Raven and Charles

[notsogroovy]

Raven had spent half the night awake and terrified that Charles was going to be mad at her. Maybe she'd been too fast to shove everything onto him, but she'd needed to get it out. She'd needed to at least say something before she exploded because she knew it wasn't fair to him to get the brunt of her temper when he hadn't done anything. Of course, the problem was that he hadn't done anything, but how was he to know? Except now he knew and he hadn't been anywhere in sight when she got home last night and now she was wondering if he hadn't wanted to know.

When she finally crawled out of bed in the morning, she might have gone a little overboard. She spent the next hour making pancakes, cooking bacon, scrambling up eggs, squeezing orange juice that was fresh if not the ripest oranges she'd ever had. There were fruit and yogurt bowls and french toast and everything possible that she could think to make. She was definitely going overboard, but she wanted to let him know that things hadn't changed. She didn't feel any differently than she had yesterday. Maybe that was the problem for him, but she'd learned to hide her feelings and she could do it a second time.

No matter what she'd said, the more she thought about it, the more she needed him in her life in any capacity that he was willing to give her. He was, in short, her only friend. He was the only person he could trust with everything that she was. Everything she wanted to be. He was the person who'd first looked at her in wonder and not in fear. He'd created a place in his life for her and made her feel wanted.

Once the food was done, she wasn't sure what to do. Most days, she'd go up with a cup of tea and just shove her way into his bedroom and entice him to come down to have breakfast with her. But then, most days she'd still be in bed and wouldn't have an absolute need to see him and figure out where they were going next. Not on. She was pretty sure that no matter how much hope she'd gotten last night that he wouldn't want that from her.

Right now, she'd just be happy to see him.

She ended up halfway down the hall to his room. She had a cup of tea for Charles, but she didn't quite want to head inside his bedroom without at least asking him first. She knocked on the door hesitantly.

"Charles? Are you awake yet?" She kept her voice quiet and her knocks were little more than gentle taps. Maybe he wasn't up or maybe he didn't want to see her quite yet. She'd understand that. She'd have to understand that. She looked down at herself. She wished she'd worn something more substantial than pajama bottoms and a tank top.

Charles had been awake for a little while before Raven came knocking at the door, but the interruption startled him out of the endless train of thought that he had fallen into. Upon waking, for a very brief moment, everything seemed right with the world. But then everything came flooding back to him, their intense conversation and the confusion that went with it, and the worry that he had fallen asleep before hearing Raven return home was there too until he caught the scent of pancakes drifting subtly into the room.

The confusion was still with him, unfortunately, and giving him a bigger headache than the one that he woke to after a night of fitful sleep. But things did appear to be a little clearer after having had the chance to allow the idea to sink in and the shock of it to wear off, and mulling it over hadn't hurt either.

But Charles still wasn't convinced that it was the best move to make, not after so many years of them playing the roles of brother and sister. Would it not make things unnecessarily awkward to turn that into something romantic? The thing that worried him the most, however, was the fact that he wasn't at all repulsed by the idea, no matter how much he always thought of Raven as a sister, and even more so that he had no inclination to turn down the idea and dismiss it with the intent on sweeping it under the rug as he always did with the things that he couldn't bring himself to deal with.

He was, however, trying very hard not to dwell too much on how all of it seemed to effect Raven, because waking up to the smell of a cooked breakfast was not something to be taken lightly.

"It would seem so," he called out to be heard through the door, sitting up in the bed with his back against the wall, and he looked a little worse for wear. "Do come in, love, I'm decent."

“You’re never that,” she retorted. She was determined that she would treat him like nothing had happened. It wasn’t his fault that she’d shoved her feelings onto him. Could she blame him if he needed time or if he was going to decide that he didn’t want to be with her? Because that was what he was going to decide, she just knew it.

She opened the door and held out the cup of tea as a kind of peace offering.

“Here’s something to wake you up. You are absolutely not getting breakfast in bed. For that you’ll have to wait until your birthday.”

She beamed at him brightly and did her best not to search his face for any sign of what he might be thinking or feeling.

“Come down soon, though, or else breakfast will get cold.” As soon as he had his tea, she was going to head downstairs. His bedroom was not the ideal place to be spending time right now.

Charles chuckled at the retort and found that he had no real comeback to it, but the simple gesture made him feel slightly less tense, relaxed him from the inside out that things could still be relatively normal despite the elephant in the room. It was a start.

He lit up at the mere sight of the cup of tea alone, pushing away from the headboard to sit up that much straighter and dragging part of the duvet with him, and he reached out for it, fingers twitching with desire and impatience, because the only way he could ever truly wake up and bear to face a day was after at least one cup. Preferably two.

"And to what do I owe this honour?" he asked teasingly as he took the tea, closed his eyes as he enjoyed the first sip. "Thank you, Raven." He didn't know whether he was thanking her for the personal tea service and making breakfast or for not allowing what had happened to alter things, but he decided that it didn't matter for the time being. The serious discussion could wait until they were both awake and on equal footing.

"You go and see that you get something inside of you, love, and I will be down shortly." He offered her a groggy sort of smile as he shook off the duvet entirely and dropped his legs over the edge of the bed, getting to his feet in order to get dressed.

And Raven did go downstairs, but she hesitated at the door as Charles stood to get dressed. She shook her head quickly and darted away before he could realize that she’d stopped. It definitely had not been a good decision to bring him tea in bed. Not with that blissful expression he’d had on his face when he’d taken the cup.

She tried to busy herself with eating to forget about that look and kept her eyes on her plate. If they were there, she wouldn’t be looking up every other minute to see if he was down yet.

She really was pathetic. She’d said she was letting him go. This hoping, waiting, was why she had decided in the first place that she needed to let him go and here she was, doing it all over again.

But, sure enough, when she heard his footsteps in the doorway, her eyes lifted up to look at him.

Charles spent less time in getting himself ready than he might usually do, but seeing as though Raven had made the effort with breakfast he hadn't wanted it to go to waste, and although he had a lecture to attend in the afternoon he had no intention of actually going to it, not today. If it came to it, he would cheat in order to catch up on missed work.

He felt nervous as he shuffled into the kitchen with the empty cup in hand, and the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth didn't quite reach his eyes, but he braved it out and took a seat across the table.

"Breakfast smells delicious," he put out conversationally, "I honestly do not know where you gained your culinary skills because it certainly wasn't from me."

Charles helped himself to some of the scrambled eggs and bacon, not at all against tucking into a fatty breakfast, eating down several mouthfuls with the usual level of manners.

“It’s called wanting to survive because you can’t cook,” Raven retorted. “Someone needed to be able to. Also, I’d much rather do the cooking and have you do the washing up.” Not that she wouldn’t help him. She’d be there with the towel to help dry things before putting them away.

She pushed plates at him. He couldn’t talk if he had a mouth full of food, could he? She knew she was delaying the inevitable, but she was going to delay it for as long as she possibly could and it seemed like he was doing the same thing.

She knew her reason. She wasn’t sure she wanted to question what his was.

"I was beginning to wonder if you enjoyed watching me slave away with the rubber gloves up to my elbows." He took the time to cut the bacon up into small pieces, busying his hands, and biding his time, gratefully taking as much of the food as he could stand to chew down.

