the conversation through all that well.
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 5:37 pm
Dani was fifteen. She would be sixteen in August.
Parker was eighteen. He would be nineteen in June.
Um, what?
The look that registered on Parker's face was hard to read. There was confusion there, certainly, and maybe a hint of despair. A touch of anxiety blended with a heaping of affection. Well, this was not expected not at all. "You're fifteen," he said, disbelief hedging at his words. "Are you a... sophomore?" Parker hoped she was. He really hoped she was. When you said eighteen versus fifteen, it sounded a little odd, but a senior dating a sophomore didn't sound like a big deal at all.
The question was: would any of this matter? Parker knew that he liked Dani, and he felt as though they were on an equal level of development. He did considered himself more mature, but he felt that way about most people he met. It wasn't like he had many friends who would tease him about it, either. The closest friends were on the internet, and if he wanted, he could easily lie to them. Honestly, there would be more disbelief at the fact that Parker was seeing someone than over her age.
Plus, age was just a number... right?
Parker told himself that, over and over, but it didn't change the fact that he would have much preferred if Dani were a year or two older. He planned to go to college soon. Where would she be? Back here, not even worried about her SATs or portfolios. Would that drive a wedge between them? These things were far off, and Parker highly doubted they would make it that far. But what if they did? What if this dating became a relationship became a love became something he couldn't live without -- only to be undone by something as simply as geography? Parker pushed the thought away. He and Dani would never go that far anyway.
Right...?
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:36 am
Dani watched his face like a hawk, and though she couldn't say she was exactly comforted by his shifting expression, it wasn't immediately alarming, either. All things considered, he was taking it rather well. Maybe too well, she thought for a moment, lips puckering into a thoughtful, if not slightly suspicious, line. Almost as soon as she had the thought, she dismissed it, and instead, rocked back on her heels. So he was taking it well, great! One more hurdle overcome.
"Yeah, I'm a sophomore." It was a little cold, so she gestured with her chin, asking, "Want to keep walking? If I don't get back on time, my parents are going to kill me. I've got a bad track record," she added, expression darkening.
She couldn't explain to them -- her parents, or Parker -- exactly why she came home late more often than not. At least this time, if she did end up a little later than usual, she could use Parker as her alibi. She'd consider using him more often, but he might start to question why she needed an alibi at two in the morning, and she didn't want to give him the wrong impression about anything.
After a few beats, she peered at him, asking, "Are you okay with this? I mean, it's not like I can control how old I am, but. You know. Three year difference." It didn't sound so bad when you said three years. Definitely sounded between then fifteen to his eighteen.
It was really just all in how you said it! Right? Right.
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 12:20 pm
When Dani suggested it, Parker began to walk forward, tucking both hands into his pockets. Parents? The worst Parker had to worry about was being caught out after curfew. If it wasn't for his roommate Jaimie teaching him how to take the bars off the Hillworth windows, he probably would never be able to stay out beyond the assigned time. Dani, on the other hand, had parents to worry about, not the apathetic staff that Parker was used to seeing on a daily basis.
"You're a sophomore. I'm a senior," he said, keeping his eyes straight ahead. "That isn't much of a difference."
When it broke down into years, however, it seemed much greater. If they were 34 and 30, the difference would be nothing, but in high school, it all seemed so much more magnified. Parker kept playing with numbers. When she was starting junior high, he was starting high school. When she learning to talk, he was going to pre-school.
The thoughts were unpleasant so he pushed them away.
The subway was up ahead, and Parker slid his MetroCard through the turn-style, slipping on to the platform. It was dotted with people, most older. He glanced back to Dani to make sure she got through okay.
Now that they had admitted that they liked each other, Parker was uncertain of how to act. He settled for doing nothing too cold or too warm. Yep, that was good for now. "Dinner was good," he said, a bit stupidly. Then added, "I'm glad I listened to your cryptic text message."
