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inner_wolf (inner_wolf) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-02-24 23:37:00

Who: Gabe (Groot) and Nina
When: February 13th
Where: Early [Pre] Valentine’s Day Date
What: A special early date for Nina and Gabe
Rating/Warning: PG
Status: Complete



"Well that was um..." Gabe started, and then was at a loss for words as they exited the movie theater and into the lobby. He turned to Nina and started to smirk. Then it grew into a bit of a grin and before he knew it Gabe was laughing at the whole thing. He knew his face was red with embarrassment at how awkward it was to have sat through all of Fifty Shades of Grey with her. He was willing to suffer through a chick flick that his date wanted to see but he had a feeling neither of them knew what they'd gotten themselves into this time around.

“Yeah” Nina agreed before she began laughing too. In all honesty it had been so long since she’d been to the movies that she’d picked the first one she’d seen, not realising what it was. She hadn’t wanted to say anything in case Gabe was enjoying it but it seemed they’d both been thinking the same thing. “I can’t believe we sat through that entire film basically out of politeness” she said still grinning.

Gabe shook his head, still smiling to himself. “I thought maybe you wanted to stay. But then after that scene…” He raised both eyebrows. They had looked at each other in the theater with pained expressions, glanced at the exits, and briefly Gabe had wondered if they should theater hop. But like watching a train wreck they just couldn’t turn away or will themselves to walk out. Gabe had done his best not to get - affected - by the scenes, which required a lot of squirming, crossing of legs and thinking of miserable things. “I’m gonna need a bottle of bleach to scrub most of that out of my brain.” He ran a hand over his bald head. He’d spent more time than he’d have liked fussing and shaving what little fuzz he’d had growing there just for this date. He was lucky he hadn’t nicked himself.

Gabe shifted his bad arm a little in its sling. He’d broken a couple bones in his hand when he’d lost his temper after finding his home broken into, and his cannabis plants ravaged and mostly stolen. Nina had insisted he have a cast put on, which he loathed. It itched and incapacitated him more than he’d anticipated. His job begrudgingly had given him disability even though he’d done it to himself at home; he was that good of a bouncer and they didn’t want to lose him (nor his flock of regular high roller patrons to the club who came purely to flirt with him, even if Gabe had never given them much heed). Tomorrow night, Valentine’s Day, he was due back at work in a different position since he couldn’t man the door. Tonight though, was all about Nina and their first Valentine’s.

“Me too. Although I’m not sure bleach would be strong enough” she said with a little bit of a cheeky smile. “But at least the rest of our date can only get better” she added positively. Nina herself had spent a lot of time changing her outfit, in fact her bed was still covered in clothes she’d rejected for one reason or another. It had been Audrey who had calmed her down and reminded her that Gabe already liked her so what she wore wasn’t terribly important - though she did look very nice.

Nina had insisted on the cast because she just knew had she not he’d be using it far more than he should and while it may be annoying at least the bones would heal faster than if he continued using it. It had upset her a lot when she had discovered what had happened and she was irritated that someone had done that to such a kind gentle man.

“So what’s the plan now?” she said since he’d only given her vague clues about their day.

Gabe chuckled. "You're right." And according to his plan, if it all worked out, it would be much better. When Nina asked what was next, he smiled impishly, his eyes alight with excitement. "You'll see." He wanted it to be a surprise. He pulled out a printout of directions to an address via Google Maps and handed it to her. Since he only had one good hand, he couldn’t really drive that well and unfortunately had to leave the driving of his pickup truck to Nina.

They exited the theater and were welcomed by a balmy evening. Gabe was grateful their winter woes were over, though news from back home in NYC sounded like they’d switched places with endless snow storms. Still, they were in the middle of winter and as much as he would have liked to have given Nina fresh flowers, all the ones he had planted were long since finished and so he was forced to do the abominable and go to a florist. He’d made the arrangement himself, which annoyed the florist a little who would have rather sold him one of the dozens of pre-arranged bouquets, but the botanist wasn’t having it.

When they got to the car, he gingerly picked up the bouquet Nina had left on her seat and placed it on the rear seats behind them. He felt bad she had to drive his big truck and looked over at her as they pulled out of the parking lot. “Sorry you gotta drive this beast. Next time I’ll order an Uber car or something.” Did they even have Uber here?

She smiled, enjoying seeing him look so animated as he taunted her with where they were going. She was finding it rather exciting not knowing what he was planning. She took the map but it didn’t really give her many clues, she didn’t know what was in the area well enough.

