Log: takeout appreciation night

[searchandrecovery]

Who: Agent Washington and Oquirrh
What: A date and some reveals
Where: Washington's old apartment, now a safehouse
When: Saturday evening, 5/30
Warnings: Secrets have been kept. Potential language or temper tantrums



Out of all the things Wash has cleaned lately, cleaning the old apartment in preparation for Takeout Appreciation Night has been Wash's favorite. It was the biggest job by far, but once the roaches were swept away, dust eliminated, and furniture arranged, the apartment looked almost cozy, if slightly bare. He was never in it long enough to do full-scale interior decorating.

After the cleaning was done, Wash went to get the takeout. This time, it was quasi-Chinese: several paper cartons of noodles, stir fried vegetables, and teriyaki chicken. It wasn't the most creative of takeouts, but it was safe, and he knew the food was good. After all, who doesn't like takeout Chinese?

Now, he's waiting. The couch is set (after all, takeout should always be eaten on a couch), movies are selected if necessary, and he's all showered and dressed and ready to start. And oh, is he ready to start.

Comments

[searchandrecovery]

"We'll pull through," he agrees. "You've got some of the best mercenaries I know on this now. Control doesn't stand a chance." That's what he's telling himself, at least. He won't let himself believe otherwise.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

She really wants to believe him, though part of her insists that she should know better.

"You know what also shouldn't stand a chance?" She asks. "The cake. I waited to eat it."

[searchandrecovery]

"You waited? Aw, you shouldn't have. Did you put it back in the kitchen? I can go get it." She should remain comfortable.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"I put in the fridge with the rest of the food," she says. "That would be wonderful. Maybe I'll look at your movies. There's just the one chocolate slice, but we can split it?"

It may be a single slice, but it's a thick wedge four layers tall, decorated with heavy buttercream icing and chocolate chips. Even sharing, they might have trouble finishing it tonight.

[searchandrecovery]

"Go for it," he says, rising to go get the cake. "There are some on the table, and a few in the cabinet under the TV." It's a solid mix of movies: some action, some sci-fi, a few cheesy romances and even an art house film from that day that Wash decided to get adventurous.

He returns with the cake on a plate, and two forks.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

One plate. He didn't split it up. Oh, he's smooth. Oquirrh looks up from surveying his collection and grins. "What are you in the mood for?" she asks.

[searchandrecovery]

He sets the cake down on the table and comes over to take a look at the collection. He can't remember what's still in the safe house, and what he brought with him to the base when he moved in.

"I'm thinking something light-hearted, or just plain fun. We don't need any more doom and gloom tonight. See anything you like?"

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"That's what I was thinking, too," she says. "Though you do have some adventure classics. Maybe something with superheroes?" She doesn't dare propose something blatantly romantic, preferring the mood they're already established.

[searchandrecovery]

"Superheroes are good!" The larger-than-life adventures of superheroes are exciting enough to be entertaining, but unrealistic enough that they won't bring back any uneasy feelings. Wash is determined to make the rest of this night a good one. "You ever seen the classic earth Superman? The really old one? With Christopher Reeve?"

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"I haven't," she says. "If it's good enough that you have it, let's go ahead and watch."

She settles back on the couch with the quilt draped over her lap.

[searchandrecovery]

"Sweet."

He pops in the movie and then settles back on the couch next to Oquirrh. He presses play and then laces his fingers into hers as the movie opens on to some foreign planet. Krypton. The effects are cheesy, and aliens definitely don't look like that, but Wash thinks it's an entertaining movie nonetheless.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

Oh, aliens. A much more appropriate antagonist for a movie night than anything human. She's excited for a film that's fun and completely unrealistic.

"Would you like to share the blanket?" she asks. "We can put the cake between us."

[searchandrecovery]

Just wait. It gets better. Wait until she sees how space travel works in this movie. Watch a capsule with just a little baby zoom through millions of light years worth of space in just months! It's pure gold.

"Genius. I like that plan," he says, snuggling underneath the blanket and bringing the cake and two forks towards them. "Here's to the best movie night ever. Of all time."

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"At least until the next one?" she teases. She takes the offered fork. Luckly, she's quite proficient at eating with her left hand, even though it's been a year since her surgery.

The cake rests on their legs, where it's easy to reach down and cut a bite. She hums with appreciation. It's even better than she remembers, though the company could bias her tastes somewhat.

[searchandrecovery]

"They'll just keep getting better and better. After a few weeks, people will be begging to know our secrets."

He takes a bite as well and sighs happily. This is amazing. This is perfection in cake form. He is eating perfection in cake form next to perfection in human form. This is how a date should be.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"Little do they know that the secret to happiness is takeout, a good movie, and an incredible companion," she says, squeezing his hand.

[searchandrecovery]

"We've found it," he agrees. "You make me the happiest I've ever been in my life." Ever.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"We sure have," she says. "You too, Wash. Happy and safe. It's something I've missed."

[searchandrecovery]

"It's not something you'll have to miss anymore. Though I can't guarantee that for poor Kal-El. He's got an important destiny to fulfill first."

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"I'm excited to learn about it." She's grinning so much that she accidentally smudges her lips with frosting.

[searchandrecovery]

"It's a wild ride, I'll tell you that much."

Oh no. She's got frosting on her lips. That's not good. He could kiss them...get them cleaned off that way...it'd be the gentlemanly thing to do, right?

Instead, he leans over to grab a napkin and gently dabs it in her lips. "You've, um. Got some frosting there." There. All better.

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"Whoops, thanks." She's glad he noticed and had a napkin on hand, or she might have had to excuse herself. She doesn't want to leave his side.

[searchandrecovery]

She won't have to, not if she doesn't want to. Wash certainly doesn't want to leave her. Here, they're happy. Here, he can keep her safe.

He laughs. "It's the least I can do."

[oquirrh_at_the_wheel]

"I'm such a mess and you're so good at cleaning up after me," she says. "Let me know when I can return the favor?"

Maybe she should feed him a bite of cake. That's romantic, right?

[searchandrecovery]

"Oh, but I don't want to make you work too hard. I can get pretty messy if I want to."

That is very romantic. She totally should. Wash doesn't have the guts or creativity to initiate that sort of thing, but he'd sure as hell enjoy it.