Mary-Anne Prewett is a precious unicorn (bonnebonne) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-11-26 15:55:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: mary-anne prewett, character: patrick chambers |
WHO: Mary-Anne Prewett and Patrick Chambers
WHEN: backdated Evening/Night - Friday, November 18th
WHERE: Panquake House briefly, then an Italian restaurant
WHAT: the not quite yet labelled dinner
RATING: low. cute. sweet.
STATUS: Completed in Docs
Mary-Anne had showered earlier and been spending most of the afternoon trying to decide what to wear. The dilemma being that she wanted to look nice but not go over the top fancy, both because they hadn't labelled it yet and also she had kind of neglected to ask Patrick where it was they were going; which she felt, looking over the clothes cluttering her bed, rather limited her choices. In the end she had settled on a rather casual but still quite pretty outfit; consisting of a simple, though slightly decorative, yellow dress, plain shoes and a wrap. The latter item Mary-Anne had promptly put a decent warming charm on as it was only silk and not particularly warm on its own. Her hair had been a slight problem, and ultimately she left it down when she noticed the time and that Patrick would be arriving any minute. Knowing that the dinner was going to be happening and despite having plenty of time to prepare for it Mary-Anne was a bundle of nerves. It was kind of ridiculous really since they had both agreed to see how things go before deciding whether to call the dinner a date or simply an outing as friends. Which made the hardest part about waiting was not giving in and starting to pace about; Mary-Anne was certain if she started pacing she'd start thinking about how the evening would go and just make herself even more nervous. Though not pacing didn't help her much in not thinking about the dinner, and so when the knock came at the door she jumped in fright and had to take a brief moment to calm down. Opening the door Mary-Anne smiled brightly when she saw that it was Patrick on the other side. "Hello there," she greeted cheerfully. "How are you?" -- Patrick had no idea where to take Mary-Anne for dinner that wouldn't seem like he was trying too hard but would also impress her at least a little. He'd settled on a nice little Italian restaurant because he found that most people liked Italian food. There was something for everyone, even the pickiest of eaters, and he hoped that Mary-Anne would enjoy it. Besides, who didn't like all you could eat breadsticks? Once he'd finally settled on a restaurant, he'd spent far too much time figuring out something to wear. He hadn't gone overly dressy, but had gotten a nice button down shirt and some trousers that didn't look like he'd just picked them up off a pile on the floor. When he got to The Panquake House, he stood outside for at least two minutes trying to compose himself and not worry overly about whether this would end up being a date or just a dinner with a friend. Either way, he thought he would enjoy it. Spending time with Mary-Anne was quite lovely without any labeling. He knocked and waited, not that long, before he was greeted by Mary-Anne who looked beautiful. "I'm well," he told her, grinning at her. "You look gorgeous," he added. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long." -- "Thank you. You too… that is, I mean, you look nice too," she responded nervously, blushing at both the compliment and her response to it. She shook her head no when he mentioned he hoped he hadn't kept her waiting. "Not long at all. I thought that I was going to end up making you wait because I couldn't decide what to wear, even though I've had all day." Upon seeing what Patrick was wearing Mary-Anne felt a little better about what she had finally decided on, and was relieved that she wasn't overly dressed or too casual. "I wasn't sure where you were taking me so I hope what I'm wearing is alright?" she asked shyly, wanting to know for certain she had chosen rightly. Although even if it wasn't quite right she wasn't sure she could make Patrick wait longer while she changed. It certainly wouldn't make for a great start to the evening. "Uh… where are we going for dinner?" -- Patrick smiled at the way she blushed. It was cute and stood out even more with that yellow dress of hers. Thankful that he hadn't kept her waiting, he nodded. "Me too," he admitted. He didn't explain the why he took so long to figure out what he was wearing, though. "It's perfect," he assured her. "We're going to a little Italian restaurant," he said. "I thought that Italian might be a safe bet. I do hope you enjoy Italian food." Patrick suddenly was very afraid that Mary-Anne could possibly be the one person in the universe that didn't care for some form of pasta and bread. "Figured it was a casual enough place that it wouldn't push the night one way or the other," he explained. He certainly didn't want Mary-Anne to believe that he expected one outcome or the other. He wanted to make sure that she didn't feel any pressure. "Shall we?" -- A sigh of relief escaped her lips, she was glad that she didn't have to go change or even sit in the restaurant worrying she was wearing the wrong thing. Mary-Anne couldn't help but smile at the thought Patrick had