InsaneJournal

Who: Lulu and Wolfwood.
What: First real date.
When: Tuesday, 5/7.
Where: An Italian restaurant.
Rating/Warnings: FTB shags, PG-13.
Status: Complete!



Wolfwood went up to Lulu’s shop door with a bit of a spring in his step. He’d gotten the good news that finally, thank God, if he didn’t fuck it up, his cast could come off in two weeks. The arm was apparently healing well, and the shoulder was as good as it could be. That alone was enough to put him in a good mood.

He nodded a hello to the shopgirl, taking a seat outside the dressing rooms to wait for Lulu. He didn’t want to get in the way, so he just sat and smiled.

Lulu liked Wolfwood. He was funny, smart, and respectful. He was also ridiculously handsome, and she couldn’t help wanting him to know that she thought so. And what better way was there to do that than to dress up for him?

She’d had the skirt and corset made for her new line, and there was no time to test the functionality of them like the present. After primping a bit, she was told that he was waiting in the main shop area. Lulu grabbed a wrap and then walked out to the dressing area where she was told he was waiting. Clearing her throat, she smiled. Her skirt was short, and she was wearing a corset in lieu of a top. “Nicholas?”

Wolfwood stood when he heard his name, trying not to let his eyes fall out of his head when he saw Lulu. “I ... wow. Hi. You look lovely.” Lovely was one word. Holy-shit-gorgeous was another. Kind of.

He smiled at her, offering his good hand. “How are you? Was I too early?”

“You were perfectly on time,” Lulu smiled. Good. That was the reaction she’d wanted. Taking his arm, she smiled at one of her clerks, letting her know that she’d likely be back after the shop closed.

“Good. Didn’t want to rush you.” He got the door by leaning against it, holding it open with his back. “How are you, though? How’s business? I get to get my cast off in two weeks if I don’t re-injure the shoulder.”

“Then I’ll be sure not to jostle you too much later on during the sex,” Lulu smiled cheerfully. She took his arm up again and smiled. “I’m well, business is extraordinary. Suddenly I’m doing lots of wedding dresses. I don’t ask, but I’m thankful.”

Wolfwood blinked, then laughed. He did like a woman who was straightforward! “Well, I’ll appreciate that,” he said, heading down the street with her. “And I’m glad business is going well. I guess spring must be wedding season.” He figured as much - the flowering stuff, milder weather, et cetera. It was his best guess.

“Spring and Summer usually are, yes.” Lulu chuckled, liking how easily he handled her disclosure. “I find telling a man that tends to make them a bit more calm.”

“What, not to worry about the after-date? Makes sense to me.” It did sort of take some of the nerves out. Though he really wasn’t nervous (much) around Lulu. She was the sort of woman he liked. “Sounds like you’re good at handling nervous people, not just nervous brides.”

“I’m fairly level-headed.” She’d always had to be, and she never saw any reason to stop. “Foster children either seem to be wild or too serious. I suppose I fell into the latter category.”

Wolfwood nodded. “I kind of had to be the same way.” There was obviously no room for fucking around in the military. “Yet you’ve got a sense of humor. I’ve just seen it.” He smiled a little.

She feigned a gasp. “Don’t you go telling people such lies, I’ll lose my reputation entirely.”

Wolfwood chuckled. “Your secret’s safe with me, I swear.” They turned the corner, heading for the main street in Mission Viejo, where he’d made dinner reservations. “Honestly, my sense of humor is just as snarky as yours. When I saw you making fun of Major So-and-So.” Boromir was a good man, with a good grasp of command, but well, he didn’t like Republicans. And the guy was still a Republican, no matter how hard he clung to the Independent label.

“That wasn’t snarky, that was honest,” Lulu winked. Perhaps they were well matched in terms of snark. It was yet another way she liked Wolfwood.

“It can be both.” Wolfwood was grinning now. “I was just thinking - he’s a good man, with a good grasp of how to command. But I don’t know. I’m not a conservative guy. And while I don’t want to talk politics, let’s just leave it that he has a lot of opinions that I don’t know how he can have in good conscience.”