But one of them would have to say something at some point, and he felt as if he owed her at least that much. So he finished the mouthful that he was eating and had a sip of juice.

"Now, love, you needn't be quite so worried, I can feel the tension from here without the need to take a peek." He put down the knife and fork. "Did the walk last night help at all?"

“You weren’t there.” The whisper was out of her before she could help it and she lowered her eyes back to her own plate instead of trying to watch Charles. She tightened her grip on her cutlery and her knuckles turned white. “When I got back,” she added, “you weren’t there.”

Of course, he must have been there. Somewhere. But his door was closed, his light was off, and he had gone to bed without that conversation he had promised her.

She stabbed one of the pieces of her french toast maybe a little too hard and the fork scraped along the plate.

Part her knew that it was likely her fault. She’d stayed out too later and she’d wanted him to be asleep by the time she’d gotten home. She’d wanted to put the entire thing behind them, but wanting that to happen and having the reality there when she got back were two entirely different things.

She lifted the bread to her mouth, but her stomach turned when it got close enough to smell and she put it back on her plate with a grimace.

Watching Raven this way was painful. One way or another, Charles knew that he had to put the poor thing out of her misery, but he still wasn't certain himself of what to do. It wasn't until he was forced into thinking about the idea that he allowed himself to accept that there was something there, something that had been there for a very long time, but that he had always convinced himself was all a part of being siblings.

And Raven, however unconventional, was just that. But they weren't related by blood, which he tried to focus on in order to justify the stirrings that were being unleashed after years of being buried deep.

"I did wait up, Raven, for quite a considerable time. But it became later and later, and I almost thought that you mightn't come back at all." But none of this was really helping and he knew it. He sighed, not as hungry as he had been only moments beforehand, and he reaches a hand across the table to her. "I was so worried that you wouldn't that I tired myself out, it would seem, but I did intend to stay up."

Raven looked at his hand, but didn’t take it. She wanted to. She wanted desperately to cling to his hand and not let go.

“I’ll always come back. Wasn’t that the problem that we were talking about last night?” She wanted more from him than he wanted to give, but she couldn’t seem to give him up, even when it was hurting her. Maybe worse, for whatever reason, he didn’t want to give her up either. Why was that, she wondered. Why wouldn’t he give her up? Why didn’t he want to? Last night, it had given her hope. This morning, she wasn’t feeling very hopeful.

“Why don’t we just forget what I said? It--” Her voice cracked. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Except the world. Except everything that was in her heart.

Abruptly, she stood up and picked up her dishes, moving into the kitchen. Why had she been such an idiot? Why had she told him?

Charles immediately followed suit and stood up, grabbing up what remained of the dishes because somehow he doubted that anything else would be eaten. He put them down on the side and turned his back on them, reaching out to Raven again, but this time he made the contact that he was too nervous to do so before, fingers curled loosely around her slender wrist.

"Raven, please don't do this." He sounded small, pathetic, and incredibly desperate. The one thing that Charles had never been able to stand was when the two of them were at odds with each other, and anything other than that could always be dealt with later. But not this.

"It does mean something, Raven, it means something to you. And perhaps I should have seen it before, but I know now, and we can do something to solve this." He draws in a deep breath and releases it slowly, releasing his hold and looking down at the kitchen floor. "I can't bear to see you hurting this way, not because of me, so we must sort it out."

“But not to you.” She kept her back to him. This wasn’t something she wanted to say to his face, not after last time. “My feelings aren’t something that can be solved or sorted out. I can’t just turn them off just because you might want me to, but I can try to make you forget that I had them in the first place.”

There was a tightness in her throat that said that she was going to cry very soon.

“And unless that you can honestly say that you want me to turn around and kiss you, I don’t see what you can do to help me with any of it.”

Kissing Charles, kissing him and really having him kiss back instead of just standing there shocked. It was something that Raven wanted and was beginning to regret wanting.

“So just...stop trying to placate your little sister.” There might have been a bit of a bite to that. It never failed to annoy her when he did that and in ways that had nothing to do with her feelings toward him and everything to do with the fact that they’d grown up together.

In comparison to how he might normally handle a difficult situation, Charles surprises himself by remaining calm and in control, and without using his abilities to aid him. He might, on occasion, use them on others, but never with Raven.

"Of course it means something to me, love, and if I had known how you were feeling or how upset you were, then I might have been able to help sooner." He reached out a hand and placed it upon her shoulder from behind, giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. "If there is one thing that I can't bear it's to see you hurt, and knowing that this is all because of my ignorance pains me, so for that I am sorry."

Charles stepped around her then, bent his knees to lower himself just enough to get a better glimpse of her face. "This is difficult, Raven, I sharen't lie about that or tell you that this is going to be in any way easy. But that doesn't mean that - it doesn't mean that I'm not interested."

“Help?! There isn’t anything you can do to--” She made a frustrated sound. He always wanted to do the right thing. He always wanted to make things easier, but the things that Raven wanted weren’t easy. They weren’t safe. They were terrifying and heartbreaking and every time she even thought about talking about it, she wanted to hide in corner.

“Feel pained about this, Charles.” She dropped the plates into the sink with a clatter and lifted her hands, cupping both of his cheeks as she pressed a kiss to his mouth. She hadn’t had the courage to do it last night - or maybe she’d wanted him to make the first move - but she was tired of waiting.

He said he was - or at least wasn’t not - interested. So let him prove it.

However much it took Charles off-guard when she made an advancement, just as it had the previous night, it didn't prevent him from reacting according this time. Lying in bed as he tossed and turned before finally having fallen asleep, Charles had found it difficult to think of anything beyond the press of her lips against his skin, and he felt utterly disgusted with himself. But it hadn't been due to the fact that it had happened, that it had been something less innocent than it might once have been, but it had been because he realised too late that he rather enjoyed the idea of it and more.

His hand was shaking as he brushed ever-so-gently against the smooth warmth of her cheek, and once the initial shocked had worn off he had no intention of allowing her to run away this time. With his other hand, Charles snaked it around her back, and although it didn't actually make contact, it was there in waiting should she attempt to escape.

Raven's lips were soft and warm, and he could taste the remnants of their shared breakfast there along with something else, something he couldn't quick put his finger on, but decided that it was her own unique flavour. The kiss was short and messy, and when it was over he stayed right where he was.

"I do hope that you realise those are the only plates that we have here."

“Should I make sure I broke them so it’ll give you an excuse to take me out to dinner?” Her words were a bit huskier than usual, but then, Charles had just kissed her. Charles. He hadn’t kissed her on the cheek or on the forehead, but instead had kissed her right on her lips. All right, maybe she’d started the kiss, but he had certainly ended it. Or maybe with the way he was still holding her, he had only paused it.

She dropped one of her hands to his chest and let the other trail over his face. Her lips parted a little when her thumb reached his lips.

She took that step back, feeling his arm pressing against her, and leaned against the counter. The one hand tugged him in by his shirt so that he was pressed against her, but the other kept tracing his lips.