put into choosing a place where she'd possibly feel more at ease. "Don't worry, I do like it," she said reassuringly. It had been a while since she'd last eaten any but she'd always liked pasta. "That was very considerate of you. Mary-Anne nodded in response to the question then took his proffered arm before Patrick whisked her away via Side-Along Apparition. She assumed they had gone to a spot near the restaurant but away from any prying eyes; which was definitely a good thing because if they'd accidentally broken the Statute the dinner would not only be rather awkward but end rather prematurely. "Do you like most Italian food or do you have a particular favourite?" she asked as they walked along. -- He was glad to hear that she liked Italian. It made the worry in the pit of his stomach dissolve fairly quickly. "Good," he said, grinning. "I do try to be considerate," he nodded. "Wouldn't want to take you out for something you absolutely hate. Italian is, at least, a safe bet. Next time, I can do something more adventurous if you like?" he offered. He didn't always play it safe, but for the first date — if that was what they ended up calling it — Patrick wanted to make a good impression. Nothing said "no second date" like taking a girl out for something she hated or was allergic to. Patrick apparated them to an alley a few blocks away from the restaurant. Once they arrived, he kept his arm linked with Mary-Anne's, quite liking the way that it felt to walk close to her in the chilly night air. "I like most Italian food," he said, nodding. "I mean, I could eat just about anything, really, but you can't go wrong with Italian. All the herbs and spices. It's hard to find something that isn't delicious. What about you? Do you have a favorite dish?" It would be good information to keep on hand. Especially if she graced him with another meal. -- "I wouldn't mind that at all," she replied. "I like most kinds of food, as long as it isn't really weird or odd looking." Normally Mary-Anne could quite happily eat fish or most seafood, as long as it wasn't a whole fish. She just couldn't see how anyone could eat something when its eyes were staring at you. It didn't matter that the fish was dead and wouldn't feel a thing it was just really creepy trying to eat something that was looking at you. "I tried Greek for the first time a couple months ago, and that was nice," she added. Her middle felt aflutter, though it didn't feel at all like nerves, when Patrick kept his arm linked with her's; though whether in the darkness he could see her slight blush and shy smile was another story. "I really like spinach and ricotta with pasta, like in ravioli or tortellini," she replied happily. "I didn't think I would though, since I never really liked spinach growing up and I'd never tried ricotta before but turns out it actually does taste nice." Her fondness for Italian food wasn't just limited to just that particular combination however. "Though I like other Italian food as well. Not just pasta," she said sheepishly. "I think it'd probably get kind of boring if you just always ordered the same thing every time." -- "Oh, I know!" Patrick said, laughing. "I think even worse than something odd looking is something that smells really bad or has one of those really nasty textures. I can't do it." He realized after his admission that he probably sounded like a two year old. "I think I have a texture issue when it comes to eating," he sighed. "Have you ever just put something in your mouth and it's all weird and rubbery or slimy? I can't eat foods like that." The mention of Greek food was nice and he nodded at it. "Oh, Greek is wonderful." "I didn't care much for spinach either," he admitted. "But I have to agree that it really is great mixed in with pastas. I don't think I could stomach it all by itself, though." He nodded at the thought that ordering the same thing could get boring. "I think it's fun to try new things sometimes," he agreed. "Just so you don't get tired of one dish. I like to look up recipes sometimes and just try new things out and see if I like them. I'm not the best cook, but I think it's fun. Do you enjoy cooking?" -- Mary-Anne couldn't help but giggle at the way Patrick described why some foods just shouldn't be eaten. It did sound a little like a child saying 'nuh uh don't wanna' but rather than thinking it was actually childish Mary-Anne thought it was kind of adorable. "I know what you mean," she said with a nod. "Like oysters! I don't see how anyone could eat oysters." As she was speaking Mary-Anne made a face as if she'd just had to eat one. They really were gross in her opinion and didn't get why anyone would eat them raw. "I don't think I could either. Not even if somebody paid me to," she said vehemently. "I like cooking. Though I haven't really cooked anything new for a while though." Mostly she tended to stick to old favourites because she could usually manage them without needing to refer to a recipe. Though sometimes she would tweak it a little but more often than not it remained pretty much the same. "I'm not allowed to cook souffles though," she randomly announced, before giggling nervously. "Um, that is my aunt says I probably shouldn't until I can learn to stop checking the oven all the time." -- Patrick scrunched his