“He may be a good man, but he’s about as observant as a tree stump,” Lulu murmured. She didn’t like to speak ill of people for too long, but she did have opinions.

Wolfwood just laughed, changing the subject. “I have to ask, did you make that dress? I don’t want to seem like I’m just staring at you, but it really looks great.” It fit her in a way he didn’t think most stuff would, at least not without going to a tailor. And nobody went to a tailor anymore.

“I did, actually. Thank you.” She would’ve blushed if she’d been the sort, but Lulu wasn’t. Instead she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, appreciating the compliment.

“You’re welcome; I did mean it.” Wolfwood rather liked the small gesture. “So, where’s Pepsi today? Do you have a good dogsitter?” He was half teasing, but he knew someone like her would never do anything without making sure her pet was cared for. Maybe he ought to get one; it might help with the weird lonely feeling he’d had lately.

“He’s at doggy daycare. It’s like fun for him, he gets to go and roll around with the other dogs there for a few hours. When I come to get him, he seems exhausted. It’s quite sweet, he just sleeps on the sofa and snores on me.” Lulu liked to have everything set and properly taken care of in her life, not just her dog.

“That is kind of nice. I’ve been thinking” - okay, maybe just now, but still - “about getting a pet myself. Lonely bachelor and all that. I think it might do me good.”

“You should, I find they give a day some purpose. Even after my divorce, during the really bad parts, I had to get out of bed to feed Pepsi. It helped quite a bit.” Lulu took Wolfwood’s free hand, squeezing gently.

“The only thing I worry about is if I get a job, if a dog would get sad and lonely. I don’t want to do that to an animal.” He’d feel like an asshole. “And I’m not a cat guy.”

“There are some cats that you might get along with. Some dogs are very aloof, and some cats want nothing more than to go on walks.” Lulu smiled, squeezing his hand again, threading their fingers. “I can go to the shelter with you, if you like.”

“Cats that go on walks? That I would like to see.” Wolfwood had to laugh. He pointed her toward a nondescript building with a dark purple awning over the door. “I know it’s cliche, but I figure you can’t go wrong with Italian.”

“It’s a cliche for a very good reason,” Lulu beamed. She walked into the building with him, liking the way he touched the small of her back as he pointed her toward the entrance. It was chivalrous and kind, but a little proprietary.

“I love it, I admit. I could eat whatever kind of pasta for the rest of time.” Wolfwood had grown up with his mother, who wasn’t a world class cook, but she made comfort food to die for. “I’m easy to please, I guess.” He smiled, breaking off to give his name to the host, who led them to a table tucked in a quiet corner.

“Likewise.” Lulu smiled as they were lead to a table, ignoring the host’s staring at her chest. Instead, she sat down opposite Wolfwood, smiling and tucking her hair behind her ears. “I’ve never been here, but it’s lovely. You did well.”

Wolfwood shot the host a dirty look before he sat down. “I’m glad it passes muster so far. I did do a bit of research.” He did appreciate that they’d sat him in a place where his good arm wasn’t against the wall. Freedom of movement and all. “I have to admit I did also think selfishly - pasta’s easy to eat with one arm.”

“I suppose that’d depend on what sort of pasta you ordered,” Lulu teased. She liked that they were laughing and smiling and bantering. She hadn’t smiled this much in quite some time.

“Fair point.” Wolfwood chuckled. “God, I am so happy to get this thing off soon.”

“Do you have to continue your physical therapy afterward?” Lulu leaned forward as she spoke, so she wouldn’t have to raise her voice too much.

“Yes, but only for another month or so unless I mess it up.” Wolfwood appreciated her discretion. “I can deal with it, I think, when I have two arms. With one it’s both tedious and patronizing.”

“You won’t mess it up.” Lulu looked at him. “And I can help a little.” She knew that she could do one tiny healing spell, and that would help with itching, at least.

