Nox Alekos (in_his_shadow) wrote in tiberiusswann, @ 2009-01-20 13:57:00 |
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Entry tags: | nox, olivia |
Wednesday - 9/12/07
Who: Nox and Olivia
When: Wednesday, starting around 4:30pm
Where: leaving the school and heading to Nox's off campus apartment
What: a DATE!
Nox was visibly nervous as he put away some files and prepared to leave his office for the day. He'd been thinking about Olivia nearly non-stop.. wondering if this dinner tonight was really a date. And if it was a date, then what did that mean? She was an angel, he was a demon, how would that ever work? Nox didn't get out much where women were concerned. He'd only had two serious relationships in his life, and one of those women he'd been prepared to marry, but it had been a complete failure. She left him, and he'd really avoided relationships ever since. But it wasn't even that that had him so nervous, it was more the fact that Olivia had been a student of his. He knew she wasn't anymore, but it still didn't seem as though it was appropriate to look at her as more than just a friend. People in school would gossip, probably start rumors that Olivia and Nox had had an improper relationship back when she was still his student. He stared to pace, looking up at the clock above his office door often. Maybe this was a bad idea.
He still had a good thirty minutes before Olivia was scheduled to meet him, maybe it wasn't too late to cancel? No, it was too late, he'd just have to make sure he kept things as professional as possible. Surely her lingering crush on him would fade with time, and he'd resign himself to his single life for the rest of his very long life. But he didn't want to be single forever!
Frustrated, he shut his office door a little harder than normal. Nox usually kept it open when he was inside, unless he was in a meeting with a student, but he didn't want a student coming in at the last second as he was preparing to leave with Olivia. He was rather hoping no one saw them leaving together, as this new idea of harmful gossip took root in his brain.
He continued to pace around the room, checking the clock obsessively, until pretty much right on time, there was a knock at the door. Nox's cheeks flushed almost immediately. She'd notice right away that he was nervous. He wiped his palms, which were a little damp, on his pants, taking just a moment to breathe before opening the door. He wore a big smile for her, in addition to jeans and a pale blue button up top. "Hey, just let me grab my jacket and bag, and we'll head out. Do you need to get anything before we leave?" he asked as he rushed over to his desk and threw on his black wool coat and a royal blue scarf. He grabbed his messenger bag as well, slinging it over his shoulder.
-----
Olivia had been so distraught since she had left Adora's office. The meeting with her fellow professor had gone well enough until Eli Eden himself had barged in! He was not what she was expecting. See, she still had this girlish idea that evil people should look, well, evil, and he looked nothing of the sort. In fact, he looked like a perfectly upstanding and respectable man. That made her worry even more about the influence that he could have on the students here. Her stomach was in near knots about it and it was because of that that she nearly forgot about her date, or was it a date, with Nox!
Rushing to the dorms to get ready, she slipped into a pair of low rise jeans that were rather faded and hugged her curves rather nicely. Feet were adorned in a cute pair of bright pink Keds that had also lost a bit of their shine. The look was topped off with a t-shirt that was nearly older than she was. It was pale blue from many years of wear and had the Aerosmith logo on the front of it in white. She had picked it up years ago in London on holiday at one of those little retro shops downtown. She took her hair down, brushed it a few times, the natural curl springing back into it nearly instantly, and then grabbed one of her lighter zip up jackets from Old Navy, soft pink in color, and she was off, back to the Educational Building once more.
It wasn't until she was on her way to meet him that the nervousness set in for her. She really hadn't given this "date" much thought but as each step led her closer, she became more and more anxious about it. What if he didn't think it was a date and she did? Or what if he did and she didn't? Should she ask him? Would it be best to just play it by ear and see what happened? She was so distracted by this that she nearly missed his office and had to turn back around in the corridor to find it. She was still on time, however, amazingly enough, cheeks flushed pink and practically glowing as the door to the office opened.
"Nope. I've got me and I suppose that's all I need, right?" Unless she was expected to bring something. A bottle of wine, perhaps? But she didn't have any. She really had no head for alcohol at all. Her fast metabolism caused it to hit her like a freight train and because she wasn't really supposed to drink, being angelic and all, it really did a number on her sometimes.