The entire thing was strange, Charles decided, but not necessarily in a bad way, and he felt not regrets, even if he had still been somewhat cautious about what it was that they were actually doing. What if it were to go completely wrong? If something were to happen and them being together as something more than self-proclaimed siblings didn't work out? The thought of losing her over it didn't bear the thought, but that didn't stop it from nagging away at the back of his mind.

He allowed himself to be dragged, body much more relaxed as it ran on adrenaline, and he made no move to pull free. He went to place his hands upon her shoulders, but that seemed oddly inappropriate with the change, and he flailed them awkwardly for a time until he finally settled with resting them at her sides, his cheek pressing into her touch as his eyelids dropped with the affectionate touch. He may have slept around more often than he would ever admit to, but it never meant anything beyond the physical. But already this was something else entirely.

"If you have a desire to go out this evening, I suppose I could stretch to buying dinner, but -" he hesitated, not wanting to spoil the moment, but also needing to be sure. "Are you quite certain that this is what you want?"

Raven leaned in and replaced her thumb with her lips. She kissed him slowly and put every ounce of feeling she had into the kiss. She loved him. She’d wanted this for so long that she couldn’t even remember when she’d started wanting it. Him.

“Yes,” she whispered against his lips. “Yes, I’m sure. You absolutely do not need to ask that. The question is...are you sure?” She brushed her lips over his again, but didn’t quite kiss him. It was more an affectionate gesture. She was pretty sure that if she let him go right now, she’d be trembling. This was almost too fast, but she absolutely refused to slow down. She needed this too much. She needed him.

Charles froze at being asked the question, although he knew that it would come up eventually, and she had every right to ask it just as he had of her. But he took a good long moment to think about how to answer, because as much as he was beginning to realise that, yes, he did want this, that he probably had for a long while and had simply never allowed himself to entertain the idea all things considered, Charles still did have doubts, but he had to believe that in time they would eventually ebb.

If he were to hurt Raven now somehow then he would never forgive himself, and putting his foot in his mouth is certainly something that he seemed to be quite good at.

"Yes, love," he confirmed, soft and quiet, and more honest that he thought he could, "I'm sure. But there are aspects of this that might take a little longer to adjust to."

“I’m not suggesting that I’ll be curled up in your bed tonight.” Although that did, frankly, sound very nice. Curled up with his arm around her and his weight against her back. The thought distracted her for a moment before she shook her head to try to clear the image. At least it was a better image to have than any of the other, more explicit ones she could probably come up with.

Except that then she started picturing them. She leaned her head against Charles’ chest with a groan. Damn it. She didn’t want to scare him off before they’d done anything other than kiss.

Charles opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again, because even though he wasn't attempting to read her thoughts there are some things that leap out at him when he least expects it, and this happened to be one of them. He tried again to get out a few words, but instead made a noise that sounded awfully like a fish out of water.

"Well, it's not as if we haven't shared a bed in the past, I don't suppose, and if it were to remain solely innocent for the time being then I see that there is no shame in that." He knew that it wasn't what she had in mind, exactly, but it was something that he felt able to offer her for the time being, and it did get horribly lonely at night once the rest of the world was shut out.

And of course he’d seen right through her. He always did when she least wanted him to. Well, she might as well run with it, hadn’t she?

“And not like you haven’t seen me naked before,” Raven pointed out. Because as much as she tried, sometimes she just didn’t want to ‘think clothes on’. Plus there had been the time when she’d been a little girl, but she wasn’t counting that. That was less ‘seeing her naked’ and more ‘seeing her as being like Charles’.

She smirked at him. “More fish noises?”

"Raven!" Charles meant to say something more, but he was too embarrassed by the thought to really get to that point. But this was something that he was going to have to stop, to break free of the habit, because if this was ever going to work he could no longer try to protect her as if she were his little sister, to want to keep her and her modesty in tact. Raven had always been her own person, though, and he knew that, he had always known it, but it had never stopped him from making a fuss.

"Those were not fish noises, I was merely trying to - to -" But he was hardly fooling anyone, and in the end he just laughed, shook his head at the entire thing, and wondered for a passing moment if this was all just a dream. It felt a little like it. "Oh, all right, but you can hardly expect me not to when you throw that at me so unexpectedly."

“Hey, it’s not like I planned to throw the images at you. It just happened. Unexpectedly. And you can’t really blame me when you’re still kissably close, you know. A girl gets ideas. Especially when she’s been thinking about this for a while.”

Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. She let out a shaky sigh against his skin. “I was so sure you were going to say no.”

So sure and so glad that he hadn’t. She just wanted to curl up against him for the rest of the day and be with him. Sex was on her mind, sure, but she just wanted him to hold her and reassure her that he wanted her and things were going to be all right.

It was like he’d done as children, only...different.

This was something that Charles could manage, and he wanted to laugh at the irony of how he would no doubt be the one who would need to take things one step at a time where as Raven seemed to be three steps ahead. But he decided that it would be good for them, a test of sorts, and for once he would have to learn to sit back and allow Raven to take charge.

Charles remained where he was, even though he knew it was probably encouraging things neither of them were really ready for yet no matter how long feelings had been there known or otherwise, and he wrapped both arms around her, held her to him and drew in her familiar scent. It was comforting, to have things be simple, and it helped for what would inevitably come.

"This may be a little difficult to explain to the people who think of us as brother and sister." He couldn't help thinking it, of what people would think of them if they were to find out, and he knew that it wasn't really important, it was there business and no one else had any right to judge them. But Charles had always been concerned about what others thought of him, desperate to please and eager to fit in. He was going to have to make a lot of changes in his life, but standing there with Raven pressed against him he knew it would be worth it.

“I don’t care. Let people talk.” She should care. She probably did care, but she was used to thinking she was hearing people whisper behind her back. Had she made a mistake? Did someone know? They never did, but ignoring the looks was something she was used to. Charles, though, he reveled in the looks. As much as he claimed to believe they should be hidden in the crowd, he always seemed to make himself stand out.

She stifled a yawn and closed her eyes. It had been a rough night and, now that she knew, exhaustion was hitting her. Maybe if she just leaned against Charles a little, he’d never know she was falling asleep on him.

The idea of people speaking openly about them behind their backs, especially the ones that he had come to refer to as friends, bothered him if he was to be perfectly honest, but then again he had always been deeply concerned over keeping their true identities a secret. It was okay for Charles himself, blending in amongst what might be referred to as the normal people wasn't all that difficult, although he did have to be careful not to slip up, but even if it he had, and he had in the past, he could make small numbers forget immediately afterwards. Raven, on the other hand, was quite a different story entirely.

"You must understand that no matter how much things may change within the walls of this flat that beyond them everything should remain the same. If we become too complacent, Raven, we are much more likely to give ourselves away." He was, of course, speaking of their mutations, but a part of him also meant all of it. Arising suspicion by making themselves stand out was not the wisest idea, and whatever upset it might cause her, Charles had always done this out of fear of any harm coming to her, even when it meant that she had to sacrifice her freedom.

