Date number two. This was their first really "official" date that had been planned out, which was a step in the right direction, considering the unorthodox nature of their relationship up until that point. Juliette was more than a little excited for something ordinary and guilt-free.

They'd made it as ordinary as possible. Juliette was going to Booker's apartment for a movie date, and that was that. No suspicious library tours, no little Italian restaurants, no live music. Those three things were fun for a time, but they needed to find a natural rhythm that they could build something real on, and a legitimate date would help facilitate that. She hoped it would, anyway. More than that, she was simply excited to be able to spend more time with him.

She stood outside of his apartment, dressed casually in jeans and a blue shirt, holding a few bags of snacks. The date was meant to be casual and easy, so she figured that it might be nice to bring a few things to eat, even if she couldn't cook if her life depended on it.

Her hand was poised to knock on the wooden door, but she'd stopped. For some reason, though, she was still nervous. Why was she nervous? There was absolutely no reason for it.

After their last date, they'd exchanged numbers and texted frequently until they had settled on something that worked with both of their schedules. Now, she was standing at his apartment, and all she had to do was knock. Simple task, right?

Still, she couldn't get over herself. Her hands were shaking, and she had to steady herself with a deep breath in. It made absolutely no sense. She was almost as nervous as when she had gone to the library to dump news on him. It was ridiculous.

So, she went for it. She took another deep breath in and knocked hard on the door, waiting behind it for a response.

First date under their belts and, to Booker’s knowledge, it had gone extremely well. It was a bit rocky at first, of course, but as the date went on, things just seemed to fit more and more together. The two of them had a natural chemistry that went beyond just locking lips. That was an encouraging development and one in which Booker was excited to take part of. By the end of the night, after dinner, a walk, a dance, the most romantic of kisses, the pair of them had finally parted with exchanged numbers and another kiss to cap the night. It truly had to be one of the most amazing dates he had ever gone on.

In the days that followed, Booker’s personality became all the more sunny. He was grinning wide, he was smiling, he was dancing a little dance. It was to the point that his sister, Nessa, was almost sick of his random song outbreaks and suddenly pulling her into dances. Booker wouldn’t apologize for being who he was, but he was just in a really, really good mood; especially when he got a new text message.

God he had felt like a teenager all over again. The prospect of a new relationship on the horizon and Booker was having fun, lying upon his stomach in back, grinning as he was engaged in rather deep conversations via messaging apps. Of course they did chat on the phone too, but messenger just seemed to be easier throughout the day, given both of their work schedules.

However, they couldn’t spend the rest of their days just messaging. They wanted to see once another! So when that occasion finally rose, when Juliette had a scheduled night off coming up and Booker had no projects that needed to be completed, a date was made.

Their second date would be a bit more normal, something that was more familiar than the circumstances that surrounded their last date. Food and a movie on Binge; that was exactly what the doctor ordered. Juliette had mentioned that she would bring snacks but seeing as they would be watching a movie, he could also assume that meant that he would handle the dinner. It was a state that Booker was absolutely fine with, especially since it gave him a chance to flex his cooking skills for the woman.

After subtly ensuring that Nessa would be out of the apartment (he didn’t need a repeat of the Svetlana incident) Booker set to work with the dinner for the evening. It didn’t take him as long as he thought it would to decide (so many good options, after all) but the safest bet, to him, seemed to be chicken; but not just any chicken, Booker’s patented Honey-Citrus chicken.

The apartment smelled fantastic, if he did say so himself. The honey-citrus marinade was broiling perfectly into the chicken breasts that he had in the oven. Vegetables cooking nicely (Nessa wouldn’t mind that he borrowed some from her side of the fridge). And the biscuits that he had made earlier were all laid out on a pan, ready to be tossed into the oven for a quick warm up. All in all, it seemed like maybe he had achieved everything he wanted to before Juliette got here.

Well, except for the first first batch of biscuits. Those had suffered an unfortunate mistake and he had to toss those, but he got the burned smell out of the apartment! He was sure he did!

Now, however, everything seemed to be right on track! Except for the fact that he was wearing Nessa’s Amazing Amazon apron. His was still in the laundry, laundry which his beloved sister STILL hadn’t done yet. Besides, he didn’t want to risk getting food on his date night clothes. Of course his current attire wasn’t anything too fancy, merely jeans, and a graphic t-shirt that hugged his physique just a little closely. He fought the urge to dress up for this date as it was supposed to be more grounded, and his non-work attire did consist of jeans and shirts. He only hoped that Juliette didn’t have a different idea as to what “casual” was.

After checking the chicken and ensuring all was well, Booker patted his hands on his apron as he started to move onto the next project. He still had time before Juliette got here to have everything sitting and waiting for her…right?

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

He blinked. He checked the clock. She was early but not by much! Ugh! How did he lose track of time like this?! Feeling a bit silly now, booker marched over to the door, not wanting to keep her waiting, and stopped in front of it. Suddenly an odd nervousness began to roll over him. Why was he nervous? It wasn’t as if this were a surprise or that they should be nervous about anything! He grumbled to himself to keep it together before he breathed a few short breathes, smoothed back his hair, checked his breathe (minty!), then leaned over and opened the door.