-----
"Sounds like you've got everything then," he said with a smile. She'd brought everything necessary... which was basically just herself! They could get anything else at the store, including some wine if she wanted. Nox was a casual drinker, and he rarely had more than two bottles of beer or a glass of wine. The exception to that was when he spent time with his partner, Hale, or his sister. He was a bit more relaxed around the two of them, more of a comedian even. There had been plenty of times when Nox and Hale needed to blow off some steam while working on a hard case, when they'd drank more than they probably should have. And then there were the video game wars with his sister. Those usually involved a good deal of alcohol too. But other than that, he didn't imbibe much.
He offered his arm to her after he'd locked the door to his office and led her through the halls. Nox didn't think there was anything wrong with walking arm in arm with woman. It was gentlemanly, and he'd done so often with female friends. Though that didn't change the fact that it felt a little different this time. "Was today any easier than yesterday?" he asked, making small talk. He did feel a little awkward, but he was trying to push through that feeling by engaging in simple conversation.
They didn't pass many people on the way out of the school or as they made their way through the parking lot to his car. He let go of her arm then and unlocked the passenger door, opening it for her. "This is Vivian. I hope you two lovely ladies get along." Once she was seated, he gently shut the door and jogged around to the other side to hop in himself. "I don't need to get much at the store, just some of the fresh ingredients... I have everything else."
----
Nox was such a gentleman. He reminded her of those old films, the ones she grew up on, where men actually had some degree of chivalry. That didn't really happen much these days but, then again, he was quite a bit older than her. And he was raised differently, with different rules and expectations, than most of the men that one met today. She smiled as she took his arm, those familiar sparks flying, tingling all the way down to the tips of her toes. "It was a good day. I've scheduled a few meetings with students for tomorrow, just to get to know them a bit and.. I think it will be okay. They all seem really nice."
A smile spread slowly across her features as they finally made it to the car and she was introduced. "Oh Nox, she's beautiful." She said, running her hand along the hood as he walked her to the door. "You really restored this yourself?" That was just.. well it was almost unfathomable considering the demeanor of the man beside her. But it gave him a whole other dimension that she hadn't known about and only seemed to intensify those already intense feelings of like that she had towards him. "Ever plan on doing another one?" She asked, climbing into the car as the door was opened for her. "I'd love to help if you ever did."
The ride to the store was a fairly quick one and the actual shopping itself took even less time. Then they were back in the car again, all the ingredients they needed in tow, and on their way to his apartment in town. She had to wonder, for a moment, why they were doing it there instead of at his apartment on campus, but then she just assumed that, more likely, his apartment at the school was much less customized to what he liked, and probably didn't have most of the tools that would be necessary to prepare a meal of this nature.
And then of course there were eyes. She might not be all that worried about what people said or thought but she knew that he probably would be. And with good reason. The last thing he really needed was for someone to make accusations that their relationship with one another had been anything other than that of a teacher and student when she was, in fact, a student. It was ridiculous and there was nothing that anyone could possibly use to prove such a thing but still, it wasn't something that she wanted to deal with and she was certain that he wouldn't want to deal with it either. That almost made her think that maybe this whole thing wasn't exactly the best idea but.. you couldn't control who you were attracted to, who you clicked with, right?
Olivia realized that she was staring out the window in silence, a bit of a frown upon her lips, something that was quite uncharacteristic for her, and she forced herself away from those thoughts. "You really do live quite a bit away from campus. I can't blame you for not wanting to commute. Especially with the hours you keep." She teased. He was almost always working. Rarely did one find his office empty unless he had a class or was out on the field with either of the clubs that he managed.
-----
Nox felt the sparks too, and once again he was reminded that he wanted to ask her if she felt the same each time they touched. Or if she'd had similar experiences with other demons. Nox wouldn't admit it, but he kind of hoped the feeling had less to do with their opposing races, and more to do with the two of them specifically. He gave her a reassuring grin as she talked about her sponsored students, "They'll love you. Just wait.. you'll see." How could anyone not like Olivia? She was a walking ray of sunshine, and while he tended to avoid much direct light, he still found himself enjoying her presence.
