The Causeway and Points Beyond, Wednesday Evening

[glacial_queen]

Karla wasn't sulking. Not at all. That would be ridiculous. Sure, just because her boyfriend of two years had left three days before their anniversary and then hadn't called at all today was no reason to be upset. Neither was the fact that when he had finally gotten around to gracing her with a phone call, it was to ask if Karla would run down to the Causeway and check the Bee for something he'd forgotten after a hurried and half-mumbled 'Happy Anniversary'.

So Karla was down on the other side of the Causeway, looking for her stupid boyfriend's stupid car so she could find whatever stupid thing he'd been looking for. It wasn't like she had a gift burning a hole in her pocket or anything. "This is bloody ridiculous," she muttered to where Nemi was perched on her shoulder. "You hear me? Abso-bloody-lutely ridic--"

The rest of what she had to say was swallowed up by an inarticulate cry of delight. There was Warren, lounging against the Bee, holding a bouquet of irises.

[For the gentleman what was mentioned and up early for lake-related SP. I'M ONNA BOAT Y'ALL! (Well, not right now)]

Comments

[wwiii]

"Bloody ridicuwhat?"

It would have been unfair to say that Warren was smirking where he was standing. But there was a definite hint of triumph in his grin at the sound of Karla's cry.

"Surprise," he added, pushing away from the car to walk over and kiss her. "You didn't think I'd forgotten, I hope?"

[glacial_queen]

"How could I possibly think you'd do something like that?" Karla said, turning her face up to his like a flower to the sun. "I knew all along that this was a set-up. Didn't I, Nemi?"

The little dino on her shoulder beeped obligingly. "See?" she said. "He knows."

[wwiii]

"Smart little guy," Warren chuckled, glancing at Nemi and reaching up to give him a gentle scratch on the head. "And pretty conspicuous. Good thing he's tiny, hm? Isn't it? Is it a good thing you're tiny, little guy?"

They had reservations, but really, Warren should have known that Karla would have the dinosaur with her.

[glacial_queen]

Well, if someone had informed her that they had plans for the evening instead of letting her think that she was on her way to pick up a spare...whatever it had been...maybe she would have left him at home!

And dressed in something nicer than beat up jeans and one of his button-up shirts.

"Tiny?" Karla asked. "I guess it is a good thing, otherwise you'd probably still be missing a chunk, Healing factor or not."

[wwiii]

"Well, yeah. It's hard to heal if you've been swallowed whole," Warren mused. "I guess I lucked out with this little one, didn't I?"

Oh, he so had.

"I'm not interrupting any big plans for the day, I hope?"

[glacial_queen]

"You are," Karla informed him haughtily. "It's my anniversary and my boyfriend went off to college, so I'd intended to spend the evening with a large bowl of ice cream and sulking. Maybe head down to Caritas later and flirt with someone until I feel better."

About half of that was true.

[wwiii]

"Well, you're more than welcome to flirt with me over ice cream," Warren laughed. "I'm pretty sure the place we're going has that, you know."

Because if they didn't, he'd pay them to.

[glacial_queen]

"You'd let me flirt with you?" Karla asked, finger-walking her way up his chest. "But whatever would my boyfriend say?"

[wwiii]

"I'm sure he'd be very jealous. You are, after all, one hell of a woman."

He was slipping his hands around her waist, now. Could anyone really blame him?

"But I'm pretty sure I can take him. He's a bit of a pushover."

[glacial_queen]

That finger was sliding back down now, lingering by his hip. "That's what you think," she said. "But I hear he can get a nasty temper when it comes to his lady. He might surprise you if he thinks you're taking liberties."

[wwiii]

"Taking liberties?" Warren would have put a hand to his forehead if they weren't both occupied, resting on her hips and all. "I hope he's more reasonable than to just jump to assumptions like that."

A pause.

"Even if I totally am. I'm a college guy with a high school girlfriend now. He has to know how many ideas that gives me when I'm around you."

[glacial_queen]

"He may, but I sure don't," Karla said, raising her face up to his for a kiss. "You're going to have to let me know what kind of ideas you've got. Seems only fair, don't you think?"

Nemi beeped from her shoulder to suggest that he certainly thought so. Or that he was going to go after the fly he'd seen buzzing around. One of those.

