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Quynh sighed loudly looking between Nile, who was knitting a scarf and Booker, who was playing a game of online chess.
Neither one of them looked up at her theatrics but Nile asked. "What's up Quynh?"
She casually studied her nails. "Are you free Friday say... six o'clock, Nile?"
Nile ran through her mental calendar. "Yeah, you have something in mind?"
"Booker what about you?"
He looked up from his game a little startled out of his concentration. "Uh, yeah I don't have anything going on."
Quynh clapped her hands together once in delight. "Great! It's a date!"
Nile smirked. "Hate to break it to you, Quynh, but you are very much taken." She teased.
Quynh laughed. "Not for me! For you two. It's a date!"
Booker and Nile locked eyes but neither one would dare to say they weren't interested in spending an evening together, it wouldn't be the truth.
Booker cleared his throat and looked away. "Only if you're ok with it, Nile."
She couldn't say no. How do you say no to that? "Yeah, sounds like a plan."
Booker nodded, a bit flustered at these new plans and quickly exited the room.
Nile waited until she was sure Booker was gone. "Quynh, what was that?" She asked her voice a little sharper than she intended.
Quynh waved her off. "Please, I'm over it, you two have been giving each other heart eyes for the last ten years. If I waited for one of you to make a move, I'd be dead. You're both just so stinkin shy." She said exasperated. "At least with each other, I've noticed." She gave Nile a pointed look.
"But I can't go out with him! It's- it's Booker." She really couldn't think of a good reason.
"Hmmm-hmmm, and who pray tell are you making that scarf for?"
Nile looked down at the scarf in her hands. "Well, I mean, I'm making it for Booker. But that's only because he mentioned how cold his chin always gets when it snows!"
Quynh pursed her lips, enjoying herself immensely. "And you couldn't... Buy him one?" She asked in a teasing tone.
"But I'm making it in his favorite colors and I was going to make it extra wide... for... him..." Nile trailed off at the sight of Quynh's wicked grin.
"Oh, please, do go on about how you and Booker couldn't possibly go out together." She failed miserably at looking innocent when she said that.
"But..." Nile tried.
Quynh nodded expectantly.
Nile groaned leaning her head back against the couch cushions. "If it ends terribly you get all the blame."
"When you get together, I'm taking all the credit." She winked at Nile and bounced out of the room perfectly content with herself.
**
"Joe! Joe?" Nile called running through the house looking for him. It was Friday afternoon and no way was she going out without venting to Joe for a hot minute.
"Yeah?" He called from his and Nicky's room.
"Will you pretty please with a cherry on top come down and help me pick an outfit?" She said poking her head in his room.
Joe laughed. "What do you need me for? You look good in everything, you don't need my help."
"Pleeaase?" She begged.
"Alright, I'm coming."
Nicky grinned. "Nervous? He's already seen every outfit in your closet."
"No, I'm not nervous!" She defended herself. "I mean, I don't think I am? I don't know, maybe a little?" She added looking down at the ground away from his all knowing gaze.
Joe clapped her on the back. "It's alright, Nile, I'm sure it will be a wonderful evening."
Nile would have been more than happy to keep tonight's arrangements a secret from the rest of the guard but Quynh had some very loose lips and told the three others that very same hour she arranged for them to go out.
Once in her room she began pulling out, as far as Joe could tell, every article of clothing she owned and laying it on the bed.
"I don't know how to dress! He never told me what we're doing or where we're going."
"Then go with dressy casual and bring a jacket." Joe said a little too level headed for how high strung Nile was feeling. He lifted up a few of her clothes eyeing them trying to decide what he should pair with what.
"I mean does he even have a plan? Does he know how to date after what? Three hundred years? Oh my soul should plan a backup date just in case? I should, shouldn't I Joe?"
Joe walked in front of her placing both of his hands on her shoulders to stop her pacing. "Nile, I know it's Booker and he might not give a hundred percent all of the time but you are seriously underestimating him right now. It's going to be ok."
"I don't want a bad or awkward date to get in the way of our friendship." She worried her bottom lip, afraid Joe would think her confession foolish.
"You are both two grown, very old adults. If you give it a shot and hate it I feel confident the two of you won't make things weird around here. I promise it's going to be ok."
She tried to believe him she really did, but a part of her was so scared of messing this up, she wouldn't admit it, not even to herself but there was a part of her that had been hoping this might happen. She loved Booker and if he had feelings for her as well and was willing to give it a shot she would be all in. The big question was if he had feelings for her.
"Listen, the two of you have hung out countless times, you've gone on missions alone, shop together, I mean you even make dinner together. All the two of you need to do is be yourselves and everything will be fine."