“Oh?” Wolfwood was smiling. “I’d definitely take help.” He assumed she meant something intimate, which worked for him. Not even sexual, just intimate.

Sighing, Lulu looked down at her hands. “You have the dreams, yes? I suppose I’d have to tell you about mine eventually.”

“Yes, I do. And honestly, we can save that for another time if you want.” Wolfwood didn’t see any reason to burden her with his. “My dreams aren’t ... easy. Honestly, they’re a little odd, but mostly just hard.”

“Mine are as well. But in them, I can do magic.” She smiled and reached out to his hand, running her fingers over the top. They sparkled gently for a moment, and she expected that he’d have felt something tingly and gently.

He did - a moment of warmth that seemed to linger, even after she took her hand away. Wolfwood blinked, marveling quietly at how some of the itching under his cast seemed to subside. “ ... That’s ... wow. How cool.” Maybe inadequate, but still.

“It wouldn’t heal your arm, but it can help with little things.” She smiled at him, leaning back. “I didn’t want you to be surprised.” And it was fun whilst naked.

“It must be handy.” He’d seen stranger things, but few that looked more practical. “I imagine it can help with a lot of things.” He did his best not to think of the lewd idea, instead trying to focus more on practical applications.

“I wish I’d known how to do it when I needed stitches last year.” She showed him the scar on her left palm, chuckling. “I didn’t have insurance at the time either, so I had to sew it myself.”

Wolfwood winced. “I’ve had to do that. It hurts like hell. Did it just happen recently?”

“Last year. Someone left my tinning shears upright, and I leaned on them.” She chuckled, fully aware that she was downplaying the situation; at the time she’d been worried about loss of mobility.

“Gah.” Wolfwood didn’t have to fake the reaction. “Mine was when I sat on my damn entrenching tool. An entrenching tool is basically a trowel with a fancy name, but seriously, I had a three inch cut on my thigh.”

Lulu winced. She could only imagine why people would need an entrenching tool. “And I imagine you had to get it sewn up with minimal painkillers.”

“Sewed it up myself instead of spending three days at the medic with no painkillers.” Wolfwood could laugh about it now. “It seemed quicker.”

That made Lu smile. “I sewed mine as well, then used some Vicodin I had left over from oral surgery so I could finish work for the day.” They were both mad, and it made her want to kiss him.

“You stayed at work?” That made him laugh. “You could have really hurt yourself.” He didn’t mean to be paternal, just state a fact.

“I know.” She bit her lower lip as she smiled, a rare moment of shyness. “I just ... don’t trust many people as much as myself.”

“That I can understand.” Wolfwood ordered his drink as the waiter came over, waiting for Lulu to order hers before he resumed. “If I didn’t know better I’d have asked you if you were ever in the military - that’s exactly the type of personality they want.” Careful. Exacting to the point of neuroses. Perfectionist.

She asked the waiter for a glass of a specific sort of pinot noir before refocusing on Wolfwood. “In my dreams, I’m a bit of a warrior, actually. I help my friend - who’s a friend here as well - on a religious pilgrimage.”

“Really.” Wolfwood blinked. “That must be interesting, if hard.” At least, most military lives were. “You’ll laugh at mine, though.” He smiled, looking away a little. Hopefully she didn’t actually laugh at him.

“I wouldn’t laugh,” Lulu murmured. “They’re personal, it’s inappropriate to laugh at something like that.”

She said that now, yeah. “I’m a priest in my dreams.” Wolfwood chuckled. “On a weird desert planet.”

“I can see that. You’re easy to talk to,” Lulu smiled. “Do you have faith here? I don’t want to insult you when I tell you I’m a devout atheist.”

“Not really, no. I describe myself as agnostic. I don’t discount the possibility, but I don’t know for sure. Kinda think it’s pretentious to assume we know either way.” Wolfwood sat back, relieved she hadn’t laughed. “I was a priest on a desert planet, but it was a ... I don’t know. Wild West type place? Lots of gunslingers, dust and dirt. I carried guns myself, even alleging to be a man of God.”