Nox's apartment off campus had been selected by him, decorated by him, and it belonged to him alone. He liked his apartment on campus, very much, but it wasn't really his. Besides, he and Olivia were getting to know each other as peers now, so he wanted her to know what he was like away from school. Everything they new about each other was contained to the walls of TJS. He also thought about the whole thing about people seeing them together. It wasn't like he was ashamed to be seen with Olivia, but Nox despised gossip, and he knew something like this would spark rumors.
He glanced over at her then put his eyes back on the road. They were just a few blocks away now. "I liked the place the moment I saw it, and I don't mind driving... not on my days off when I've got some time to waste. Driving out here helps me get away from work." He was a workaholic, but he did try to break that bad habit from time to time and actually relax a bit.
The car slowed as he pulled up to the curb outside an old, but well-maintained building. It didn't look like your normal apartment building, more like a warehouse, though it wasn't quite so cold and unwelcoming. It had character, and there were trees, grass, and shrubs out front. He hopped out of the car and jogged around to open the door for her before pulling the grocery bags out of the back seat. "I'm on the third floor," he offered as he locked his car and showed her to the front door of the building. Even though his hands were somewhat full, Nox made sure to open all the doors and such, because it would be rude not to. Finally, he ushered her into his apartment.
It was clean to the point of... well... obsession. It was also completely free of clutter. The exterior walls were brick, the inner ones wood, plaster, and marble. The ceilings were high with steel beams, and the floors were wooden. The colors were almost all neutrals, save for touches of navy blue... like in the couch and on his bed. "Home sweet home," he offered as he switched on a bunch of lights so she wouldn't trip over anything... not that there was anything to trip over. "Let me set this stuff down, and I'll give you a quick tour. Very quick. It's not that big of a place."
-----
"I guess that happens after a while, huh?" Olivia asked, then smiled a little. "The desire to get away from work?" She specified. "I can't wait to get started on mine." She laughed, though that probably just came with being new. After she had done it for a few years, or maybe even just a few months, she was certain she would have more appreciation for being away from it for a bit. Even now it was nice to simply be away from the school. She hadn't ever really spent much time off campus aside from visiting the local museums and such.
The building was not what she had expected really. It looked more industrial than it did residential. But there were touches that clearly indicated that people lived there rather than worked. She smiled as he opened the car door for her and, without asking, took one of the bags. She wasn't going to allow him to carry them all himself even if she knew he would insist if she had made mention of it.
Up the stairs, they arrived and, well, honestly it was not at all what she had expected. His office was also neat and tidy but it was a little more.. lived in? This place looked like something one would see in a magazine. And it was practically untouched. It made her feel that her own surroundings were completely substandard, and they would be for his taste. She was rather messy. She followed him to place the bag down on the counter and then waited for the tour which wouldn't last more than a couple of minutes.
"It's very.. minimalistic." She remarked, and then glanced up at the ceilings. "I like the rafters. It's a nice touch. Very... modern." She sounded a little bit surprised. And then she looked at him with a smile and a bit of a laugh. "You're full of surprises, Nox. Has anyone ever told you that?"
-----
"Living and working in the same place can be draining with time... at least it is for me. Hopefully that won't be the case for you." He smiled softly at her. "I love my job, I really do, and you know that I struggle to walk away from it lots of times, but I have to force myself to. I come here some weekends... spend a little time away from the other staff and all the students... sometimes have my former partner or my sister visit. It's nice." Maybe now he'd have Olivia come with him too. He hadn't brought any other staff members back to this apartment, though he wasn't sure if she realized that.
The apartment looked so... un-lived in, because he wasn't here as often as he was in his office. But if she'd seen what it looked like after a visit from Hesper, she would know it had the potential to be very 'homey'. Actually, Hesper had the ability to trash the place within seconds of arriving.
He showed her the living space, which was connected to the kitchen. The hallway that led from the main door, had two doors that faced each other, both of which were open. One went into the bathroom, which was adorned with marble floors and walls, and spotless glass and steel fixtures. The other door was one of two that led into his bedroom. There were also a series of folding doors that made a large entry way between the bedroom and the living room. He usually kept them open, because he liked the feeling of all the rooms flowing into one another.