Whenever he looked at her, it was like looking at her for the first time all over again. He smiled, broadly, glee twinkling in his eyes as he gave her a smile. ”Juliette…” he said, throwing on a suave grin that was only slightly over doing it. ”…welcome to my abode.”

Honestly the look, the voice, and the physique would have been the ultimate aphrodisiac, but there was one aspect of his person that was enough to shake the illusion; he had neglected to take off his Amazing Amazon apron. Awesome move, Booker. Awesome…

Thankfully, Juliette didn't have to stand outside waiting for long. Just a few seconds after her knock, the door swung open, revealing Booker standing on the other end. There were many things that Juliette noticed immediately upon the door being opened.

The first was the smell; honey and oranges and something baked... it was heavenly. There was also the faint smell of something having been burned (which Juliette knew all too well), but it smelled like it had been well aired out and there was nothing to worry about. It was clear just from the smell that she was in for something truly incredible. How did she luck into that one?

She didn't have a lot of home cooking. Her whole life, Juliette had existed off of easy boxed items and takeout, since neither her nor her mother could cook. The only time she really got home cooking was when she had gone home to her grandparents', and since they'd moved into a nursing home, it wasn't an option for her as an adult. There were a few people that she could mooch off of, but really, for the most part, she was on her own in a vast wasteland of an inability to cook. It was safe to say that she was excited to find out that Booker, on top of being already amazing, could cook.

The second thing that she noticed was Booker himself. They had taken very similar approaches to the "casual" style that they'd agreed upon, both ending up in something akin to jeans and a t-shirt. Only, Booker had chosen to add something on top of his outfit... a lovely apron.

>>”Juliette… welcome to my abode.”

"Thank you kindly, Amazing Amazon," she grinned. It seemed like he might have just forgotten to take it off, but it was too perfect not to point it out. It added a little of that Booker charm that she was already so familiar with to yet another thing that he was doing. She was excited to see what the night had in store.

Underneath the apron, she could see glimpses of the jeans and graphic t-shirt that he was wearing. The t-shirt was tight, and it was doing all the right things for him. It was really just too bad that the apron was blocking her view, since she knew from their little bit of dancing that he was in excellent shape.

Already, she realized that her nerves had disappeared completely. Experiencing the slightly-overdone grin on Booker's face, the apron, and the slightly burned smell had grounded her and helped her realize that she was more excited than she was nervous, and that she hadn't completely romanticized all the truth out of their last date. Hopefully, they would be in for something just as good, even if it wasn't in as many locations.

She glanced down at the snacks in hand, thinking that they likely weren't as necessary as she thought they were if Booker was cooking for them. "I feel a little lame with these after smelling what's inside here. You really didn't have to cook..." she blushed, feeling bad that he put in so much effort and she put in so little. "It smells amazing, though. What'd you make?"

There it was. The smolder. One of the most irresistible moves in the Booker B. Bookman arsenal. It was a look that made others quiver and blush. Of course Booker wasn’t necessarily doing this strictly for the purpose of seducing the pretty nurse, but more just for the fun of it. Booker was known as a bit of an imp and a playful individual. Their last date had been wrought with some awkward moments and now that they were actively dating, it was the perfect time to start expressing his more playful side. Of course he would start slow, he didn’t want to scare Juliette off. An over-exaggerated smolder was exactly what the doctor ordered for this little encounter.

Of course, it would have been far more effective if he had realized that the apron he was wearing was probably detracting a little from the smolder.

>> "Thank you kindly, Amazing Amazon,"

She was so beautiful, even casually dressed, that Booker didn’t really register the grin and the poke at his attire at first. It took a moment for his brain to work through the haze before realizing that her words had a lightness to them that suggested a jest. He then started to dissect what she had said, peering at the words closely before he made the connection: why did she call him “Amazing Amazon”? He tilted his head, glanced down, and jumped.

”OH! Sorry.” he chuckled, placing his arm over both his chest and Amazing Amazon’s very well-drawn chest at the same time. ”I was in the middle of cooking.” A proud smile adorned his face.

Booker wasn’t one brag about his skills. He was good at the ukulele, good at organization, amazing with literature, but they were all traits that Booker just…did. He was certain that there were people out in the world who were better than him and it was a fact that the man simply accepted. However, if there were one thing that Booker allowed himself to brag a little bit about, it was his cooking. He loved to cook, he loved to bake, and he actually did consider himself good at it. Not the best, of course, but just enough for him to take some pride in.

He was actually happy when the plans were made for tonight. He wanted to cook for Juliette, especially since she seemed to be a fan of good food. It was more a test to see if he could continue to impress the young woman, hope to cement the fact that they were good together. At this point, really, it probably wasn’t necessary. The both of them seemed to be on the same page that they liked one another and wanted to see where things went.