“In my dreams, we followed a false god that lead our entire world toward a thousand years of death. Vast death. Most of us were orphans. Entire towns were wiped out constantly, daily, and nobody thought twice about it.” She sighed, smiling a little. “I must admit, I like the idea of you being a bit of a gunslinger.”

“Wow.” Wolfwood blinked. “That’s hard to grasp.” The entire world dying? “Maybe that’s what happened on Gunsmoke - the planet I was on.”

“Your planet even sounds like a Western.” Lulu smiled as she thought of Nicholas walking around with prayers and a gun. He was ridiculously handsome at the best of times.

“I guess it does; wasn’t there a TV show called Gunsmoke?” Wolfwood hadn’t thought of that; it made him smile. He nodded a thank you when their drinks arrived before turning back to her. “What was your world called? Did you ever get a name?”

“There was, yes.” Lulu smiled, sipping her wine. “Spira. It was a series of islands, and I was from one called Besaid.” She took a pen from her purse and sketched the outline of the island on a piece of paper.

Wolfwood watched her, interested. “It was all islands? Sounds almost like the opposite of Gunsmoke - I never saw any part that wasn’t desert. No lakes, barely any water.”

“All islands, yes. I don’t know how well I’d do on a desert island.” Lulu was still looking at him, smiling. She liked their banter, how easy things were between them.

“I don’t mean this rudely, but you don’t strike me as a lady who would be at her most comfortable without any amenities.” Wolfwood didn’t want to call her high-maintenance, just ... practical.

“Here, perhaps. In the dreams, nobody really had amenities.” Lulu chuckled. “I made my own clothes, and we all lived in tents on Besaid. There wasn’t really time to rebuild things after the destruction.”

“I guess that’s a fair point. It’s just hard to imagine.” Wolfwood nodded. “I’m used to the living in tents bit, and I freely admit I hated it!”
“Are you in a steady relationship with your bed?” Lulu couldn’t help teasing him, and she was rather pleased that he never seemed to overreact to it.

“Yes, ma’am.” Wolfwood had no problem admitting that, grinning a little. “Even in the field hospital, having a bed instead of a sleeping bag was almost worth getting shot.” Almost.

That made Lulu grin. “I highly doubt that, but I’m sure it was a perk.” Even in her dreams after getting smacked by dragons and demigods, she still didn’t get a real bed. That wasn’t fair.

“It was. I mean, I’m not sorry I joined up, but at the same time, I’m done for now.” He’d lost the fight. There was always another guerrilla, always another evil bastard. And sometimes the two weren’t the same.

“I’d imagine it’s exhausting. Sometimes the wars you’re fighting will inspire people to take up arms against us. But sometimes there’s no other way.” Lulu chuckled. “Reminds me of my dreams.” She squeezed his hand, her dark red eyes meeting his.

“Oh?” He’d never noticed the color of her eyes until now, and if he hadn’t known about the dreams, he might have freaked out a little. “Were your dreams that divisive?”

They had ordered a bit ago, and now their food was showing up. Wolfwood was pleased to see that the waiter didn’t offer help or anything awkward, simply making sure his fork was where he could reach it.

“Yes. Yuna, the girl I was guarding, was on a religious pilgrimage in order to acquire weapons to help destroy the creature that was killing so many and causing such destruction. But it would only stay dead for a decade. Eventually, we found out that the god we prayed to was the same as the monster. So we killed it.” Lulu chuckled wryly. “But not before becoming excommunicated and enemies of the state.”

Wolfwood could only stare, really. “So wait, the monster was the same as the God you prayed to? I mean ... how could you not know? Did they have different names?” It was hard to fathom something like that. Here, God was God, and killing God wasn’t possible.

“It was a thousand years after a great war.” Lulu smiled sadly. “We didn’t know we were praying to the victor.” She wondered if one day she’d tell him the history of Spira.

