The weather had become unseasonably warm over the weekend. It was a beautiful day, a glimpse at the coming spring. Wanting to make the most of it, Cait suggested Deacon meet her by Mirror Lake for an early picnic lunch. She had wanted to treat him to something nice for once, so all the planning was done by her. So there she waited, seated neatly atop the cliche checkered blanket with a large wicker picnic basket by her side.
She grinned when she spotted his car pull up at the top of the hill and waved as he made his way in her direction, carrying a bottle of wine.
"Good choice," Deacon glanced around at the view, before shaded eyes fell back to her and the picnic setting. "View and company couldn't be better."
"It's a little cheesy, you have to admit. But I haven't done this since I was a kid. I thought it would be a nice break from the crowd." She rocked up onto her knees and held her hands out for the wine bottle. "Come on, sit down. I made sure to bring a blanket for us to sit on so you wouldn't ruin your pants," she teased lightly.
He glanced down at his jeans. "You can ruin these?" There was that smile again as he held the bottle of wine toward her.
"Your hundred dollar jeans? Yes. And don't think for a second you can make me believe it didn't cross your mind for a moment." Taking the bottle, Cait opened the basket to tuck it away until they were ready to pour it.
Deke dropped onto the blanket close, but not too much so. "It's not cheesy. I like it." He looked around a minute, "I think this is the first time I've actually been on a picnic."
Cait leaned ever so slightly towards him. "Really? I used to go on them all the time as a kid. But then my parents got involved in society and we stopped doing this kind of thing. It's nice. Quiet. Private."
He looked around once more, and then at her. "Kingsley used to have these catered sort of things over on his boat. I guess it was the closest I got to this." He brushed his hand over the denim covered leg. "They weren't a hundred." He then stretched his legs out and leaned back with his hands holding him up, arms behind. "Not the same at all though?company is infinitely better." He thought about her words a few more minutes. "I can get dirty you know."
Caitlin?s eyebrows lifted at the double entendre, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Oh you can, can you? I have yet to experience this. You'll...ah, have to prove it." It's not that Cait was too stuffy to flirt, she just happened to really like Deacon. Since there really hadn't been any physical contact yet, the poor girl was anxious about when it would happen. Her cheeks flamed and she looked away, trying to will herself to calm.
He chuckled at the sudden change in her color and bravery. "Well, now. Who are you, and what have you done with Cait?" He leaned a bit closer to her, as he teased. "Now that we are even on this subject that I started innocently with, not even a peck on the cheek, or a touch of hands? I've lost my appeal, or my own bravery." It wasn't true, he was trying to make a real go at changing his life. The ways of loose women and party girls, he tried to push behind himself.
"I'm..." Cait trailed off, looking anywhere but at him. "Old fashioned, I guess you could say. Not like weird 'no sex until marriage' old fashioned, but--" she sighed, forcing herself to look at his face. "I don't like to play around. My physical relationships have meaning to me."
Deacon nodded, watching and reading her face as she spoke. She was dead serious and he could appreciate that. "Well," He reached up and pushed some of that long hair back from his face and behind one ear so he could continue to watch. "I'm sure you've heard a lot about me, and my past. I guess you will have to stay around long enough to see that I've changed, or that I'm trying damn hard to change, and shake that old image."
"I'm pretty good about not judging a book by its cover. Or by other people's reviews, so to speak." Cait smiled. "You don't need to overcome your past or whatever," waving a hand in the air, shrugging slightly. "You are who you are now. Everybody deserves a second chance."
"Not trying to be a downer, but I wondered about that for myself for some time." He looked over the water, then back at her. "Living under Kingsley's shadow didn't help any of that either, but I'm glad to be here, now with you."
As he spoke, she nodded in understanding. When he finished, Cait bit her lip and looked a little sheepish. "So...can I ask you something?"
"Anything." He turned his attention back to her, watching and wondering just what he was going to have to avoid or admit.
"You grew up around them. I mean, even your mother is a vampire. Why...why aren't you? No desire or are you just waiting?"
"It would suck if I was on this pretty day, don't you think?"
?Well yeah, I guess I was just--" Caitlin scrunched her nose. "Sorry, that was a really personal question."
"Mother was turned, before he died. They were supposed to be together forever." Fingerquotes.
Oh great, now she felt even worse for bringing this up. "A few years ago, I really wanted to become one. It was the cool thing to do. Then one of my girlfriends actually went out and found someone to turn her. Later she told me it was the biggest mistake of her life."
"First thing to remember, I don't mind the questions. Secondly, it's not great. I know too many that have hated it too."
"I romanticized it back then. And now that I've had a chance to work with vampires every day," she shook her head. "I just know it's not for me."
He looked her over again, studying her eyes and her face. "No, it's not. Your eyes would lose that shine."