Irritation flashed through her and she pulled her head back so she could look at him. “So does that mean that you’re going to continue using your little ‘party tricks’ on all the unsuspecting co-eds, then? Because it’s not suspicious at all when you walk up to some pretty girl and just know the drink she was going to order for herself.” Not to mention that normal for him was flirting with half of the girls at the pub on any given night.

“Tell me, what else isn’t going to change? You’ll take the girl home? Because that’s what people expect from you. But what are you going to do when you get here?”

She pushed him back and took a few steps away. Suddenly being in his arms felt like being confined. She knew, even if she wanted it to be different, why he wanted things to be ‘normal’, but she didn’t have to like it. He was the only one she could be herself around.

Charles groaned, frustrated, but also understanding of the predicament from Raven’s point of view. He tried to remain calm, to deal with this rational, because it was no secret that sometimes, when he spoke, the words didn’t always quite carry across the way that he intended them to.

“No, love, that - I didn’t quite mean it in that respect.” But if he was honest, he hadn’t really considered that side of things at all until she mentioned it. That was something, wasn’t it? That the idea of picking up random women and taking them back to the flat to carry out unlawful acts hadn’t been very high on his list of priorities. Now that he thought about it, though, it did worry him that his tendency to avoid commitment might be somewhat of an issue should they last long enough for it to become something truly serious. He was willing to try, though, for her, and who knew, he might actually surprise them both once he put his mind to it.

“Of course I would no longer do those sorts of things,” he attempted to reassure, realising how little was really there considering he had been the one saying it, and he paused before adding, “But I can’t promise not to at least flirt with some of my fellow students. For show, at least, if nothing else. But strictly harmless, you understand. If my behaviour were to change so suddenly, especially as part of what I study is psychology with very interested parties on such matters, then it might rouse suspicion.”

Raven narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. “Then you wouldn’t have a problem if I flirted with some of the guys at the pub? Just for appearances? Maybe I could make it up to Tom, since I treated him so badly last night.” She might have used Tom because she’d seen his reaction, at least the first reaction. If it hadn’t been jealousy, it had at least been something resembling it.

“You know. My friends have been wondering why I wasn’t dating someone. Maybe I should find someone to go out with. For show.”

The corners of her lips lifted just a little, not to show that she was joking - because she wasn’t - but to show Charles that she knew exactly what kind of reaction she was trying to inspire in him. She wanted him to hate and reject the idea because that’s what she felt.

Memories of the previous night flooded back like a damn breaking its banks, and it had suddenly hit Charles exactly just how much had changed in such a short period of time. He tried to take in slow, deep breaths to prevent himself from reacting badly, the image of Tom and the way that he stared at Raven, as if he wanted to do nothing more than get her alone.

He couldn't bear to think about it.

"Oh, now, Raven, listen here, you are not to go throwing yourself at anyone simply to prove a point. Do you realise how dangerous that could be? Unlike you, I have seen into the minds of some of those seemingly innocent young men and I dread to think of any of them getting their hands anywhere near you."

The anger came and went, and it had been closer to panic mixed with concern rather than anything else. But he could feel the bile rising from his stomach at the mere thought of it, even Tom, who, as far as he had established, wasn't much of a threat. Not unless you happened to be over-protective and somewhat selfish when it came to the girl in question. "Fine, all right, if it means that much to you then I will attempt to avoid all situations that may lead down this path." But he doesn't make it a promise, because those he had never been that good at keeping.

“Charles, I’m not some naive little girl anymore.” She wanted to be. And, she’d admit, she sometimes acted the part. It was easier to act it when she still looked sixteen, but the thing he always seemed to forget was that she wasn’t much younger than he was. She didn’t know what to do when it came to relationships, but wasn’t that the point of this? She wanted to know. She desperately wanted to know.

“I might not be able to read minds, but I think that I’ve come to a pretty good understanding over the years by watching you. Or are you going to try telling me you called them all the next morning? And just because I’ve never had it doesn’t mean I’m not interested in it.”

She turned away and lowered her head. There were two reasons she’d never considered it. One was that she’d never let herself get close to anyone for the sake of their secret. Not that close, at least. And the other was that she was afraid what would happen during sex. Wasn’t it supposed to be the ultimate release? They both knew what happened when she ‘released’.

Charles stood there and frowned at the world, and had he known that it wouldn't hinder the case rather than help it, he may very well have stuck both fingers in his eyes and repeated something childish to drown out the image.

But she was right. Of course she was right. He had pictured her as his little sister for so long that he wasn't entirely certain of how to see her as anything else. Or, now that he knew that there was something beyond their relationship than family, he struggled to see her out in the world as anything else, always wanting to keep her close and protect her. But he always knew that someday, and unfortunately not as far along as he might have hoped, he would have to finally accept the fact that she is a grown woman who is more than capable of making her own decisions.

Charles began to step closer, but he stopped himself, awkwardly torn between reaching out and staying put. "Raven, please, you must understand that this is difficult. It's a huge alteration from what it is that we have both known for so long. And I'm nothing if not stuck in my ways, you of all people know that better than anyone. I need a little adjustment time, but I am trying, that I will promise you."

“Adjustment.” Raven repeated the world, rolling around in her mouth experimentally. It left a bad taste behind it. Who needed an ‘adjustment’ in order to express their feelings? She could understand if she wanted to take it slow. As much as she wanted to dive in head first, she knew that waiting was probably the wisest choice and Charles had always been wise - at least when it came to her. But she didn’t need to ‘adjust’ to her feelings.

“You know,” she said slowly, “you always worry about what I need, about how you’re going to protect me, about how I feel. Well, now you know how I feel. Why don’t you try to figure out what you do?”

She pointed at him and raised an eyebrow. “Stay.” With that, she turned on her heels and headed for her room. She thought that maybe she’d get some sleep. Or at least stare at the walls until she gave up on the option.

Exasperated, Charles opened and closed his mouth several times as he tried to come up with the right words. But that was the whole problem in the first, wasn't it? He never knew what the right words were. Even he realised that there was irony in that, especially considering the fact that, at any given moment, he could simply reach into their mind and get the insight that he needed.

He watched as she left him there without trying to stop her or call her back, and instead he turned to the mess in and around the sink, removed the dirty dishes in order to fill it with steaming water with far too much washing up liquid in making the bubbles spill over.

But he didn't stop thinking about their predicament, taking into account the truth of what Raven had said. She had a point, and a very big one at that. He thought himself selfless at times, putting the needs of others before his own, but in doing so had he been selfish at times? If it hadn't been quite so early in the morning, and if he had actually got a decent amount of sleep, he would be turning to a bottle of scotch to help ponder everything. She would still be there later, and he knew that with the way things were it wouldn't do either of them any good if he went barging into her room to try again.

* * *

It was hours later, almost dark, when Raven resurfaced. She’d had a long nap, had a few hours while she attempted to keep herself busy in order to stave off questions of what Charles was doing or whether he had come to any kind of conclusions, and finally taken a shower. As she dried her hair, she realized that it was about dinnertime. She remembered extracting a promise for a dinner date, but realized that probably wasn’t going to happen now.

She’d created a mess. Even if he did want her, he was going to be struggling with thinking of her like she was his sister. Over the years, she hadn’t really done anything to dissuade him from the idea, even if she’d felt...but had she?