“It sounds like your dreams are a lot to digest.” Wolfwood looked down at his plate. “Pardon the unintentional pun.” He had enough issues with his own; never mind facing something like killing a god. How much pain and guilt that would have generated.

He shook his head, starting to eat, relieved that he could manage it without making a fool of himself. “I hope things are less difficult here.”
“Very much. Here, my heartaches are common. Being a divorcee is far more simple. More annoying, but more simple.” She smiled at Wolfwood, eating her own food quietly. She didn’t ask him if he needed help; he was capable.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m glad.” There was a lot of weird shit going on here to begin with. The idea that she’d largely been untouched by it was a good thing.

“Likewise!” Lulu giggled, crossing her legs. “What about you? Anything odd for you?”

“Here? No. Just your average guy.” Wolfwood wiped his mouth before replying. “Enlisted at twenty, no creepy supernatural powers, no weird happenstances in the military. I know some people who’ve had some interesting things happen, but not me specifically.”

“You’re not average, Nicholas.” Lulu smiled as she spoke, a quiet fond sort of smile. “I wouldn’t be here if you were.”

That made him chuckle. “Well, I definitely appreciate the vote of confidence. But you know what I mean - I don’t have any kind of unusual traits. Just your average human, if not an average person.”

“You have many unusual traits. You’re smart.” Lulu winked at him before taking another sip of wine. “But I do know what you mean.”

“Is smart so unusual?” Wolfwood laughed. “I would’ve thought you had higher standards.”

“Oh, love makes one blind. And deaf. Probably stupid as well.” She sighed and shook her head. “But that’s a story that’s best left for not a date. It’s sadly predictable.”

“Ah.” Wolfwood took her word; he didn’t want her to go into details she wasn’t interested in giving.

The food was surprisingly good, and he settled back once he’d finished. “I picked right, I think. That was nice; how was yours?” He was kind of hoping she wouldn’t want dessert, but he’d be all right if she did.

“Wonderful, thank you. I’ll have to come here again.” Lulu smiled and leaned back, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. She’d gotten ravioli, as it was a bit tidier to eat. “Can we make coffee at my place? Or yours, if you’d prefer.”

“I freely admit my place is a nightmare.” Doing things one handed for six weeks had left a lot of messes. “If you’re willing to contend with the leftovers of my being male and temporarily handicapped, you’re welcome, but I’m not trying to invite myself to your place.”

“We’ll go to my place. I’ve got to pick up Pepsi anyway, and he’d like to see you again.” Lulu smiled, signalling for the check. “Is that all right?”

“Yes, sure. Just didn’t want you to feel pressured.” He tried generally not to be an ass, especially with gorgeous, intelligent women.

“I was worried I was pressuring you,” Lulu smiled. “Come on, let’s go.”

Wolfwood got the check, then rose, balancing by pushing his good arm off the table. “Lead on.” He’d walked to her shop, but her place might be farther away. He could get a cab later. Or tomorrow, he recalled, remembering what she’d said earlier.

She walked with him back toward the shop, going around the back and texting the doggy daycare place to have them drop off Pepsi. “I live above my shop,” Lu smiled. She went ahead of him because she had the keys, and she opened up the door.

Her apartment was tidy, well appointed, and clean. She smiled and motioned him inside. “Pepsi’s sitter is going to run him over. Do you want a drink?”

Oh, well, that was different. “I didn’t know you lived up here. That must be handy. Or at times, annoying, I’m sure, if you want a day off.” Wolfwood looked around, liking how clean and neat everything was. “Coffee would be nice, if that’s all right.”

“The last time I took off was my honeymoon.” Lulu chuckled to herself, shaking her head. “It’s something I just ... never really did.” She’d wished that she’d taken more time off after her wedding at the time, but that had ebbed after the divorce.