While Nina was used to winter weather in the UK she had to admit she was glad it had gone back to being warmer now. It was much better for the plants as well as people, Nina was beginning to take more notice of how the environment affected plants and knew it was Gabe’s influence. When he’d surprised her with the bouquet she’d known instantly that he’d put it together and she felt touched that he had done so. It was absolutely perfect.

“Oh I don’t mind. I’m just amazed you’re letting a Brit drive it, you’ll have to make sure I don’t accidentally drive on the wrong side of the road” she said, it was actually one of the first times she’d driven in the USA but she felt quite confident with Gabe next to her. “What’s an uber car?” she asked curiously.

Gabe chuckled. “Well so far you’re doing fine, so I’m not worried. Must be weird for you though.” Gabe was actually new to driving altogether. He’d caught on quick, but he was still used to the readily available modes of public transportation New York City had to offer. “An Uber car is like a glorified taxi.” he explained. He resisted the urge to scratch under the cast in front of Nina, because he knew she’d probably scold him for it. Which could sometimes be cute but she was driving at the moment. “It’s a car service that you call and they’re supposed to come super quick. There’s a debate if it’s affordable versus a taxi though. But they’re nicer cars - SUV’s and stuff.”

As they neared their destination, Gabe couldn’t help but grin a little, though he tried to hide it. But as they turned the corner the sign for the Fullerton Arboreteum could be plainly seen. It was one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in the area, and had a museum and handsome historical house on the property.

“It does take a bit of getting used to, the roads are so much bigger too. It can be intimidating, so I am glad we won’t be facing those” Luckily the route they were taking wasn’t on a motorway - or freeway as they were called in America. “Oh I see. We don’t have anything like that in the UK. And honestly around here I usually ask Merlin to get me to work if I’m running late. It’s handy having a kind of neighbour who can teleport” she grinned. Nina didn’t own a car here but had driven Audrey’s a few times and even an ambulance for the hospital once, though she’d rather not do that again.

“Oh Gabe” she breathed as she saw where he was taking her, “It’s incredible. I read about this on the internet, it looks so amazing” she smiled brightly, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek once they were parked up.

"Teleport?" Gabe raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?" That sounded like the best way to get to work regardless.

Gabe was absolutely thrilled that Nina approved at his choice for their date and dinner. "They've got different sections dedicated to various regions with their own unique plant types." He was impressed she'd researched it and was just thinking about how lucky he was to have her as a girlfriend when he felt her lips press against his cheek. Gabe immediately flushed pink and grinned stupidly. "Happy Valentine's Day, Nina." He looked over at her and suddenly wanted to kiss those smiling lips of hers, but thought it would be awkward to lean across the car for their first serious kiss. It was amazing how much he was playing it safe after a month of dating, and Gabe chalked it up to maturity and the fact he really was crazy about Nina and didn't want to mess this up. Perhaps finally tonight he'd have enough courage to take that step.

He smiled and then turned and got out of the car. Joining her on the other side he took her hand and headed up the path lined with native plants and palm trees leading towards the Heritage House.

“Seriously” she confirmed, Merlin was the best form of transport.

Nina more than approved, she thought it was one of the sweetest things he could have done. “So we’re going around the world of plants” she said grinning, it sounded great. It may have been the influence of the man she was rather swiftly and deeply falling for but she really did find horticulture interesting. And she hadn’t yet killed any of her plants, they were actually flourishing. “Happy Valentines Day” she replied before they got out of the car.

It was kind of reassuring to Nina that Gabe was taking his time with her, it hopefully meant he was looking at it as a long term relationship. She’d rather like to kiss him on this day in this wonderful setting though.

“I should have known you’d be a romantic” she teased him, squeezing his hand and leaning on his arm a little.

“Oh really?” Gabe chuckled and glanced over at her with an amused look; he tugged her a little closer as they walked through the plaza, making their way past other couples and individuals wandering the grounds. There weren’t a lot of people, which was good. Gabe had gotten used to the sparser crowds of the West Coast and was a bit spoiled about his personal space, especially if he was sharing that space with Nina.

They walked along the paths until they reached the Mediterranean Collection on the map. He intended to take the long way around until it was lunch time. When they arrived, Gabe was a little surprised at the plant life there. “It’s all native species.” his botanist’s eye recognized immediately. He frowned a little. “Bit deceptive.” He shrugged. He could see that the arrangement of the plants was well thought out all the same. A beautiful, vibrant burst of purple sprang up among the more boring of the native, drab flora. “Look! Pickeringia montana aka chaparral pea.”