Kissing him felt right, but she also looked to him to be her protector. He was the one she went to when things went wrong, like they had last night. Wasn’t that the act of a brother, not a lover?

She dropped her robe and looked at herself in the mirror. She was different. She’d always be different, no matter how much she tried to fit in. Sometimes she wondered if Charles felt the same way. Did he feel different or did he feel like everyone else? Her skin flickered as she ‘tried on’ a few outfits. Eventually, she decided on a simple blouse and skirt. Charles probably had reconsidered eating out and she was hungry. It was definitely dinnertime.

While Raven had been locked away in her room, Charles had taken advantage of the bathroom once the dishes and general housework had been taken care of. It wasn't often that he the time to take care of everything, and he knew that he couldn't always leave it to her to deal with. But by the time he heard her exiting her bedroom, he had taken out his best suit and dressed himself up as best he anyone could with his taste.

There was an expensive restaurant in the city that hadn't been open long and he had been meaning to find a justified reason to go, and thankfully it had been within reach to persuade the receptionist that there happened to be a booking available for two that evening.

Charles stepped out of his room ready to go and sat down on the sofa to wait for Raven to surface, although he did wonder whether or not she would really be in the mood to leave the flat after everything. He'd had time enough to think, as he cleaned the house and got himself ready, and he knew that he needed to make so much up to her.

Raven stopped when she saw him and she sucked in a breath. Sometimes, she couldn’t believe that she had a man like him in her life. He was just so terribly...handsome. She sucked in a shaky breath and cleared her throat. “It seems like I’m a little underdressed. We’re not staying in, then?” There was hope in that statement. Hope that he was taking her out and hope that him taking her out meant...something. She wasn’t sure what, but definitely something.

"There is a booking at a beautiful restaurant and a date awaiting, so provided that you still wish to dine out this evening, then I very much think that you are good to go." Charles stood as he spoke, voice soft with a gentle smile and tone apologetic. "But the choice is yours, love, we can always order in instead or I can throw us something together if you aren't in the mood."

Hope sparked in his eyes as he waited on a response, a second chance looming over them, and he really wanted to get it right this time, to avoid saying the wrong thing as he always seemed to when it counted the most. Maybe that's what he needed, he thought, to be surrounded by the romance of couples in a restaurant where he could get into the right frame of mine without any of the usual thoughts rushing through his mind as distractions or discouragements.

Raven’s answer wasn’t in words. Instead, she flickered again as she momentarily revealed her natural form before settling on a floral print dress suitable for a night out with the outfit he was wearing. She twirled around for him.

“So. Do you approve?” The dress was just a little low cut and she was curious about whether he’d say something or not mention it and, if he did say something, what he’d say. He could either appreciate the dress or say that she should wear something a little less revealing. She wasn’t quite sure what he might say.

Charles caught the brief glimpse of blue as she made alterations to her form and froze, then drew in a deep breath, because everything else aside that would be another complication in their relationship. He knew that he could be shallow, but for the most part that was merely an act that had stuck, and the beauty of her true form had always taken his breath away whether he chose to admit to it or not. But the problem wasn't if he approved of it or not, but if she ever became too complacent and slipped up out in the open for all see if she were to be truly happy and not quite as on guard as she might be otherwise.

It was a huge risk.

"Seeing as you look rather stunning I can honestly say that I very much approve." He did spend a moment longer than he ought to around the lining of the top of the dress, but he held himself back from saying a word of objection to it, even though a fleeting frown passed over his expression. She would be with him, after all, and if anyone had the nerve to take advantage of a beautiful young women, aloud or otherwise, then he would see to it that it was the last time. "Am I to take it that we are to be going out for dinner, then, love?"

“Absolutely.” She walked over to him and held out her hand. She’d seen the look, but wasn’t sure whether it was because of what she was wearing or because of her shift. She wasn’t going to ask, though. She wasn’t sure she wanted to ask yet. She just wanted dinner. A simple dinner with Charles. They’d done it before, but never like this. Never with this tension between them that was half frustration of one sort and half frustration of another.

“So. Come take me to dinner, Charles.”

She smiled at him.

Charles lowered his gaze to the offered hand, paused for a moment as he saw something more in it than the simple gesture, and then took it with a warm smile. Her hand felt strong in his, but slight and smooth, and he had never really considered it before despite their casual touches in the past.

Everything felt strange, as if he was waking up after a long hibernation, and opening his eyes to the world in a slightly different light.

It was surprisingly nice.

"As you wish, my lady, as you wish." The smile turned slightly, adding a little more charm to it, something he might have used on a random woman at a bar, but it came much more naturally to him in that moment, and it felt right. "We shouldn't have to wait long for a taxi cab at this hour. Are you going to be warm enough?"

Raven nudged him a little and returned the smile. “I’ll be fine.” It usually didn’t get too cold for her and, if it did, she’d just borrow his coat. She rather liked that idea, but then, she was a romantic at heart it seemed.

She had to admit that she was a little taken aback at the particular smile he was giving her. She’d seen it before, but never aimed at her. That was his flirting smile and its appearance had always caused her stomach to feel like it was squeezing up in dread. Now that same look was giving her butterflies instead.

“So do we have reservations or are we just going to try our luck?” The question was a double-edged sword. She wanted to know where they were going, of course, but she also wanted to know if he’d called early enough to actually get a reservation somewhere.

Leading them into the hallway, Charles checked the pocket of the better of his coats on the stand for his wallet and draped it over a bent arm without releasing their lock of their arms. "As difficult as it is to believe, I did manage to find us somewhere with an actual reservation available for this evening, and I do hope that it is to be somewhere you enjoy."

He stood himself up straight, as if he was proud to have Raven hanging from his arm and preparing to show her off, and he offered her yet another smile, warm and gentle, and much more certain than he had been earlier.

"Are you ready?"

“You found a place? Really?” Raven feigned shock. She knew Charles and knew that, mind tricks aside, once he set out to get something, he usually tended to get it. He was just that kind of person. She reached her other arm across her body and squeezed his arm. “And how many arms did you have to pull and palms did you have to grease to make that happen? Not that I’m complaining.”

No, the last thing she was thinking of was a complaint when it came to going out with Charles. Although the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this might actually be a date.

She clung a little more to Charles’ arm.

“Ready.”

"What on earth are you implying?" he asked, tone teasing, and smile growing into a grin. "Nothing of the sort took place whatsoever. Raven, where do you come up with these things."

Charles reached for the doorknob and pulled it open, gesturing with a charming nod of the head. "Ladies first." He waited with a calm patience, unable to stop smiling, and the nerves he felt grew by the second, as if thousands upon thousands of butterflies were fluttering around in his stomach.

“Just reminding you that you can be absolutely devious when you think it’s for the right cause.” Her cheeks were beginning to hurt, she was grinning so much and she ducked through the door, hoping he wouldn’t notice the sudden apprehension she felt. This was just Charles. She’d been to dinner with him hundreds of times. But now it was suddenly different. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I’ve known you for too long, remember, and I know the kind of trouble you can get into. The kind of trouble you like getting into.”