At her comments, he shrugged a little, "I like to keep it simple and free of clutter." And then she laughed at him, and he had to chuckle in return. "No. No one. Most people think I'm exceptionally boring."
----
"I guess I'm just so used to it, you know? Having been boarding there for so long." Going to class was a lot like working, especially when you took on the sort of class loads that she always did. She took pretty much everything they offered at TJS at least once, even if it was only sot hat she could learn more about something that had nothing at all to do with her. "I would love it if my father lived stateside. I'd definitely be home a bit more often if he did." He was still in England though. And she only ever saw him on breaks and then not every time.
The apartment was almost a work of art. It showcased perfectly how industry could be worked into a different environment. It had tone and it had flow. It had conflict, as all great art had. It was fantastic now that she had managed a better look at it. And giving that a bit of thought, it certainly was like him, in knowing what she knew about his interests now, at least.
"Well I think you're anything but boring." Olivia smirked. "And anyone who disagrees with me clearly doesn't now you in the least." And that part she said as if her word was law.
"So let's get started on dinner before my stomach eats my spinal cord. I totally missed lunch today. I got so busy planning my first lesson that it completely slipped my mind. And then... Oh!" She said that loudly enough that it could possibly make him jump. "The rumors were true. Eli Eden's at the school. I met him in Adora's office." She frowned a little. "He didn't look so very dangerous. But then again, most dangerous people don't. There should be a law about that, that you have to look evil if you are evil."
-----
"You know, if you ever wanted to invite your dad to visit... he could stay here. I wouldn't mind." It wasn't like Nox lived in this apartment full time, and it would be nice for Olivia and her father to have a place to visit with one another that wasn't a hotel and wasn't at the school either. "I mean it. Invite him to come see you sometime soon, and tell him he can borrow my apartment while he's here." Nox's parents weren't coming to visit anytime soon. The only visitors Nox ever had were Hale and Hesper. His social circle was fairly limited since leaving the force.
Nox loved art, though modern works were not his preference. His favorite was classical sculpture. He was particularly fond of Michelangelo, and as weird as it was, Nox really liked the Pieta. He'd never be able to see the statue in person, considering it was housed inside the St. Peter's Basilica. He didn't even know if he'd be able to see the David in person. He wasn't sure, but he thought maybe the building that housed the famous statue had once been hallowed ground.
He smiled as she said he wasn't boring. "Thanks." It was a nice compliment, one he appreciated greatly.
Nox listened to her talk about the man that worried her so much, while at the same time getting out the supplies to make dinner. "Maybe he isn't actually evil. I think you should talk to him personally before passing judgment based on rumors." He hoped this guy she was talking about was actually a decent person who had gotten a bad reputation by result of some sort of misunderstanding. He worked on prepping various ingredients, occasionally asking for her assistance, pointing out things he needed and showing her how to mix everything and just how much heat was needed at each stage.
----
"Really?" She asked, and then she shook her head softly. "I couldn't possibly impose like that. This is your space." Of course he was insisting that it would be quite alright and, well, her father would probably stay longer and maybe even come more often were it not for the added expense of renting a hotel room. "I'll let him know but I don't know that he'll take you up on it." The man had a lot of pride. It sometimes got in the way of other people's charity.
The idea that evil men should look evil was quite a juvenile one and she knew it, but she appreciated that he didn't make fun of her for it. She was an idealist. She liked to think that the world could be so very black and white even if it never would be. If that were the case, she wouldn't be here in an apartment cooking dinner with Nox who was, after all, a demon. "Maybe you're right. He seemed nice enough but.. that doesn't always mean much." People could be quite deceptive when it was called for.
Working in the kitchen with him was quite fun. He was kind of serious, even about cooking, and Olivia was rather, well, not. He was always a bit of a neat freak as well which, again, Olivia was not. And because she was hungry, she kept snacking on everything as they went along, something that Nox would surely notice and perhaps even chastise her for as it was certain to ruin her appetite. Of course he didn't really know her appetite. She could eat like a five hundred pound man and hardly gain an ounce.