face up at the thought of oysters. "Exactly!" he replied, nodding. He'd never understood why people wanted to eat such gross things, but he supposed that everyone wanted something different when it came to food but oysters? Yuck. "I probably couldn't make a souffle, either," he said, shaking his head. It was doubtful that he would be able to make anything very fancy or with a great deal of baking and precision involved. "I'm okay at cooking, just not at baking so much. Something about baking just terrifies me," he laughed. "What's your favorite dish to make?" -- "I think it's maybe the timing, because some things need precise timing and others are kind of vague," she suggested. "Cookies are pretty easy to bake though, and if you find the right basic recipe you can easily change it to different flavours." Mary-Anne took a moment to think over all the meals she cooked to decide if she had a favourite. "I don't know if I have a favourite-favourite but I guess I like cooking anything with noodles?" she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I think mostly because it's pretty quick and easy to put together... I don't really know, I always have trouble answering questions like that because even if I do manage to think of a favourite it then makes me think of something else and then it just spirals out of control and just goes on and on and… I'm rambling now, sorry…" -- He smiled at her rambling. He liked the way she sounded when she babbled on. "Don't be sorry," he told her as they reached the restaurant. "I like the way that you ramble," he admitted. "It's cute." He grinned a little more broadly at her as he reached out to open the door, letting her head into the restaurant ahead of them. He wasn't sure yet whether the dinner would become a date by the time their meal was through, but he was hopeful that he was heading in that direction. -- Mary-Anne ducked her head as she blushed and smiled at Patrick liking and saying her rambling was cute. Then he was being rather gentleman-like first with the door and then her chair. It was lovely, even if it wasn't something she expected to always happen. Although she'd been nervous about the night it was actually going fairly alright she thought. Not that she'd been expecting it to go bad but she was nervous about how it would go despite the fact it wouldn't be until after that they would decide whether it was a date or not. Dinner was going well enough, the food was good and although there were a few quiet moments the conversation never seemed to falter. There was a slightly embarrassing moment when she had ended up with a bit of the cream sauce on her nose; which she hadn't even noticed had happened until she'd caught Patrick staring and trying not to smile. Aside from that little mishap dinner and spending time with Patrick really had been an altogether enjoyable time. They were currently walking back to the alley they had apparated to earlier that evening. "Tonight's been really nice," she commented shyly. -- Patrick had thoroughly enjoyed dinner. Spending time alone with Mary-Anne was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to do. She was as funny and smart as she was beautiful and the more he spoke with her, the more interested he became. He liked that it was easy to talk to her. The conversation may have went quiet for a moment or two here or there, but it never fully stopped. He didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable with her the way he did with some people. By the time they were walking towards the alley after dinner, he was hoping very much to see her again. "It has," he agreed, nodding. "I enjoy spending time with you. I'd like to do it again sometime, if you're willing." -- It would probably still be a while before they well and truly knew each other but Mary-Anne was liking getting to know Patrick. And not just because he didn't mind her rambling either. He was kind, patient… and yes, he was handsome too and he had a really amazing smile that was infectious. She didn't always have the easiest of times talking with new people but Patrick was one of the few where even though she got nervous still found it easy to talk to them. "I… I'd like that too. I think that maybe… that is the dinner…" she said with a smile but trailing off at the end. "I wouldn't mind calling it a date," she admitted rather quietly in little more than a whisper. Mary-Anne had known what she'd wanted to say but she hadn't been sure on the right level enthusiasm and didn't want to appear too eager or… well, she just didn't have a clue - this was only her third date with someone ever. -- Patrick was enjoying Mary-Anne's company and learning about her. Each new detail that was brought to his attention had him curious about more things that made her tick. Spending time with her was becoming one of his favorite things to do and he was realizing that he'd like to do it more frequently. Hearing that she'd enjoyed the dinner and that she wouldn't mind calling it a date had him grinning broad and crooked. "Really?" he said, perhaps a little too happily. "I'd like that," he said, smiling still. "A lot." -- There was that smile, well it was more of a grin but that was just semantics, which had her smiling in return soon enough even though she had butterflies in her tummy