[wwiii]

"I suppose it does," Warren mused, happy to take her up on that kiss, beeping nemicolopterus or none. "Perhaps we can discuss it over crepes?"

Somebody had today alllll planned out, yes.

[glacial_queen]

Karla looked down at her clothes and then over to where Nemi was doing an amazing impression of a bumblebee as he tried to get a little higher off the ground. "I don't know if I'm quite dressed for crepes," she pointed out. "Unless you intend another private picnic somewhere...?"

[wwiii]

"Paris," Warren replied, grinning shamelessly. "And there's a dress in the car for you."

A beat.

"We'll be taking a portal to Paris, though. For as much work as Ben and Tony put into it, I still don't think we'd be able to cross the Atlantic in time to make our reservation if we were to drive there."

[glacial_queen]

Karla raised an eyebrow. "Oh? One of my own dresses or did you get all fancy on me and run out and get me a new one?"

If it was the latter, Karla would be very surprised. And impressed. Especially if it fit.

"Paris? We're going to Paris? What's there?" Besides it being the most romantic city in the world. Even Karla knew that. And considering the wrapped gift that was currently burning a hole in her pocket.

[wwiii]

"I got fancy," Warren replied, smirking a little. A few quick calls back to Kaeleer and a promise to replace phone batteries for the time used to make them meant that Warren could get anything he wanted, thanks. "You like blue, right?"

Trick question!

"And if you don't know what's in Paris, do you really want me to spoil the surprise?"

[glacial_queen]

"I'm actually rather fond of pink," Karla told him with a straight face. "And frills. And short hemlines. You got me a dress just like that, right?"

And a stolen kiss to go with that description, too. Because it was required.

"Well, if you're going to promise me a surprise..."

[wwiii]

"Just like," Warren replied, stone-faced. "Except for the blue. I hope blue isn't a deal-breaker."

It was long, and of a simple, elegant cut, and azure, with actual sapphires and diamonds worked into the detailing. Because Warren never did anything in half-measures, okay?

"And a surprise is exactly what I'm going to promise you."

And another kiss. Surprising, huh?

[glacial_queen]

And there, on the passenger seat of the Bee, was the box that Warren had likely meant her to find. It was a long, white garment box and contained gown lovely enough to make Karla gasp. The back lay on top, to catch the light and sparkle.

"Oh, Warren," she cried, holding it up. "It is lovely. Is this my anniversary gift, then? This? It's beautiful." And looked like it would fit like a dream.

[wwiii]

"Part of it, at least. There are some shoes to go with it, though they're a bit simpler," because one wouldn't want to pull the attention away from that back, "and something to match."

He fished through his pocket for a moment, pulling out another, smaller box, and held that out for her.

He almost felt guilty, sometimes, that he could give her things like this no matter what the occasion. Happy Tuesday, and all. But that's why he fully intended to make up for the fact that most possible gifts were no-effort ones in Paris.

[glacial_queen]

"The kind of shoes that are strappy and run nicely up your thigh?" Karla teased, taking the box and opening it. "I'm hoping that they--oooooh!"

She turned her back to him, raising her hair to bear her neck. There were two clasps there; the one that held her Sapphire and the one that held her Hourglass, still with the sand split between both ends.

"Put it on me?"

[wwiii]

"Of course," Warren chuckled, reaching and fastening the necklace for her, maybe a little bit proud of himself, for how deft he'd gotten at that one small gesture in spite of his claws. "You like them, then?"

It was probably a good sign, what with her wanting to wear the necklace right away and all.

[glacial_queen]

"I love them." Karla shivered as one claw trailed down the top of her spine, bringing goosebumps to her skin. She vanished her hourglass and put a sightshield over her Sapphire. Tonight, only Warren's necklace would shimmer at her throat. Plucking the earrings from her ears, she vanished those as well and placed her new ones there instead. "They're beautiful."

She turned back around and smiled up at him. "How do they look on me?"

[wwiii]

"On their own, they're pretty nice looking," Warren mused, taking a half-step back for a better look. "But with you wearing them, I think all other earrings and necklaces would be jealous of these ones. You wear them well, Karla."

He needed to lean forward to kiss her, now.