"Mmmm, how much longer?" She asked as they were waiting for the last little bit of it to be ready to roll out. "I'm absolutely famished!"
-----
Nox understood pride, he had his own. And he'd understand if Olivia's father didn't feel comfortable taking Nox up on his offer. That didn't stop Nox from making it. He knew that Olivia would like to see her dad more often, and if Nox could help make that possible, he would.
He'd never make fun of her in a mean-spirited way. But just as he'd done when she was his charge, he tried to encourage her to follow the path that he thought would produce the best results. Olivia needed to know for herself if this man was really so terrible. It wasn't fair to judge him based on gossip. "Not everyone is exactly what they appear to be, just as we can't be defined by the labels placed upon us." She didn't treat him differently because he was a demon, so he hoped she'd be just as open-minded with others.
Yeah, Nox tended to be fairly serious about everything, but he was still able to laugh as they cooked together. It was cute the way she kept stealing bits of food, and he laughed at all the little messes she managed to make. "Soon. Why don't you put out the dishes and cutlery." He pointed to where he kept both, then resumed cooking. "Oh, and what would you like to drink? I've got beers and soft drinks in the fridge... some wine in the pantry... and there's obviously water if you'd prefer." He removed the various pans from the heat of the stove and started scooping the contents into serving bowls, carrying them over to the table a second later.
----
Nox was always trying to broaden her mind, and it had worked a number of times. He was subtle about it, of course, never demanding and always encouraging. There were so many things that she would have never tried before he came along as her staff sponsor. She owed a lot of the person that she had become to his tutelage. And no, she didn't treat him any differently because he was a demon, at least not now that she knew him. She had freaked out just slightly when she first met him and found out that he was going to be her sponsor.
Messes were absolutely correct. She could burn water if that was possible. She had even caused a slight bit of a fire but it wasn't anything incredibly major. It would be enough, however, for her to make a note to herself that if she ever invited him to her place for dinner, when and if she got a place, that they should most definitely order in.
"That I can do!" She said, and then rolled her eyes at herself before flitting over to the counter to grab the dishes that they would need along with some silverware. "Beer sounds great." She liked a nice cold beer every now and then. But then again, "Or would wine go better?" Thai wasn't exactly beer sort of food. That was more reserved for things like hot dogs and nachos.
-----
Nox was of the belief that anyone could learn to cook, it just took some people longer than ever. If you could eat, you could cook. It was all a matter of trying things out, following a few simple rules, and tasting stuff until it tasted like something you wanted to eat. He gave her little pointers as they cooked, just as he did when they were in a classroom setting. She was a fast learner, and he was convinced with some practice she could be a chef if she wanted. Olivia was exceptionally bright. She could do anything she set her mind to.
"I've got some Thai beer that will go great with the food." He liked a lot of foreign beers. Thai and Mexican were two of his favorites... both he food and the beers. After setting the serving bowls down on the table, he jogged back to the fridge and fetched two beers, quickly bringing them back.
Nox took a seat after pulling out her chair as an proper gentleman would. "I hope you're still hungry after all the tasting you did at the stove," he teased, scooping some food onto her plate for her. Chicken with a peanut sauce and some spinach leaves... coconut rice... some Pad Thai... even a bit of yellow curry. He paused before he took a bite for himself, wondering if she needed to say a prayer before eating. "Uh... are you required to say grace before eating?"
----
If Olivia believed that she was half as bright as Nox thought she was, then she probably could do just about anything. But just like any woman that was still quite young, and she was rather young for her race, she had her doubts. It was only natural. But that didn't keep her from giving 110% in everything that she did. And maybe she could be a master chef, but she would much rather be a master taste tester.
"I've never had Thai beer, but that sounds excellent." Cold beer, spicy food, what could possibly be better? Her taste buds were practically salivating at the thought of it all.
"You will be surprised what I can eat." She warned him, having a seat and watching as he prepared her plate for her. "You may never be able to look at me the same after this. Fair warning." She teased, and then folded her hands in her lap as she waited for him to sit down. The question, however, brought a frown to her lips, her brow furrowing just slightly. "Could that hurt you?" She wasn't really sure. "I'll just say one in my head. Just in case." She offered, and then closed her eyes for a brief moment before opening them back up.