causing a ruckus. Mary-Anne had been sure that she had possibly spoken too quietly and she'd have to repeat herself but Patrick had heard her anyway. The way he'd asked her if she'd meant it had her bring her closed hand up to her mouth to stop her from giggling. It didn't help at all. Mary-Anne felt like she ought to ask if this meant they were dating even though they'd only had the one dinner at the moment. She knew there was nothing wrong with asking but she just didn't want to be seen as being naive. "Does this mean we're… or do we decide later…" she tried asking after having stopped giggling. Keyword being tried since she hadn't quite managed to ask anything. "I'm new at um this and well this is only like the third… no, fourth date I've ever had," she admittedly nervously. She'd included that first blind date with Cedric since even if she hadn't know him beforehand it was still a date - even if the opera had been weird. "I mean, we both said we'd like to do it again sometime but does that mean we're… um… you know…" -- Mary-Anne's giggling was delightful. The more she did it, the more he was amused by it. It was hard not to grin broadly in response to the giggling and to the way that she asked her questions and what those questions entailed. "Well, I guess that depends on what you would like," he told her. "I wouldn't mind saying that we're dating, if that's what you mean." He thought it was, but there was no harm in asking to clarify. Hearing that she'd only been on a few dates was a bit of a surprise because she was such a lovely person. Either way, he certainly intended to make sure there were more dates in her future. -- "That's what I meant," she said quietly. It was mostly what she'd meant but it was the part where certain labels came into it that she wasn't sure on. "I… I just… I've never dated anyone or had a… well, and I don't know that if we're dating whether I-I'm supposed to call you my boyfriend or not," she explained nervously with her voice getting shaky. "I w-wouldn't m-mind, I don't think. I just feel silly that I don't really know and that I have to ask when I should maybe just know and… I guess I just don't want you to think I'm silly or whatever because I'm not at all experienced with dating…" -- Patrick smiled at the way she stammered. The shakiness in her words making it soften considerably as he reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "If you want to call me your boyfriend, I'm certainly not going to object," he told her. "But only if it's alright if I say that you're my girlfriend." He gave her hand a little squeeze and brought her fingers up so he could kiss the back of her hand. "I don't think that you're silly just because you're inexperienced. I like you, Mary-Anne. One date or one million under your belt, doesn't matter to me." -- Mary-Anne watched, her breath caught in her throat, as he held her hand before gazing back up at Patrick. Words tried to pass her lips but only a few syllables of whispered stammering managed. A small, but happy, smile started to grace her features as Patrick kissed the back of her hand. He really was being quite sweet and understanding. "I… I like you too, Patrick" she said, her voice sounding a little stronger than it had moments ago. "A-and I suppose that's only fair, and it wouldn't make sense if I could call you my boyfriend but you couldn't do the same…. I mean, that you couldn't call me your girlfriend… it wouldn't be fair..." Mary-Anne blushed and giggled nervously at her slight faux pas. "If I did call you my boyfriend, and I think I'd like that, it'd be okay to take things at least a little slowly wouldn't it?" she asked worriedly. -- He smiled. "Only fair," he agreed. The little faux pas was amusing and he laughed. "Well, I certainly couldn't call you my boyfriend," he said, shaking his head. "But, girlfriend does have a nice ring to it." Her worried question had him looking over at her, nodding his head a little. "It's okay if you want to take things slowly," he told her. "I don't expect you to want to just breeze through the relationship," he assured. "I want to get to know you better and it's fine if you want to do that slowly. I don't mind." -- "I think… no, I would like that," she said shyly. She might be feeling nervous about the prospect of finally dating but Mary-Anne couldn't deny that she was also kind of looking forward to it, especially since it meant getting to spend time with Patrick. It was made all the better when he said he didn't mind taking things slowly so that they could get to know each other better first. "So," she said, drawing out the last syllable, a small smile creeping into her features. "Boyfriend?" -- Keeping their fingers laced together, Patrick smiled. "Boyfriend," he agreed, giving her fingers a little squeeze. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when they'd gotten started that evening, but he was certainly happy that things had turned out the way that they had. This did mean, of course, that he was going to have to mention the whole thing to Ken. He couldn't keep it from him now that things were progressing. Hopefully he wouldn't completely hate the thought of his brother and bandmate dating. For now, though, Patrick was too focused on grinning at Mary-Anne to really care about anything else. |