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:24 pm
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she pulled it out, checking the text as she listened to Parker. It was her mom, asking if she'd had a good time. Peering over at Parker, Dani mused on it a moment, sliding the phone open to fire back a quick text, complete with several exclamation points. Her mother would be pleased, and she'd bring her dad around by the time Dani got home, she hoped.
Shoulders turned up against the cold, she grinned, rolling her shoulder to adjust the placement of her purse. "It was good, yeah. I had fun! Some of it was kind of up in the air, you know, but we managed."
That was what was important to Dani. She was fairly new to the whole dating scheme, considering she'd had her first boyfriend when she was fairly young, but there was nothing wrong with learning as she went along. Besides, if she needed advice, she could always ask her mom. Before settling down with Vincent, Madelynn had enjoyed her fair share of boyfriends, and would no doubt be a valuable source of information.
Because she could, she leaned over, bumped shoulders with him as she had earlier. "And you should always listen to my texts. I mean, I'll listen to yours. If you ever have some place you want to go or something, I'll make it unless I'm already really busy."
The fact that she would admit that, and mean it, definitely meant something. Dani would rearrange her schedule for very few people, and considered herself at the beck and call of absolutely no one. Parker wouldn't take advantage of it, though, she told herself, so it was fine.
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 4:39 pm
When she bumped him, Parker smiled, glancing down to Dani. It was nice being taller than her. It made him feel masculine even as she called all the shots. "I'll listen," he said, stepping on to the subway. He went to the pole on the far side and held on. It was less crowded this time, and Parker was a little sad for it. If it were crowded, he might feel braver about closing the distance between them.
No, he would want to think about that more before he went about hugging her or holding her hand or the other stuff that teenage boys thought about girls.
Right now, Parker was just happy to know that Dani liked him and that he liked her. In high school, that seemed to be an incredibly important thing, and looking at Dani, Parker could not deny it. "You might be able to take the subway an extra stop and end up closer to your house," he said. A gentleman would think to walk her home. It didn't cross Parker's mind. It was still early, and they had met at the subway independently anyway. He didn't know exactly where Dani lived, but he knew the general area.
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 5:26 pm
The subway ride was much less eventful than their arrival, mostly owing to the fact that it wasn't nearly as crowded and there was no jostling into one another. Still, Dani resumed a post close to Parker, and at his suggestionn, she nodded. "My dad is coming to get me at the station closest to our house," she explained.
Though Dani often wandered the streets alone, she had to admit she was grateful that her father would be picking her up. It was one night she really didn't want to attend to any senshi duties. She just wanted to enjoy being a fifteen year-old girl who had gone on a date, period. No youma, no Negaverse, no anything. If she were a better person, she'd feel guilty and selfish about wanting things to be that way, but she really wasn't. She couldn't be a senshi all the time, could she? No.
There wasn't anything wrong with just wanting to be Dani once in a while again.
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Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:49 pm
Parker thought of having to face Dani's father and was immediately grateful that his stop was the one right before hers. "Oh, good," he said, raking a hand through his hair.
The subway reached the desired station faster than Parker thought it would. He had been spending the few minutes contemplating what the appropriate goodbye would be. A handshake? A high five? A hug? A kiss? He had confessed that he liked hanging out with Dani, but Parker was still an inexperienced boy worried about crossing the physical line.
Before he had time to think, the doors were opening. He needed to leave. "This is my stop," he said, releasing the pole. Parker had 30 seconds to get off the train before the doors shut.
He wasted it with talking.
"I had a great time. You can cryptic text me anytime." Awkward laughter. "Text me when you meet up with your dad just so I know you made it. You know." The doors began to close and already Parker was backing away. No touching, no hand-holding, not even an enthusiastic highfive.
At the last second, Parker slipped through the closing doors. He realized too late that he hadn't said goodbye.
All he could do was wave at Dani as the train sped away -- and then feel incredibly pathetic the entire walk home.
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