“Mmmhmmm” she hummed with a nod, “I like it” she added just so he knew. It was nice walking around with him and not having to fight the crowds, it was very different from so many places. Especially London which was overcrowded no matter when you went.
Nina wouldn’t have noticed that but she wasn’t surprised that Gabe did, he knew about his subject with a passion and she wished she could help him obtain a job in it. He’d be such an asset to a place like this. “Pickeringia huh?” she grinned, “So if I was a plant this could be a cousin or something” she teased, “It’s a pretty colour. Very striking in amongst the paler colours”

Gabe grinned toothily like an idiot, right proud of himself. “Looks like I’m gonna hafta up the ante and be more romantic more often.”

He had to admit, the layout of the gardens so far were impressive and he was already making mental notes how to apply some of the techniques to his own. He chuckled when Nina made the observation of the name of the plant.

“Probably would be, yeah. ‘Course, if you were a plant, you’d put the rest of these to shame.” He lifted her hand that was in his and kissed it. “If you were from my dream world I bet you’d be all flowers, a beautiful cascade.” Having been his dream self that had been essentially a humanoid alien plant being, he was wondering aloud what the female versions looked like; it was a fair guess the males looked like him and the females all color and bloom.

They continued through the gardens, Gabe pointing out certain species on occasion but mostly keeping quiet so Nina could take in the beauty of the impact of such a layout. The more they explored, the more Gabe was seriously considering sending his resume here. And why not? They had everything he could want in this place.

“You know,” he said abruptly. “I think I’m gonna apply for a job here. You know they have horticulture classes and stuff? Wine tasting, tours, and we passed the museum when we came in. What do you think?”

“Careful, I’ll get used to it and expect romance more often” she grinned, not that he wouldn’t achieve it. He was being more sweet and romantic than anybody she’d known before.

It really was a beautiful place, and the smell breezed over you wonderfully in some areas. “You are a sweet talker” she said chuckling, “Thank you” she added with a blushing smile. He was very sweet to her and while not used to it she found she liked the sincerity with which he spoke.

Nina smiled when he told her his idea, she’d asked a few questions but mostly just enjoyed the whole experience. “I was thinking earlier that this place would be lucky to have you. It’s perfect for you” she nodded, “You should do it. You deserve to work somewhere like this, you’d be an incredible asset to them” she said honestly.

"Yeah? Thanks." And he squeezed her hand a little in appreciation. Nina’s confidence in his skill set felt good and was making Gabe want to march up to whatever desk they had and just throw down his resume right on top of it. Of course he couldn’t because, hello, date. “Guess I know what I’m doin’ tomorrow. Then if I get the job, means my nights’ll free up.” And he grinned.

They continued on, making their way through the desert collection (which really wasn’t all that interesting or nothing they hadn’t seen before with Gabe’s landscaping) before turning and strolling through the community gardens and orchards of avocado and valencia orange trees.

Nina could tell in the way Gabe spoke about the plants and his vast knowledge that he was not only qualified but passionate about his work. She really did want him to get the job, it would be good for him and the company would be lucky to have him.

"Oh I didn't expect them to smell so strong. It's lovely" Nina said looking at the oranges on the trees before up at Gabe, "I guess I'm too used to the supermarket ones" and they barely smelt at all, she couldn't help thinking that was such a shame.

Gabe nodded, reaching out to touch one of the oranges tentatively. “Yeah, there’s nothing like fresh off the tree. Supermarket stuff is weeks old, sometimes. That’s why I try to shop at farmer’s markets and stuff.” His friends back home would make fun of him if they heard him say that, but he liked supporting local businesses and it was healthier. He looked down at Nina as she smiled up at him.

Maybe it was the sweet scent of the oranges creating an atmosphere, or the fact it was their Valentine’s date, but suddenly Gabe really, really wanted to kiss Nina. His soulful brown eyes locked onto hers as he turned to her. Carefully he reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and decided to go for it, hoping he was reading her expression right, and leaned down, gently pressing his lips to hers.

“I should do that more, I get lazy after a shift and use the convenience of a supermarket” Nina said, with a nod. She’d tag along next time he went and have a wander round with him, it was good to eat fresh produce instead of the processed stuff all the time.

When he turned to her and brushed her hair behind her ear she let her gaze rest on his, expression open and welcome and he was definitely reading her right. She wanted to kiss him very much and then his lips were on hers and she let her arms slide around his neck as it deepened and her body pressed more firmly against his.

"Well then I guess that's our next date," Gabe laughed.

Gabe had expected a simple chaste kiss, but when Nina responded in kind and then it deepened, he couldn't help but wrap his good arm around her waist and keep the kiss going. The feel of her body against his stirred a long dormant hunger deep inside and he wished to god he didn't have his other arm in a cast so he could really hold her. When they finally came up for air he leaned his forehead against hers and gave a breathy laugh. Clearly this had been a long time coming. "Wow." And he grinned that broad smile of his.