"Short, sweet, and to the point." She explained. "I figure God will forgive me when there's delicious food waiting for consumption." Olivia laughed, and then reached to grab her beer. "How about a toast?" She proposed, and then paused for a moment to think about it. "Cheers to.. uhm... a wonderful way to start a new year." And he could add something it he wanted. She would allow him to be the one to clink the bottles and end the cheers proper.
----
Nox didn't think there was a significant difference between most beers. Yes, each had its own subtle nuances, and he could tell some apart from others, but at the end of the day they were all part of the same family. Still, he liked a little variety... in small doses. Anyone who really knew Nox would know that he wasn't a big fan of change. He was perfectly capable of adapting, but he didn't like it much. That said, when things were peaceful for too long, he got nervous. His life in Hell and then on the force as a homicide detective had groomed him to expect hardship and tragedy. When it wasn't present, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.
"You make it sound like I'm about to witness some large carnivore ripping a poor gazelle to shreds. You eat all you like. It's frustrating the way some women pick at small amounts of food when they're out with others. I once dated a woman who would never eat anything but light salads when we went out. I know she wanted to eat more, but she had issues with her self-esteem. I met her parents, and I'm fairly sure they were the source of the problem. So... don't you worry about offending me with a large appetite."
He shook his head briefly at her question. 'No, it can't hurt me. Sometimes it just makes me uncomfortable." He was trying to make her comfortable, and it was nice to see that gesture returned as she said her prayer silently.
"A toast... hmm..." he thought for a moment as he held his bottle up in preparation for clinking, and then it came to him, "To new beginnings. May we embrace the changes sure to come, and the surprises they might hold." It was somewhat vague, and that was intentional on Nox's part. His words could be interpreted in a multitude of ways.
Nox dug into his food then. His senses were immediately doused in rich, multi-layered spices. So-called 'spicy' food, at least the American version of it, never appealed to him. It was simply 'hot' for the sake of being hot! He liked Thai and Indian cooking because the spices were so complex. "Delicious. You're officially hired as my new sous chef."
-----
Olivia laughed at his description of what she seemed to be warning him about. "It can get rather messy." She said, and then shook her head. "I've never understood that. Then again, I never had any real issues with self-esteem or what not. I figure that anyone worth having in my life is going to like me whether I'm as thin as a stick or as big as a house." She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. Of course she was neither of those things. She was quite curvy, but far from full figured. And she was perfectly content in the weight that she wore.
"Yours was much better than mine." She remarked, smiling softly at his toast as she clinked her bottle to his own. Vague, yes, holding so many possible meanings. It seemed as though neither of them could quite work up the nerve to be blunt about things, or not blunt rather, but direct. She normally had no issue with that at all but.. What girl didn't fear rejection? As far as she knew, he still viewed her as a student but, then again, would she be here if that were really the case?
Olivia took a sip of the beer and then her attention also turned towards her food. It smelled so good. And she was the type to savor it, inhaling the scent of it before she dug in, tasting a bite of each dish before she gave herself fully to devouring it. But once she got started with actually eating it, she certainly didn't hold anything back. "This is so good." She concurred, and it wasn't long until she was scooping up seconds. No, she was not shy about her appetite in the least, nor about her liking for the beer, grabbing each of them a second bottle about halfway through the meal.
-----
"Should I fetch you a bib?" he teased with a light chuckle. To an outsider their little jokes would probably seem tame and lame, but it suited Nox and Olivia. "You've no reason to be self-conscious. Your figure is fine as is," he commented, before blushing slightly. He didn't know if it was appropriate to say anything of that nature, it just sort of popped out. She had the ideal body in Nox's opinion, but he'd always enjoyed old world sculpture, and those women had curves.
He smiled shyly at her compliment of his toast. Nox wondered how she'd interpreted his words, but he didn't ask. He'd somewhat purposely left it open-ended. Nox still wasn't sure if this was a date or if he really wanted it to be a date. For him, it wasn't about a fear of rejection, because he'd been aware of her crush on him for some time. No, he was worried about a great many other things. Would people speak ill of the two of them if they did start seeing one another? Was it really a good idea for a demon and angel to get involved? Was he taking advantage of her feelings for him?