She shot him a cheeky grin. “Or shouldn’t I mention some of the more interesting nights at the pub?”

The door clicked closed behind them as he followed her out, not sure if he should re-link their arms or not, and after a moment of awkward hand flailing he opted to against it. Usually he was drunk or riddled with thoughts of only one thing when taking a girl out on a date, and right now he had neither to rely on, working this out as he went.

"Whether I enjoy getting myself into trouble or not is beside the point." He slowly began to walk them down the corridor to the lift. "The point is that the woman in question is very much worth every second of it."

And he meant it. Sometimes the things that are staring a person right in the face are the things that are the last to be noticed.

But Charles noticed Raven, now, and he planned to do his best to see that he did this all properly.

“You know, it just sounded like you were planning on getting into trouble with me.” She knew that it wasn’t what he’d meant, but what else could she do but tease him? It was something she felt comfortable with. Especially when she could feel her ears burning at being ‘worth it’ to Charles. There was some change she could see in him, some difference in the way he’d been this morning, even when he’d had his lips pressed to hers.

She waited, then, until the doors of the lift were shut behind them and she could see that they were alone before leaning up to him and pressing her lips to his.

“You know something?” she whispered. “You’re very worth it, too.”

The kiss took him off-guard, but when it came down to it he almost expected it in a strange way, and that time, that time he returned the kiss, something soft and slow, and very much a build-up to what could come later if he kept himself in check. He felt the need to prove himself, to both Raven and himself, and show that he really was worth it before he accepted it. Because the few doubts that still remained, the things that made him hesitate on occasion around the enthusiasm he was gaining, was the fact that he still thought she was worth more than him, that she could do better.

"Is that so?" He brushed a loose strange of hair back that had fallen into her face, tongue flicking out to wet his lips and tasting her there still. "It does help to be aware of these things." He jabbed the right button and the lift began to move.

“Absolutely worth it.” She would tell that to him every single time she thought he needed to hear it. She slid her hand down and entwined her fingers in his. Probably, he would let go once the doors were open. Things were supposed to appear the same, he’d said, but she wanted to do something that was just them. That was new. She occasionally took his arm, but she’d never really held his hand.

“So, you haven’t told me yet which restaurant we’re going to, only that you managed to get a reservation through your Xavier wiles.”

She looked up at him with a curious expression on her face.

Charles looked at their entwined hands and decided that it felt better than he imagined it would, and after everything that he had already put Raven through he didn't have the heart to break them once the lift stops with the ping and the doors rattled open. Besides, it was only hand holding, a simple gesture, and should anyone happen to see them who knew of them, well, let them talk if it pleased them. If any of it came back on her later on, he would see to it that it never happened again in his own way.

"Do you recall that new Chinese restaurant that you were eyeing fondly just the other week as he walked by the theatre?" It had been booked up from the day that it had opened, not the largest of restaurants, but comfortable, and from what he had seen the décor with in was red and white, the atmosphere romantic. Of all the places that he knew of, he thought that this might have been the most appreciated of choices. "But if you're not in the mood for Chinese, we can always try our luck somewhere else."

“You...are amazing.” Raven shook her head at him. She wasn’t sure how he did it, but he always managed to surprise her. Pleasantly.

She couldn’t help but glance around when they left the lift. Were people looking at them? Did they know? She knew that Charles didn’t want them to, but she was secretly hoping they did. Wasn’t there something that said that you could see it on a person’s face when they were in love? She must have been giving Charles those puppy-dog looks for years. Maybe people wouldn’t know the difference in her. She wanted them to see the difference in him, then.

“What did you have to beg, steal, or offer to get us a reservation there on such short notice?”

A seemingly innocent and extremely charming shift worked its way into his expression, which was no doubt telling enough. "Now, I don't want you to judge me for this, but I may have had to cheat a little." He held up the hand with the coat dangling over it and gesticulated with a small measurement between thumb and index finger. "A very tiny amount. What use is there in having such an intriguing ability if I can't use it to our advantage every now and again, mmm?"

Reaching the front entrance of their building, Charles stopped and held the door open for her, waving a hand this time to send her on before him where he might usually have gone straight on ahead without a second thought, or the two of them might have been playfully attempting to beat each other out. He would miss moments like those, if they were to stop. But them being an item of sorts didn't mean that they did. Or, at least, he hoped. "Besides, no one was harmed in the process, and I very kindly persuaded the booking taker to admit that there were a couple of spare tables free for emergencies."

“You are such a...” Her voice lowered a bit huskily. “Naughty, naughty man. One of the things I like so much about you. Especially when you’ve been your usual old-man self.” She looked from him to the door and raised an eyebrow. “And then you go into being a gentleman? No, no. I don’t think so.” She grabbed the door from his hand and gave him a challenging look. “After you.” Just because she liked him being a gentleman didn’t mean that she was going to let him get away with it.

She looked at him and almost dared him to do something about it. The last thing she thought he should do was get complacent that she would just roll over for him just because he knew now that she cared for him. Not a chance.

It looked as if an objection was coming, but as Charles stood there, glancing between Raven and the entrance and back again, a slow and playful smirk formed, lifting up the corners of his mouth. He saw the challenge there in her eyes, and for once he caught on to what it was she was doing, to what she was communicating with the need for words, and if he was to be honest with himself, which, to be fair, he wasn't always, Charles was just a little bit relieved.

Making a grab for the door, Charles sprung into life and charged for the door, yanked it open and made it out seconds before she did. "It would appear that you're losing your touch, love, and I thought that I was the old one." He looked smug, too much so, and very much like his usually old self. It felt good, reassuring, and it helped to ease the nagging doubts that he had tried to bury, chose to ignore and put on mute. But maybe now they wouldn't need to be voiced, not yet, not unless a problem ever arose.

"The last one to gain the attention of a taxi is a rotten tomato."

Raven just laughed at Charles when he mentioned getting the attention of a taxi. “Easy,” she shot back. “They’re called Thing 1 and Thing 2.” Taking the names from the Dr. Seuss tale, she just looked down at her chest and back up at him with a small smirk on her face. Granted, her breasts weren’t very large - even if she could make them larger - but she had a distinct advantage over him. People always wanted to stop for a pretty girl.

She stepped out onto the street and whistled, putting her fingers between her lips and blowing, and then lifted her hand and waited, confident in both the fact that someone would stop and that someone would come for her call over Charles’.

It was almost a shame that she’d turned her back and couldn’t see his reaction to her comment.

Charles had already begun in the attempt to get a taxi to slow to a halt for the two of them, and to no avail. And at first Raven's comment made little to no sense until he saw where she pointedly looked, caught that mischievous glint in her eye. He flushed at the thought alone, staring down at her chest too long for all of the wrong reasons, and his jaw fell slack.

He came so very close to chastising her, to listing off the many reasons why doing such a thing, whether it was to their advantage or not, was not the wisest move to make in the world. But he stopped himself just in time, watched in amazement as a black car pulled into the side, slowed for a metre or two, and then squealed to a stop with his brakes in need of a good seeing to.

Walking up to stand at her side, Charles still looked somewhat shocked at all of this, and seemed to try too hard to keep his gaze locked onto her face. "And how long, exactly, have you been using this approach at getting the things that you want?"