She nodded, that much was true. Maybe she did need to relax.
Joe held up a maroon top, black pants and her black jacket. "I vote these. He'd be a fool not to stare at you all night."
Nile ducked her head in case the heat rising to her embarrassment at his comment. "See, I told you I needed you." She took the clothes and went to get ready.
**
"Is this even a good idea, Andy? Do you think... I'm ready for something like this?" He'd been worrying about this night ever since Quynh had set it up.
Andy put her head in her hands. "It's going to be fine, Book. You are way over thinking this."
"Am I?" He couldn't bring himself to say it out loud but he truly believed Nile only deserved the best, and he wasn't sure if that meant him.
Andy looked back up at him. "Do you want to call it off?"
"I mean-" He started.
Andy shook her head. "Yes or no?"
"But-"
"Yes or no, Book?"
"No."
"And why is that?" Andy spread her hands out in front of her.
"I..."
"Say it."
"I really like her, Andy."
"Yes, exactly, we know. The two of you are nearly inseparable."
"But what if she doesn't share those feelings?"
"Listen this is Nile we're talking about. If she didn't want to go, she would have said something, end of story. We all know how much sass that girl carries in her pocket, she's not afraid to speak her mind."
Booker stared at her for a moment unsure of what else to say, he still had so many concerns, but the reality was Andy couldn't help him with all of his doubts.
She waited patiently, giving him space to work through his thoughts. She wasn't sure how much more she could take but it would be time to go soon enough and then he would be out of her hair.
He scuffed his shoe against the carpet. "I don't want to let her down." He said softly.
She let out a sigh, she knew the demons he's faced in his life. "Come here." She patted the seat next to her.
He obliged, and she wrapped her arm around him. "Listen, it's going to be alright. There is nothing wrong with the two of you going out and having some fun. You've both done it a thousand times before and tonight really won't be much different. You're not going to let her down, or somehow fail her if everything isn't perfect. She knows what she's getting herself into. But." She pulled away to look him in the eyes. "I am begging you to relax, and enjoy yourself." She smiled, and patted him on the cheek. "In fact, that's an order." She joked with a smirk.
"Whatever you say, boss." He smiled back some of the tension in his shoulders slipping away.
"Alright. Can I help you with anything else? Plans? Wardrobe? Food choice?"
Booker laughed. "Oh, I've got all that covered, I think. It's a little late for me to be planning any of that."
"Cool. I'll leave you to finish getting ready then." She glanced at her watch. "It's five now."
Booker bit his lip, feeling the panic rising again.
"Relax!" She said exasperated and amused at the same time as she closed the door behind her.
**
"Ready?" He asked meeting Nile at the front door of the safe house.
"Yep." Nile grinned at him.
"Oh, grab your coat and some gloves. If it's alright, I'd like to take you ice skating after dinner?"
Nile's eyes lit up, she hadn't been ice skating in ages. "Of course!"
"Have a good time!" Quynh called from upstairs in an obnoxious sing song voice.
"If nothing else, at least she got a kick out of this." Nile said with fake annoyance in her voice.
"Indeed." Booker opened the door for her and they both walked outside.
Once at the restaurant, Booker led her inside, his hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her around the crowd people.
As he helped push in her chair he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You look stunning tonight."
Nile's cheeks warmed. "And you look exceptionally handsome tonight." She said as he took his seat.
Nile glanced around at the very upscale restaurant he had chosen. "This place is beautiful."
"You seem surprised?"
She shrugged. "I guess I just didn't know what to expect."
Booker chuckled. "Are you doubting my abilities to show you a good evening?" He asked with an eyebrow raised, amusement dancing on his face.
"No, I wasn't doubting you! Well, maybe a little, it has been a while since you've done this." She teased.
"Ah, but I am French, and we are still known for our abilities to woo women, no?"
Nile laughed. "You got me."
As they ordered and ate both of them were still a little relived at how natural the whole thing felt. If there was ever a pause in the conversation, the silence felt comfortable, the topics flowed freely and neither felt that the other was holding any part of themselves back. Each of them took Joe and Andy's advice and relaxed, truly making it a dinner to remember.
Booker glanced at his phone. "Would you like to continue on to the ice rink or would you like to stay here a while longer?"
"We can go now." She smiled, rising from her chair. They'd finished eating and had been talking for a while now.
"Then allow me to show you the way." He offered her his arm, which she happily took.
They found parking in the busy down town area of the city. Booker wrapped a scarf around his neck before getting out of the car.