“I think I can safely say that you probably work too hard.” Call it a guess, with her personality. “I’m not judging, though; I definitely have been happy to have things to do.” Burying yourself in work was a handy way to not feel all the things you could be feeling. He’d been there.

“Most likely. But I enjoy it. Which I think is really the trick to things.” She started the coffee maker for him, then poured a glass of scotch for herself. “I think after the divorce it was the smartest thing for me to do.”

Wolfwood noted the Scotch with amusement. Most women he’d dated weren’t much for hard liquor at any time. “That might very well have been the case; obviously I can’t say for sure as I’m not you.” He smiled a little.

“It was either that or try to figure out ways to strangle a vampire that he wouldn’t enjoy.” Lulu smiled and sat down, crossing her legs and letting her arm brush against Wolfwood’s good one. “Do you have any crazy ex stories? They’re funny, I’ve found.”

“Not from recent girlfriends, unfortunately. My last girlfriend was surprisingly sane.” He didn’t want to think of Belle. “I did have one who basically turned into a military groupie. Found out she was sleeping with literally half my squad. And a squad is 13-14 guys.”

Lulu blinked. “I don’t think I can top that,” she smiled. Fighting a losing battle, she eventually burst out laughing. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Watching her laugh was ... incredibly charming, actually. Wolfwood just smiled, shaking his head. “It’s okay, it’s funny now.” It sure as shit hadn’t been funny then, but he’d had a long time to process it. “I mean, you have to laugh.”

“Otherwise you’ll start screaming.” Lulu smiled and moved so she was straddling Wolfwood’s lap, facing him. “I hope this isn’t a bad night for you.”

“No.” Wolfwood smiled a little, but it verged into smirk territory. “No, I’d say this one is pretty good. I hope you can say the same.” His good arm rested on her lower back, down toward her waist.

“I think I can say the same,” she smiled. Reaching up, she let her hair down before leaning forward to press her lips to his. He didn’t seem to mind when she was forward, so she pressed her luck.

He did like it. Women who waited for him to make the first move tended to bore him. Wolfwood felt her hair brush against his skin, and shifted against her, smiling.

Kissing him a bit harder, Lulu smiled against his mouth. She liked him. He made her feel like she used to, before she’d gotten the divorce, before her marriage had soured, back when her smiles were more frequent.

Before things went too far, though, Wolfwood stopped her. “One thing you ought to know. I spent twenty years in the military, and during that time, I went with some hookers. Man’s gotta handle things. But I was tested after I got home, and I’m clean.” Some women didn’t like the very idea of sex workers, and he wanted to be honest.

Lulu shook her head. “You’ve been tested, I’d assume, and we’ll be using a condom anyway.” She dipped her head to nibble his neck in case he wanted to tell her anything else.

“It was more that I’ve had women get mad at me for using sex workers at all. I didn’t want to keep it from someone who might be offended.” Wolfwood smiled. “If it’s not a problem, that’s okay then.” He wasn’t embarrassed; it was either twenty years of hand jobs, Afghan wives offering sex in exchange for news of their husbands, or hookers. He’d taken the latter gladly.

“As long as they were willing participants, it’s not my place to judge,” Lulu murmured. She looked down at him, smiling and stroking his cheek.

“Well, I try to be honest.” Wolfwood smiled right back, trying to pick that kiss back up where they’d left off.

“I appreciate it,” she murmured, smiling guiding his hands up her back to help unzip her dress. “It’s very considerate of you.”

“I aim to please.” Wolfwood chuckled, but he quit laughing in a real hurry when he managed to unzip her dress with one hand. Fuck, he’d better not make an idiot of himself.

“You’re already far ahead of most men,” she retorted.

“Good.” Wolfwood did have a condom, though he hadn’t anticipated using it. “Wallet’s in my jacket pocket.” He wanted to enjoy her.

“Oh, I have a box by the bed.” Lulu smiled, standing up and tugging him to his feet with his good arm. “Come on.”

“All right.” Wolfwood happily allowed himself to be led into her bedroom.