Those brown eyes stared back at him. "Since you don't mind the questions, I'll ask another." She inched closer on her knees, looking serious. "Do you like subs?" Cait managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds before cracking a grin, reaching over to flip the lid up on the picnic basket.
Subs? Ah, that was a bullet dodge. Too many times had he seen that too. She was talking about the sandwich, and for that he was thankful. Half his mouth curled upward. "A favorite."
"Good," She proclaimed, looking satisfied. "I tried to pick something safe. I don't know all of your likes and dislikes yet." She began unpacking the basket, placing all of the containers in front of them. There were several different meats, cheeses, and some bread. Still in the basket was the wine and some chocolate pudding, but that was for later.
"Yet?" he grinned and looked over all the meats and selection. "I get to make my own sandwich." Teasing. He picked up the mayo first, that was the base of a good sub sandwich. Eyes moved back toward her. "I'm losing formality here, I hope you don't mind."
"Yes," teasing him right back. "I'm helping you remember what it's like for all the little people out there. The ones who have to make their own food." Caitlin snickered, reaching for the mayo when he finished. "Also, you're forgetting that I practically left my family to get away from formality. I really don't mind."
"Ouch." Hand moved over his chest like she wounded him. "People making me food is nice, but I know how to cook." Very few things.
"Really?" She sounded dubious. "What do you like to cook?" After piling ham, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce on her bread, she topped it off with some mustard and pressed the sandwich together firmly.
"Grilling some burgers or steaks would be nice some evening. A couple of beers and just relaxing?like this. I make a really good chicken pasta dish, with white wine sauce. Toss a mean salad to go with it?you should let me cook for you."
A surprised expression replaced the doubtful one from earlier. "That does sound good. Does this mean you'll still want to go out on another date even though I'm forcing you to make your own sandwich?" Finally finished squashing her sandwich as flat as she could (hey, she's quirky, ok?), Caitlin shifted to sit with her legs bent at the knee, ankles crossed and to the side so she was closer to Deacon.
"Yes, I think I can see past this one time of preparing my own sandwich." He sounded as much like the spoiled brat as he could be.
"Well good. Because I rather much like you." And cue a big bite of her sandwich, looking out across the lake.
He just stopped mid sandwich making and watched her again. "Yeah?" He was a little stunned. It wasn't the fact that she admitted it, but she sort of knew him and what he was known for. She wasn't his usual sort, and he found that refreshing. He smashed his own sandwich, not as flat as hers, but enough to keep ingredients in, and not all over his clothing.
Brown eyes peeked over at him, head tilting to the side. "Don't sound so surprised. You're quite charming." She paused. "When you relax."
He would have blushed if he remembered how. "Well, usually the nice girls don't want to waste their time to find out."
She grinned when she spotted his car pull up at the top of the hill and waved as he made his way in her direction, carrying a bottle of wine.
"Good choice," Deacon glanced around at the view, before shaded eyes fell back to her and the picnic setting. "View and company couldn't be better."
"It's a little cheesy, you have to admit. But I haven't done this since I was a kid. I thought it would be a nice break from the crowd." She rocked up onto her knees and held her hands out for the wine bottle. "Come on, sit down. I made sure to bring a blanket for us to sit on so you wouldn't ruin your pants," she teased lightly.
He glanced down at his jeans. "You can ruin these?" There was that smile again as he held the bottle of wine toward her.
"Your hundred dollar jeans? Yes. And don't think for a second you can make me believe it didn't cross your mind for a moment." Taking the bottle, Cait opened the basket to tuck it away until they were ready to pour it.
Deke dropped onto the blanket close, but not too much so. "It's not cheesy. I like it." He looked around a minute, "I think this is the first time I've actually been on a picnic."
Cait leaned ever so slightly towards him. "Really? I used to go on them all the time as a kid. But then my parents got involved in society and we stopped doing this kind of thing. It's nice. Quiet. Private."
He looked around once more, and then at her. "Kingsley used to have these catered sort of things over on his boat. I guess it was the closest I got to this." He brushed his hand over the denim covered leg. "They weren't a hundred." He then stretched his legs out and leaned back with his hands holding him up, arms behind. "Not the same at all though?company is infinitely better." He thought about her words a few more minutes. "I can get dirty you know."
Caitlin?s eyebrows lifted at the double entendre, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. "Oh you can, can you? I have yet to experience this. You'll...ah, have to prove it." It's not that Cait was too stuffy to flirt, she just happened to really like Deacon. Since there really hadn't been any physical contact yet, the poor girl was anxious about when it would happen. Her cheeks flamed and she looked away, trying to will herself to calm.
He chuckled at the sudden change in her color and bravery. "Well, now. Who are you, and what have you done with Cait?" He leaned a bit closer to her, as he teased. "Now that we are even on this subject that I started innocently with, not even a peck on the cheek, or a touch of hands? I've lost my appeal, or my own bravery." It wasn't true, he was trying to make a real go at changing his life. The ways of loose women and party girls, he tried to push behind himself.