They exchanged small talk between bites of food, each of them eating second servings. But it wasn't long before Nox was stuffed to the gills. He sat back in his chair and sipped at his beer (his third of the night). "I can't eat another bite," he proclaimed, glancing over at her and then at the food. There was enough remaining in the bowls that they could both have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. "I can wrap up some of this if you'd like to heat it up again tomorrow. Or maybe you're the sort to like your leftovers cold?"
----
"You won't be joking once you see it." Olivia teased him right back. And then she too blushed a little at the compliment. "Well you're not too bad yourself." She said simply, and left it at that. Neither of them seemed to be all that good at the witty, flirty banter that came so easily to some people. But that was just as well. She liked their banter exactly as it was.
"Mmm, yeah. It's so good that I want to eat more, but I think I might pop a seam in my jeans if I do." She proclaimed with a laugh, then took her beer in hand to down the rest of it in a single gulp, finishing off her third. "When it comes to Thai, definitely cold. The flavors are so different the next day than they are the first and it ruins it if you heat it back up."
She exhaled a deep breath and then glanced at the table. "It's the Sous Chef's job to take care of cleanup." And she wasn't about to take no for an answer even if she was a guest here. She moved to her feet, the weight of the three beers hitting her at once and making her have to stop for just a moment before she grabbed up one of the bowls and headed over towards the counter. "Where's your Tupperware?" She was sure he had some. He was Nox, after all.
And then, "Mind if I grab another beer?" The night was still young. She wasn't really ready to leave yet. They had hardly talked at all during dinner, she had been too busy stuffing her face. And she was having a good time. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the school which was crazy even if all the students hadn't made it to the school just yet.
----
Their attempts at flirting would likely be mocked by most, especially with the way they blushed and carried on in reaction to such small compliments. Nox seemed to be doing a lot of blushing this evening, which wasn't all that common for him. Perhaps it was the beer, but he could drink a great deal more than this without feeling buzzed. No, it wasn't the beer, it was her.
Nox got up a second after she did, and was about to step forward at her little wobble, but she seemed alright a second later. He wouldn't stop her from helping him clean up, but he wasn't about to let her do it all on her own. That would be bad manners, and Nox was the ultimate gentleman. "I'll get them, they're up rather high." He reached up to a tall cabinet and pulled down neatly stacked disposable tupperware bowls. They all looked brand new, but that was because he treated them so well. They didn't show signs of warping or stains, not even a water spot! They were all washed by hand, just like everything else. Nox never took the easy way out. He felt his dishwasher was substandard compared to good old hand scrubbing.
While she scooped food into the plastic bowls, he started bringing everything over from the table and got the water running hot. "Sure, there's plenty more in the fridge." Many supernaturals could imbibe great amounts of alcohol with little impact on the body and mind, but he didn't think that was the case with angel spawn. Still, she was an adult, and it wasn't like she was in an environment where she needed to worry about having too much. She was safe here.
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Once everything was put away, Olivia grabbed another beer and then moved over to the counter next to the sink where he was working on washing up the dishes. She placed her beer down on the counter and grabbed a towel, taking the dishes once he was finished and drying them up for him before placing them into the sorter. It kept the spots off that way. And though she never really cared for doing chores all that much, it was nice to do something with him, even if it was something as menial as drying dishes. Maybe her feelings for him were a bit more intense than she had initially thought. She had never wanted to be around someone badly enough to find herself doing, much less enjoying doing, something like this.
"So it's still early." She remarked, trying to play it a bit coy, perhaps, as she baited him into suggesting something else they could do. "Honestly, I don't really want to leave yet. Maybe we could watch a movie or, you know, play some video games or something." She did like video games. That was how she had initially met the last guy that she dated, during a heated Guitar Hero Battle Royale. "Or we could maybe just talk, if you wanted." She gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "Unless you're tired of having me about already, in which case I suppose you could just go ahead and drive me home." She teased, a little grin upon her lips indicating that she clearly did not think that would be the case at all.