“Longer than you probably want to think about,” Raven said promptly. It was a big of a fudge. She didn’t actually use her feminine wiles to get what she wanted most of the time, but she had to admit that she was at a bit of an advantage over him when it came to the male taxi drivers. Plus, it wasn’t like she could help it when men looked at those advantages even if she wasn’t actively showing them off and accorded her advantages because of it. Was it?

She headed over to the taxi while Charles was staring at her and opened the door.

“Come on. Get in and maybe you’ll stop thinking about my breasts and how I might use them.”

After gaping for a moment longer, Charles snapped back to reality, and he found it better to cope with if he laughed it off, head shaking with a playful kind of disapprovement. Had their predicament been the same as it had not twenty-four hours ago, his reaction would more than likely have been something considerably different. But as things stood, he could hardly chastise her when he himself often cheated, on the rare occasion, to gain something that he needed.

He hopped down off the edge of the pavement and climbed inside the taxi, taking up the space beside her and fumbling with the seat belt that most often chose to ignore as he informed the driver of where it was they wished to go.

"And I certainly wasn't thinking anything of the sort. Not at all."

“Maybe not then, but now?” Raven winked at him. She smiled a little when she saw his fumbling and put her hand over his. She was nervous, too, but she was trying very hard to calm down and just take a breath. She could handle this. And, if she needed to, she could handle him, too.

She leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Just so you know, I suggested that on purpose. Just to see the look on your face once you started thinking about it. About them.”

“Ah, well, yes. It is a little difficult to refrain from thinking of a certain thing when it’s right there and being pushed in front of you.” He realised the wording and stuttered a little, hand flailing towards nothing in particular. “So to speak.”

A shiver ran down his spine as her soft voice hit his hear and warm breath moistened his skin, and he closed his eyes, tried to will himself not to think about such things whilst out in public where he is unable to really do anything about it. “Raven, really,” he muttered, looking somewhat flustered around the edges, “When on earth did you become this much of a tease? You certainly haven’t learnt it from me.”

“Oh, haven’t I? Do you see that red hair? Glorious mutant genetics. Can I buy you a drink? I know exactly what you like.” She batted her eyelashes at him and laughed. “Come on, Charles. We both know that you are a flirt. Is it really that much of a surprise that some of it - and really only a small part - has ended up rubbing off? So to speak, of course.”

She curled her fingers up in his and leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. “And there’s something else.” She smiled broadly. “Now I have a reason to.”
Charles sat there speechless, which was a rarity, as Raven attempted to mimic him playfully. He never really realised how openly obvious he was when it came to the flirting, more often than not tending to ensure that she was at the other side of a pub or a club when he worked his charms, but he discovered too late that he wasn't quite as subtle as he had always assumed.

He looked down at their hands, his own stilled for a time, and then he hutched their fingers that much closer together, locking them, offering a little comforting squeeze. Hand holding was something that they had done before, on occasion, to console one another or to generally show their unity, and even with the added meaning to it things didn't feel all that different.

"If I had been aware of your prying, I might have toned it down a little. But if I am to now reap the benefits of it, then it can't be all bad." He turned his head and rested his cheek atop of hers, nuzzling it a little and enjoying the moment, glancing out of the windows as streets passed them by. "And from now on you sharen't have to overhear my flirtations as you shall be much closer to them."

Raven wasn’t sure how to tell him that he was everything to her. She wasn’t sure how to say that she’d been walking around with an ache in her chest for as long as she could remember. It wasn’t always bad. Most of the time it was hardly noticeable. And then he did something like go out to the pub and she was reminded again how he wanted all of the girls...except her. Now, the ache was still there, but there was the hope that it would go away. As much as she wanted to trust this, she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“I’m not sure you know how to flirt with me,” she teased. Idly, she began running her thumb back and forth along the back of his hand.

Charles considered this and frowned, because she was right, and as he tried to imagine whispering half of the things that he might to a complete stranger into Raven's ear he felt a pang of shame. He behaved inexcusably at times, he knew that, and he always tried to avoid thinking of anyone doing the same to her.

It was at that point when he realised that his biggest doubt about entering into this relationship was that sooner or later she would eventually catch on the fact that he wasn't everything that she seemed to think him to be, that she would then decide that he wasn't worth it and end the entire thing.

"We may not do it quite as traditionally as might be expected, but we have our own way of doing things." He kept an eye on where they were, the restaurant only a few streets away now. "But we needn't concern ourselves with that quite yet."

Raven knew already that she was going to have to keep herself in check. She wanted so much more than she should. She reasoned that even if this was a first date that she’d known him for over half her life. But that kind of thinking would probably scare him off. Just because she wanted to dive into the deep end didn’t mean that he wanted to. She tried to tell herself that, if this was a normal relationship, they’d be taking things fast already.

It wasn’t really working.

“We’ve never been traditional,” she agreed quietly.

"No," he agreed, thoughtfully. "No, I don't suppose that we have, have we?"

Charles secretly longed to blend in completely amongst the humans, to become one of them and not have to be constantly reminded that he wasn't, because as different as he was he could hide it well without too much effort to hold back. But then there was always Raven, Raven who could never truly fit in to the rest of the world, to go unnoticed without having to kill herself in the process and slipping up because of the stress it would cause.

He wondered if he should be bitter about that, begrudge her for holding him back, and yet he never has. And he never will. He enjoyed the company, and not just because it was less lonely, but because he had never met anyone quite like her.

"But somehow I do believe that we will manage. No matter what."

“Ever the optimist.” She leaned over and kissed his chin. She felt so very safe with him. Comfortable in a way that she’d never had before she met him. “You do realize that we’re going to have to make appropriately awkward small talk once we get in there, don’t you?” It wasn’t necessarily a requirement, since they knew each other, but since they’d probably be talking around the so-called elephant in the room of newly suggested feelings, it would probably be fairly awkward without having to pretend.

“How was your...well, I already know that one. How was work, maybe, and how is your thesis going? That sort of thing.” Which, come to think about it, she was actually interested in. Even when she thought it was boring, Charles talking about it was not. He was passionate about it and she envied that passion. She hadn’t found anything else similar.

"Is small talk truly that horrifying a thought for you, Raven?" Charles chuckled quietly at the look on her face, but she did have a point. He was much better at opening with something relevant enough to impress whoever he happened to be charming for whatever reason at the time, but he could hardly do that with Raven, and if he were to cheat then she would undoubtedly know.

"We could always discuss less appropriate things and no one would be any the wiser." It was a question as much as a suggestion, a cheeky tug of his lips implying he means using his ability to speak between them, but even then he wasn't sure what they could talk about without it getting to the topic hanging above them.

“Define ‘less appropriate things’.” She arched an eyebrow at him and the small smirk on her face was a good match for his. “I can think of all kinds of subjects that might be less appropriate than others. For a first date. For a restaurant. For anything outside of a bedroom.” Was she teasing him? Absolutely, but only because he left himself open to the teasing. There were times when she wondered if he did that on purpose because he liked having her play with him. It was absolutely the reason why she gave him some of the openings he used against her.

