AU for _deadlydance_, set immediately after "The Price"

[birthrightgreen]

She wasn't nervous. She had nothing to be nervous about. It wasn't like it was a romantic evening. They'd just worked so hard on the case, working to catch the rabid witch who'd been slaughtering innocent males. And they had, with Jaenelle's help. Now Jaenelle and Daemon were back on their honeymoon and she...

She was here in Amdarh, back how she had been, nursing the bruises Falonar had left. So, why, exactly was she changing her dress? The one she had on was perfectly acceptable. She was going out dancing with a friend. She could use a friend right now. What she couldn't use was a male thinking he was just going to sweep in and carry her off.

Not that he was probably thinking that, but she was suspicious.

He was a male, and years of seeing them abused by her own sex still hadn't made her trust them as a gender. Then again, she didn't trust most people.

With a growl at herself, she finally settled on a black dress with enough slink to impress and a enough swirl to make a statement on the dance floor, no matter how elegant and formal. Hair pinned half up, the rest left down. If people stared at her ears, so be it.

She was ready. It was going to be fun. She kept repeating that. Fun. With a friend.

Just a friend. He wasn't expecting anything. He wouldn't be that foolish.

She just wished she knew what he wanted.

Comments

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She looked up at him, eyes dark and unreadable. She should protest the "we" but she didn't. Just nodded slightly, acknowledging it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

As they always did, the dance ended. When Rainier saw the number of couples leaving the floor, it occured to him they had talked their way all the way to the last dance of the evening.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She glanced around, taking that moment to compose any stray emotions running under the surface before looking back at him.

"The club is closing?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Yes."

Rainier smiled.

"The owner loves his Lady very much, and is very specific and demanding in his need to spend time with her. So the club closes early on certain nights."

The smile grew.

"Sometimes they stay here, just the two of them, and dance. They're some of the few that don't need music."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She forced her lips to smile back at him, years of long practice keeping the tears at bay, her smile pleasant, though one hand curled in her skirts, nails biting into her palm.

"That's very..." The smile faltered for an instant before it was back. "We should go then, to let them have their time."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier only caught the edge of her eyes, but it was enough to set his teeth on edge.

"Do you need me to escort you home? I had thought perhaps a late dinner, but I can take you there now."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"I'm all right." She gave a little shrug, a small smile. "Just tired. But I think I'm more hungry than tired, so dinner would be lovely, if you'd like to."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier nodded, as he took notice of his own relief.

"Where we went before? Or somewhere new?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Wherever's closest?" She suggested with an impish grin. Dark jewels plus exertion equaled starvation, and if she hadn't noticed it before, she certainly was now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainer nodded, pleased to see Surreal really smiling again.

"Then that would be where we went before." Now was the moment to admit to his previous heavy-handed behaivor, even if he didn't apologize for it. "I will even consider letting you order this time."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Amusement sparked in her eyes. "Wouldn't that be a nice?" She hadn't taken him to task for it, and he'd ordered what she likely would have chosen anyway, but still.

She was used to making her own choices about everything.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Well. I didn't think it had not been nice before." He was obviously teasing, and truthfully it would be nice to dine with Surreal when he wasn't riding the edge, fighting to come back from it. It promised to be a much more plesant experince.

After summoning Surreal's wrap, he lead her back out onto the night-draped streets.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She linked her arm through his with a smile. "It was nice." Except the part where he got all growly and wanted to kill things. But then, that was something she was used to, too.

"Is it always this cool here in the evenings? It seems like fall is still a long way off and it should be warmer."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"The menu should be different at this hour, so that should add to the enjoyment one can have in choosing their own dinner." He walked silently for a moment, considering what he knew about his home. "No, I think it is abnormally cool this evening. Though we have always had the breeze. A nice, friendly reminder when you have dressed incorrectly."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She grinned and teased, "I'm not quite sure how to control my excitement."

She lifted her face to the breeze as they walked. "It's nice. Fresh. It was always hot in Draega."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"I noticed that as well." They had reached the dining house, and Rainier paused to hold open the door. "I always wondered if it was the land's way of expressing its anger."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She waited for him inside, then until the maitre'd had seated them, then looked at him curiously. "You've been to Terrielle?"

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"I'm Second Circle, Surreal." She knew that, didn't she? Even after everything, it was a place he still stood. "In the times that Jaenelle needed a quieter task accomplished, something less visisble, it was easier for the lower courts to fill that service." There was a wry smile. "The First Circle is a noticable lot. And the truth of the matter was they were less expendable."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She nodded, no surprise ovre his place in the Court. "I didn't realize she sent people to Terreille besides..." Besides her and Daemon, but she wasn't bringing that up. Daemon had been through enough with the boyos and the looks they still gave him. The bruises she'd come back with, and Falonar's subsequent temper tantrum hadn't helped. "I didn't realize she'd had other agents working in the other Realms. I should have."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Occasionally."

It was all he would say.

But Rainier couldn't hide his smile when Surreal was presented with her menu. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He had arranged for all of them.

So that she could choose.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She watched him for a minute, then nodded. She wouldn't press for his secrets, so long as he let her keep hers.

Her eyes widened at the menu and she gave a laugh, shaking her head.

"I think I'll stick to dinner, but thank you."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

He picked up his own menu.

"I just wanted to make sure you knew the option was there."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"I appreciate it."

And she did.

She watched him carefully, from beneath lowered lashes, trying to figure him out. Place him somewhere.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier considered ordering a bottle of wine, but decided to see what Surreal ordered first. Instead he just asked his question.

"Perhaps we could see each other again sometime," he said over the menu. "Sometime next week? We could just dance again. Or just walk. Or just have lunch?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She considered the question carefully. All the same reasons she'd said yes to his dancing invitation still applied. A friend would be nice to have.

That she had a physical reaction when he touched her a certain way was just....human reaction.

She smiled. "I'd like that."

When the waitress came over, Surreal ordered the steak, cooked medium rare, and yams.