thesupersmeller | OOM: Surprise Blind Date with Nancy

After his heart to heart with Demeter, as they were always heart to heart with her, and all the confusion he's felt between his body, mind, and most of all his heart, Gus is more at ease than before but without any answers. He's already told The Devil once and for all it's off, he doesn't want to be that guy that keeps an open option - especially not an open option that could destroy him... and maybe still would. He's not that guy at all. Instead, he's been going through the motions; closing the case and helping get everything ready for the impending party.

The day after Juliet's birthday party, he gets a text message from Shawn telling him to be at Milliways as soon as possible at a bench by the lake. Later, it would occur to him that Shawn was clearly up to something - but as he walks a slow circle around the bench in the pink silk shirt and black slacks he'd worn to work for the day and waits for his friend to show it's more annoying than anything.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

thesupersmeller

He laughs again, shaking his head; "Well, I mean... it's not like I walk around naked or anything." Shawn would, but modesty even when alone is a place where they tend to differ.

"Though now I think twice about coming out of the shower without a towel."

From:

iamhismummy

"Probably a good idea." She laughs. "And keep a close eye when you're actually stepping through to where the towel is."

From:

thesupersmeller

"Hey, I'm a hoopy frood who knows where his towel is." He joked, shaking his head when it hit him that she probably has no idea what he's talking about.

"I mean, you're right - of course."

It doesn't take long before they're pulling up into the parking garage of a small, but nice apartment complex.

From:

iamhismummy

She glances around with obvious approval.

"Nice place you've got here. All the paint's even fresh."

From:

thesupersmeller

Gus smiles and puts an easy arm around her as he leads her up to his apartment. "It's not bad, the neighborhood used to be pretty rough when I moved in but some of the other tenants started up a renter's association that really helps keep the bad element out. And, makes sure that the building is up to snuff."

When he opens the door to his apartment it's obvious that he's either got a whole lot of free time or is pretty close to 'neat freak' territory - in reality it's a little of both. His hardwood floor is well kept and he maintains a flawless black/tan/white color scheme offset with dark wood furniture accents and a few well cared for plants.

Really, the only things that seem out of place are two sets of softball gear (one rather neat - the other jammed halfway into a duffel bag covered in grass stains) on the end of his couch.

"Would you like a drink? Water, soda, wine, pineapple juice?" He asks, taking off his coat and hanging before setting his keys, wallet, and phone down on a table by the door.

From:

iamhismummy

She considers this, hovering a little awkwardly near the door while she waits for him to finish what he's doing.

"I'd want to go for something that's scarce at home, but pineapple juice or wine... hard choice."

From:

thesupersmeller

He gestures for her to make herself comfortable as he steps out of his shoes and pads toward the kitchen.

"If you like we can do wine tonight and I can send you home with some juice? I always keep some on hand because Shawn drinks it like it's water."

From:

iamhismummy

On the invitation, Nancy makes for the couch, watching as he goes.

"Good idea. Then Jamie can have some too, get some vitamins in him."

From:

thesupersmeller

Gus couldn't help but smile as he ducked into the small kitchen - whipping up a couple of ice cream sundaes before returning with them on a tray joined by a bottle of sweet dessert wine and two glasses.

"I took the liberty of getting the ice cream ready." Of course 'ice cream' is putting it loosely - it's the same thing he usually makes - vanilla ice cream in a nest of crushed Oreos with chocolate sprinkles and gummy worms all doused liberally in chocolate sauce. A diabetic nightmare, but just what his recent sweet tooth is craving.

"And, I was thinking probably something Disney for our movie... I've got the whole collection - minus most of the really poorly written sequels." Which he only had about half of.

From:

iamhismummy

Nancy blinks at the ice cream concoctions he returns with, then grins.

"You're spoiling me with that lot. And I haven't seen a Disney picture in ages."

From:

thesupersmeller

"This?" He gestures down at the dishes, setting them down before heading toward a large cabinet full of old VHS tapes that he insists on keeping until he can't get a VCR - because they refuse to put some classics on DVD, come on son... no Harry and the Hendersons, that's gotta be a sin. "That's not spoiling you, believe me - you'll know when I'm spoiling you. I make these for me and Shawn at least once a week."

If they didn't spend a good deal of their time running away from people that could possibly want to kill them, chances are they'd be several sizes larger given their sometimes absurd caloric intake.

From:

iamhismummy

"Your time is amazing", she says a little wistfully, picking up a spoon and scooping up a little bit of the ice cream. "So what's your favourite Disney?"

From:

thesupersmeller

"It kind of is," he agrees with an easy nod as his fingers trace over the oversized cases; "I like all of them, really - I've got the whole set. I mean, it got a little tough there in the late 90s, but on the whole most of them are pretty solid."

Finding one he hasn't seen in a while, he pulls 101 Dalmatians off the shelf and holds it up for her; "I know you haven't seen this one - it didn't come out until 1961."

From:

iamhismummy

"New to me", she agrees cheerfully. "There's only been a few out that I know of."

From:

thesupersmeller

"Snow White, I bet... that was 1937..." he smiles even wider, showing off in his mind. The VCR clicks and whirrs as he sets up the tape and then the big screen TV - quickly joining her on the couch, nestled into his usual spot at the end opposite the uniforms.

"And probably Pinocchio... that was their second full length feature."

He's a little too proud of his geeky knowledge of things nobody but him cares about.

From:

iamhismummy

"And Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi", she replies with a grin for the showing off. "Sometimes they still show them at the pictures."

From:

thesupersmeller

He scoots forward and opens up the bottle of sweet dessert wine, pouring out a pair of shallow glasses before admitting; "All right, all right... that's impressive. But, in all fairness, I wasn't born until '77. I didn't get to see Fantasia on the big screen until the remastered re-release twenty-two years ago... and it blew my thirteen year old mind."

It really did, he even talked Shawn into going with him the second time which inadvertently led to the first and only time he ever snuck into the movies to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles right after.

From:

iamhismummy

"Impressive would be knowing every one that's been made by your time", she counters, laughing as she accepts the glass he offers. "Not five. Fantasia was something special, it's true."

From:

thesupersmeller

The movie's started, but he's honestly far more interested in his company than a film he's seen a dozen times - even if she hasn't. He takes a sip, but the replaces the wine with his ice cream as he retreated back to his corner of the soft sofa.

After a long, comfortable quiet, he asks; "Do you ever think about leaving there? You know, your time?" It was a rough time in his world at that point - and hers seems close enough to the same he can only imagine the sort of things she's seen. He knows all too well he wouldn't be one of the strong ones, he never would have survived the war.

From:

iamhismummy

She glances over at him at the question, giving her answer real thought.

Eventually, "Thought about it, since Milliways. I'm sure I could find somewhere safer to be, it wouldn't be difficult, and I know I could bring Jamie with me. He's been to the bar before, that's not a problem... it's the other kids. If I left, they'd be all on their own again."

From:

thesupersmeller

Considering her answer over two large candy-ice cream bites and a gummy worm, eventually Gus nods.

"I think I can understand that." In so much as anyone who's never been in a situation even close to hers can. "You're an amazing woman, you know that?"