She looked up when they stopped, but waited in the car without getting out. She wanted her answer. Maybe she wanted to get a feel of where they were before they were officially on their ‘date’. She wanted to know where the line was between playing and completely embarrassing him.

Charles opened and closed his mouth several more times, but he managed to bite his tongue, to hold back all of those chastising comments he might usually throw at her for saying such things, especially as they were out in public and not exactly out of earshot of others. But it was evident that he heard every word, contemplated them enough to see colour flood his usually pasty cheeks, and even in the dim lit of the evening in the back of the taxi it wasn't hard to miss.

"Yes, well, indeed. Those are all very inappropriate things to say aloud when we have ourselves an audience, so I suppose you're heading down the right track." But that wasn't exactly an answer, and he knew it. He leaned close a little as he glanced out of the window at the restaurant, the place fairly busy, but not so much so that it might become too awkward. And with the ability to read minds, it was often more relaxing to be around fewer people where possible to avoid gaining a migraine.

"Shall we?" But he didn't wait for a response, merely paid the driver their fare and climbed out, rushing around to the other side to open the door for Raven. It wasn't a habit he made, especially not between the two of them, but if he could spare the thought of consideration for a random stranger in order to help him gain what it was he was searching for, then he thought it only right to do the same for her. "When you're ready, love."

Raven hesitated a little. She had to resist the urge to remind him that he had been the one who’d suggesting talking about inappropriate things. She knew she was pushing him, but she wasn’t sure how to stop now that she’d started. She realized she was probably like a child testing the boundaries of her parents except that she wasn’t a child any longer and Charles was most definitely not her parent.

She turned and got out of the car slowly. “You can tell me to stop teasing you if you want to,” she murmured as she passed him. There. That left the option with him. If it made him uncomfortable, he’d tell her to stop and she could at least try to respect his wishes. If not...if not, then they’d go from there. Maybe she could pull him out into getting him to flirt back with her.

"Oh, but why on earth would I ever want to do that?" With a cheeky smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth, Charles shoved the car door closed and signalled to the driver that he was good to go.

He held out his arm for her to hook her own around and gestured towards the restaurant in front of them. "I think this will be a take that I approve of you enjoying. Are you ready?"

“Good. Because you were getting that fishy look again.” She winked at him and opened and closed her mouth a few times before taking his arm in hers. “I keep making you speechless. I think I can work with this. How often do I get to do that?”

It wouldn’t last for long, she knew that. In a way, she was looking forward to him being able to give as good as he got. It was one of the things that was fun about being with him. But, in the meantime, she’d milk his silence for as much as she could.

"I couldn't possibly begin to know what it is that you might be referring to." Except that he did, very much so, but he also knew that he had some serious work to do with masking it until it ebbed itself out, broke out of the habit.

He walked slowly forward, reached to open the door and held it for her to lead them in. "Ladies first, darling." He stressed on the words a little, a teasing flirtatiousness to his tone, unlike how he might usually use the endearment. "You know that I'm going to do everything that I can to avoid walking into any of your traps, now, don't you?"

“You know that I’m going to trap you as best I can, don’t you?” He opened the door for her and even if she liked to fight with him sometimes, it was kind of nice to see him do it. It made her feel special. She leaned in as she walked past him and brushed her lips against the edge of his jaw. She reminded herself that people here, if they recognized her or Charles, knew them to be brother and sister so she had to be careful. She didn’t want to be careful. She just wanted to have a normal first date. Even if there was nothing normal about this.

She didn’t pause for long and brushed past him and headed into the restaurant, smiling at the maître d' when he greeted them. This was definitely special.

Charles paused briefly, watched as Raven when in ahead of him, and smiled to himself. Life really could have been worse, he could land himself some beautiful woman and stay with her for the wrong reasons, or he could spend the rest of his days sleeping around and returning home to an empty house. But right there, standing in view, was a young woman that he knew, better than he knew himself, and who loved and cared for him, who he loved and cared for. It was different, certainly, and it was going to take a little time, but he knew that he was lucky, that he should be grateful. And he was.

He went in, charming smile in place as he gave them the name, told them they had a tabled booked. Charles stuck close to Raven as they were ushered to a quiet table at the back, isolated and out of sight, and that offered them the privacy he had hoped for. He pulled out her chair. "I do love what they've done with the place, don't you?" It set a tone, soft music playing in the background, candles on the table, red furnishings.

Raven’s smile was soft when she looked at Charles. She’d been to dinner with Charles probably hundreds of times, but she’d never exactly felt like this. She actually blushed a little when he pulled the chair out for her and she sat down quickly, hoping that he wouldn’t notice her embarrassment. She sucked in a shaky breath and told herself there was no reason to be embarrassed at all.

“It’s definitely amazing. I’m glad you managed to pull whatever strings you did to get us here.” It did set a tone and that was probably the reason she was blushing in the first place. Up until now, she’d just seized what she wanted - or else she’d run until she couldn’t stand it any more - and now she actually had to do something about it.

Charles sat himself down across from her, took the menu when it was offered, and thanked the waiter who said he would return when they were ready to order. He handed it across to let her have the first look. "Order whatever you want, love, now that we are here we might as well go all out, mmm?"

He had thought at first that this might have awkward, that he would find it difficult to handle, but it really wasn't. It was nice, relaxing almost, if that were something he was capable of, and he smiled, too brightly for it to be forced. "I might have to pull a few more in future if the food is as good as it smells."

“So that’s the way it’s going to be? Seduce me with good food and better company?” Not that she needed much in the way of seduction when it came to him. And, of course, he knew it. She looked at the menu, but it couldn’t really keep her attention for long except for the brief eyebrow at the prices.

“Do you routinely bring first dates to places this fancy?,” she asked just as the waiter came back. “I’ll have the braised pork ribs in preserved plum sauce, please.”

She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that. At least not if the answer was yes. She didn’t need to be jealous. That would only make things complicated.

"I'm not entirely certain that my seducing powers are that apt, but yes, I believe I will do my best to give this plan a go. Is that going to be a problem?" He was teasing, of course he was, but he did want to try, to put in the effort to make this work, because the longer the two of them spent together with the idea sinking in, the more he felt that it was the right thing for them to progress to.

And there was the awkward moment that he was waiting for. It was rare that he booked anywhere nice to take a date, and even rarer that he would make it to a restaurant before things would get hot and heavy. Even Charles knew that keeping this slip of information to himself was for the best. "It no longer matters what I might once have done, does it? I think we should focus on what we can do from now one." That is what he planned to do at least. She deserved that much.

“Your seducing powers are just fine, I promise.” She sighed a little when he mentioned what he ‘might once have done’ and reached over to take his hand. “All right, listen to me. I know exactly what you are. I’ve lived with you enough years to see for myself what you are. But the thing is? I love you anyway. You don’t suddenly have to be the gentleman for my benefit.”

She wished she knew how to put it so that he’d understand. She loved the way that he could be a grumpy old man one minute - though she did get frustrated when he got too overprotective - and was a complete rogue the next. He was fun like that. Didn’t he see the way she’d root him on when he was chugging what should have been way too much alcohol?