Nile was very pleased to note that it was the same scarf she had just made for him. "Is it holding up so far?" She asked playfully tugging on one end.
"We'll see, this is it's first test run." He smiled, his gratitude clear. He had been so happy when Nile gave it to him he nearly kissed her then and there.
"Have you ice skated much?" Nile asked him as they laced up their skates.
He paused thinking about it. "I've done it a couple of times but no not really, I know I haven't done it in ages."
Nile giggled.
"What?"
"In ages is such a loose way to measure time for us. Does it mean a few years, decades or a centuries?"
He laughed. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty vague when you live as long as we do."
She stood up, testing out the skates and moving her ankles side to side, checking to see she tied them tight enough. "It doesn't matter I was just curious." She held out her hand to help him up.
He took it and stood up testing his skates as well.
"Good?" She asked still holding his hand.
"Yeah."
Nile had skated often enough while growing up and she had found it a nice pastime when she could find a place to skate over the years, it had been a while but she quickly got her footing letting go of Booker's hand for a moment while she found her balance.
Booker inched forward, his skates shaky, he held his arms out a bit for balance but once he got going a little he felt the familiar motion come back to him.
Nile had skated ahead then turned around to come back for him.
She grabbed his hand, and he wobbled, throwing out his other arm for balance.
"If you fall you better not take me down with you." Nile teased.
Booker chuckled. "No promises."
They set a comfortable pace falling into an easy rhythm as they skated around and around.
A little girl suddenly moved in front of Booker and he tried to stop and turn at the same making him wipe out and he wound up taking Nile down with him.
Nile fell on her butt without much consequence but Booker had hit his head when he fell.
"Are you alright?" He asked Nile as he sat up concern in his voice.
"Me? I should be asking you that." She reached up and dusted off all the ice shavings on his face and in his hair. "You hit your head." A scratch was already disappearing on his forehead and she tried to hide it from anyone who might be staring at them.
"I'm fine." He waived his hand flippantly in the air.
Nile frowned. "You sure?" She knew he was already healing but it was still cold and unpleasant to fall so hard.
He wiped off the blood since it had healed quickly and smiled at her. "See? All better.
Their hands and knees were freezing since they still hadn't gotten up. "Let's take a breather, ok?" Nile asked getting to her feet.
He nodded, and motioned for her to lead the way.
She took his hand and they went outside the arena where some benches were set up.
"Wait right here for a moment." He told her then walked off.
She hid a grin behind her gloved hand at how much taller he looked walking around on his skates.
He returned a few minutes later two steaming cups in his hand. "Here, thought this might help warm us up."
She sniffed hers, holding it close to soak up all the warmth it had to give. It was hot chocolate and it even had whip cream on top just the way she liked it. "Thanks!"
He had gotten himself a coffee and took a drink of it before it had any chance to cool off, unfazed by how hot it was.
He wrapped his arm around her and they sat watching the skaters.
Booker was the first to break the comfortable silence that had fallen between them. He took Nile's hand in his, rubbing his thumb gently along hers and let out a deep breathe before speaking.
"Nile, I care about you more than I've cared about anything in a very long time. I love you and I've loved you ever since I got to know you. I long to see you happy and content, without a care in the world. I admire your kindness, your wit, and your bravery. I cherish our friendship and I would never want to put anything between that friendship, but I am asking, and you can think about it you don't have to answer tonight, would you, could you, see us as more? Is this something you want to try and explore?"
Nile's smile grew bigger with every sentence Booker spoke. "Oh, Book, I've loved you for so long. I've never known anyone who makes me feel as special or as seen as you do. You always know how to make me smile and laugh. You've been my rock through so many dark days when I didn't know which way was up. I can answer you right this second, I want to be with you forever Booker, I love you." She leaned forward and kissed him, tasting the coffee on his tongue.
He kissed her back letting go of one of her hands to place his on the back of her neck, kissing her soft and deep.
"Quynh's going to be insufferable when she finds out that her set up actually worked." Nile shook her head, but she was grinning.
Booker cocked an eyebrow. "You know, we could always pretend it went horribly and really lead everyone on for a while."
Nile laughed. "We could refuse to talk to each other and lock ourselves in our rooms."
"They would want to know what happened and we would only tell them to ask the other one."
"We could even go as far as one of us leaving for a few days. Then they'd really want to know what happened."
"Their faces would be priceless." Booker laughed, making Nile laugh just as hard picturing the whole thing.
"I think Quynh would kill us when she found out it was a prank."
"Oh, for sure."
Nile bumped his shoulder with hers. "I'm glad she did it though."
Booker kissed her again. "So am I."