"I'm..." Cait trailed off, looking anywhere but at him. "Old fashioned, I guess you could say. Not like weird 'no sex until marriage' old fashioned, but--" she sighed, forcing herself to look at his face. "I don't like to play around. My physical relationships have meaning to me."
Deacon nodded, watching and reading her face as she spoke. She was dead serious and he could appreciate that. "Well," He reached up and pushed some of that long hair back from his face and behind one ear so he could continue to watch. "I'm sure you've heard a lot about me, and my past. I guess you will have to stay around long enough to see that I've changed, or that I'm trying damn hard to change, and shake that old image."
"I'm pretty good about not judging a book by its cover. Or by other people's reviews, so to speak." Cait smiled. "You don't need to overcome your past or whatever," waving a hand in the air, shrugging slightly. "You are who you are now. Everybody deserves a second chance."
"Not trying to be a downer, but I wondered about that for myself for some time." He looked over the water, then back at her. "Living under Kingsley's shadow didn't help any of that either, but I'm glad to be here, now with you."
As he spoke, she nodded in understanding. When he finished, Cait bit her lip and looked a little sheepish. "So...can I ask you something?"
"Anything." He turned his attention back to her, watching and wondering just what he was going to have to avoid or admit.
"You grew up around them. I mean, even your mother is a vampire. Why...why aren't you? No desire or are you just waiting?"
"It would suck if I was on this pretty day, don't you think?"
?Well yeah, I guess I was just--" Caitlin scrunched her nose. "Sorry, that was a really personal question."
"Mother was turned, before he died. They were supposed to be together forever." Fingerquotes.
Oh great, now she felt even worse for bringing this up. "A few years ago, I really wanted to become one. It was the cool thing to do. Then one of my girlfriends actually went out and found someone to turn her. Later she told me it was the biggest mistake of her life."
"First thing to remember, I don't mind the questions. Secondly, it's not great. I know too many that have hated it too."
"I romanticized it back then. And now that I've had a chance to work with vampires every day," she shook her head. "I just know it's not for me."
He looked her over again, studying her eyes and her face. "No, it's not. Your eyes would lose that shine."
Those brown eyes stared back at him. "Since you don't mind the questions, I'll ask another." She inched closer on her knees, looking serious. "Do you like subs?" Cait managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds before cracking a grin, reaching over to flip the lid up on the picnic basket.
Subs? Ah, that was a bullet dodge. Too many times had he seen that too. She was talking about the sandwich, and for that he was thankful. Half his mouth curled upward. "A favorite."
"Good," She proclaimed, looking satisfied. "I tried to pick something safe. I don't know all of your likes and dislikes yet." She began unpacking the basket, placing all of the containers in front of them. There were several different meats, cheeses, and some bread. Still in the basket was the wine and some chocolate pudding, but that was for later.
"Yet?" he grinned and looked over all the meats and selection. "I get to make my own sandwich." Teasing. He picked up the mayo first, that was the base of a good sub sandwich. Eyes moved back toward her. "I'm losing formality here, I hope you don't mind."
"Yes," teasing him right back. "I'm helping you remember what it's like for all the little people out there. The ones who have to make their own food." Caitlin snickered, reaching for the mayo when he finished. "Also, you're forgetting that I practically left my family to get away from formality. I really don't mind."
"Ouch." Hand moved over his chest like she wounded him. "People making me food is nice, but I know how to cook." Very few things.
"Really?" She sounded dubious. "What do you like to cook?" After piling ham, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce on her bread, she topped it off with some mustard and pressed the sandwich together firmly.
"Grilling some burgers or steaks would be nice some evening. A couple of beers and just relaxing?like this. I make a really good chicken pasta dish, with white wine sauce. Toss a mean salad to go with it?you should let me cook for you."
A surprised expression replaced the doubtful one from earlier. "That does sound good. Does this mean you'll still want to go out on another date even though I'm forcing you to make your own sandwich?" Finally finished squashing her sandwich as flat as she could (hey, she's quirky, ok?), Caitlin shifted to sit with her legs bent at the knee, ankles crossed and to the side so she was closer to Deacon.
"Yes, I think I can see past this one time of preparing my own sandwich." He sounded as much like the spoiled brat as he could be.
"Well good. Because I rather much like you." And cue a big bite of her sandwich, looking out across the lake.
He just stopped mid sandwich making and watched her again. "Yeah?" He was a little stunned. It wasn't the fact that she admitted it, but she sort of knew him and what he was known for. She wasn't his usual sort, and he found that refreshing. He smashed his own sandwich, not as flat as hers, but enough to keep ingredients in, and not all over his clothing.
Brown eyes peeked over at him, head tilting to the side. "Don't sound so surprised. You're quite charming." She paused. "When you relax."
He would have blushed if he remembered how. "Well, usually the nice girls don't want to waste their time to find out."