It had definitely been a long time coming, Nina had thought about kissing him a number of times but didn’t want to be too forward. Which meant she was very much enjoying the freedom to do so now.

“Wow indeed” Nina smiled in response, his smile always managed to make her happy. He was adorable and reminded her of a teddy bear sometimes. “We definitely need to do more of that” she said, blushing a little as her fingers stroked over his neck.

"A lot more," he agreed, and as if to demonstrate he kissed her lips softly, lingering a moment on her soft lower lip. "Mmm why the hell did I wait so long?" He felt himself flush a little too, a bit embarrassed at the open admission. But it went unsaid yet understood why; despite growing up in the rough and tumble of New York City, Gabe was for all intents and purposes a gentleman. His grandmother had made sure he understood how to treat a lady, and to be responsible in a relationship and most importantly: to wait. Patience was a virtue after all.

The feel of Nina's fingers on the back of his neck felt amazing for such minor contact and Gabe revelled in the moment. He was a good boy however and made sure his own hand didn't stray from it's home in the small of Nina's slender back. His fingers gently rubbed there lazily, enjoying the contact. He continued to gaze into her hazel eyes, getting lost in them.

Nina liked his agreement, she hadn’t thought she’d been alone in enjoying it but still it was reassuring to hear the positive response. She knew exactly why they’d waited so long and found it endearing, she liked that he was a gentleman. It was a rare thing nowadays and she would cherish it and him.

She was happy to stand there with him and simply enjoy being close, looking into his eyes and letting herself get lost too. She hadn’t expected this when she’d first woken up to find they had been somehow linked overnight but she was glad they had met. Even as just his friend he’d made Nina happy and now they were dating she was ridiculously so.

Gabe was grateful that the OC gods had decided to pair them together during that bizarre week. He'd never met a woman like Nina and knew how impossible it would have been for him to have found someone with the hours he worked, let alone who was as interested in plants like he was. He was also grateful she hadn't turned him in for growing medical marijuana. He chuckled at the memory. "When we first met... man. I'm glad you decided to give me a chance and not turn me in." He now had his license to grow the plants but selling online was still a gray area. "You're kinda hot when you're all fired up over something, you know that?" It was the first time Gabe was being a bit more verbally casual with her, but it was the truth. He liked her passionate nature when it came to causes she really believed in, and in the week he'd spent invisibly tethered to her (they had to pretend he was a medical student when she was at work) he saw that passion reflected in her work as a nurse as well.

He wasn’t the only one grateful, Nina’s hours weren’t exactly sociable with some of the shifts she had to do but so far it seemed to work for them. And finding someone who didn’t mind listening when she ranted about a doctor or an ungrateful ER patient was definitely someone to hang on to. They worked well as a team, despite or maybe because of their varied interests. Nina laughed, “Me too” she said, and it had worked in her favour since she’d been able to put some of her patients in touch with him to help give them natural pain relief. Blushing she hid her head against his chest, “Thank you” she said, words slightly muffled but when she looked up she was smiling. She really had laid into him a little bit but she was very passionate about her work. She loved her job and couldn’t imagine not being a nurse.

Gabe chuckled softly. Damn, that right there, that was just too cute. He smiled down at Nina when she pulled her face away from his chest, reaching up and holding her face with his good hand before planting a quick kiss on her lips again. "Got one more surprise left." He said, and he took her by the hand and started walking towards the Heritage House. As they approached and stepped up into the landmark building it was abundantly clear a special lunch had been prepared - just for them. The main room was large enough to hold a small wedding reception, which was often what it was rented out to do. But Gabe had talked and charmed (and paid) his way into convincing the events manager into organizing this private lunch since they wouldn't make it for the special dinner being held that night.

Nina returned the kiss happily and smiled, “Another one?” she said before following him, “You’re spoiling me” When they entered the building it was just amazing and obvious that Gabe had gone to a lot of trouble, Nina was touched and wrapped her arms around his waist as she smiled up at him, “You are amazing” she told him.

Gabe felt his face flush a little at the compliment. "Well y'know, I mean...Valentine's Day right?" He couldn't rub the back of his neck nervously with his good arm which was the one Nina was currently clinging to, so naturally he tried to move the other but the cast checked him. "And you deserve this, you work so hard and stuff." 'And stuff??' Okay he was babbling now.

“Thank you” Nina said, reaching up to kiss him again, “This is the most amazing Valentine’s day ever and you are by far the best boyfriend” And she found his babbling adorable. This whole day was perfect and Nina felt incredibly lucky.