But, still, there was no harm in greasy the wheels a little. Not that his food was greasy. Bleh!

The nerves started to melt away a little at the sight of her. She was just in jeans and a tee but still she was one of the most gorgeous women that he had ever come across. Before he had opened the door, he could feel himself wanting to get nervous, worried that maybe he was going to mess this up with bad cooking or poor movie choice. But one look at her was a reminder of their first date and just how good all of that felt. He knew he wanted to continue and so he embraced it. Everything would be fine.

Eyeing the bag of snacks that she had brought, Booker jumped into chivalrous mode and stepped up to offer to take them from her. ”Oh please,” he said, stepping closer to her, smiling as he looked down into her eyes. ”Let me take that…”

>> "I feel a little lame with these after smelling what's inside here. You really didn't have to cook...It smells amazing, though. What'd you make?"

”Ah thank you!” another beaming smile. After taking the bag, he stepped aside and out of the way to allow her entry into his (and his sister’s) home. ”Please! Entrer, Entrer!” He said, tossing probably the one of the twenty French words he actually knew by heart. ”Nothing fancy,” he said, answering her question. ”It’s just some Honey-Circus chicken, mixed vegetables in a butter sauce, and biscuits.” He paused, then shrugged. ”I kept it simple.”

Hefting up her bag of snacks, he meandered into the apartment, setting them down on a nearby table. The apartment look like a nerd’s wet dream. All the furniture was rather nice and homey, nothing drastically modern or old timey. The TV was quite large, but that was mainly because Nessa needed it for gaming for work (Booker just reaped the benefits). Bookshelves around the perimeter were filled with books of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Gaming and comic memorabilia were placed here and there, art / posters from film and photography, and amongst them all were family photos of Booker and Nessa, friends, and so forth. Upon closer inspection of said photos would show none of any person who would be considered to be parents. Of course, only the most observant would probably notice something like that.

Once the bag was set down, Booker turned back to Juliette and beamed. ”And just so you know, you shouldn’t feel ‘lame’ for bringing snacks.” he said with a firm nod. ”There’s no such thing as lame snacks during movie time.” He then gestured to the apartment. ”And feel free to make yourself at home. Just, you know, don’t go in that door,” he said pointing to one that was closed. ”Sister’s room. She’s not here but we have a rule about no going in the other’s room.” He shook his head. He still could see Nessa and Spencer in his bed, even though it had been a fairly long time ago. He shuddered. ”But you have free reign everywhere else,” he said. He then turned and peered at the bag. ”What did you bring, anyways?”

Just as she had assumed, the apron had been left on absentmindedly. It actually took him a minute to realize what she was referring to, after which he looked rather proud of the fact that he had been doing so. It was adorable, just like everything else that he did. Somehow, the apron just made the moment even better than it would have been, and it took all the tension away. Yeah, she wanted to keep him around.

She nodded and handed the bag of snacks that she'd been holding over to him when he asked, almost glad to be done with it in order to step into the apartment. It wasn't as if she couldn't carry it herself, but he was being chivalrous and it had been an awkward thing to carry on the subway. She didn't really mind if he took it to the finish line.

"Thanks," she replied as he stepped aside and allowed her entry, revealing the inside of the apartment. She walked inside and began to take it in. First and foremost, the apartment smelled even better on the inside. Each and every sent was amplified, causing Juliette to breathe in deeply in an attempt to savour it. It was hard to believe that she would actually get to eat whatever was behind the smell. That was, of course, if Booker was actually going to let her eat it and it wasn't just a cruel joke where he made her sit and smell it forever.

>>”Nothing fancy, It’s just some Honey-Circus chicken, mixed vegetables in a butter sauce, and biscuits. I kept it simple.”

"Oh my God," Juliette let the breath out and stared at him, a little in awe. "Why did we even go to a restaurant last time? That sounds incredible!" There was no padding or fluff about that sentence. What she was saying wasn't just said because they were on a date and that t-shirt looked amazing on him; she really was as excited about the meal as she sounded. It wasn't exactly every day that she ate something like that and didn't have to pay through the nose for it. "Was it a lot of work?"

She knew nothing about cooking. Absolutely nothing. She'd never learned and she'd never really wanted to, since every time she had attempted anything, it blew up in her face. Literally, a few times. So, when she asked about the process, she was asking because she really had no idea.

Stepping further into the apartment, she could already see where Booker's personality had spilt into his environment. The whole place fit his style perfectly, with the posters, the gaming memorabilia, the giant television, and, most of all, the books. There were more books than she'd seen anywhere outside of a library, but she figured that it was probably something of a speciality of Booker's. Fitting with his name and profession and all.

"Thank you... yeah, I'll stay out of there, don't worry," she nodded, somewhat distractedly as she walked along the perimeter of the room, taking in book titles and images alike. There were many pictures along the sides of the room, most of which were of him and a girl that she could only assume was Vanessa. That assumption also fit the fact that she had looked her up on MyFace. Completely by accident, of course. No stalking at all. Her and Booker were friends, after all!

There were photos what looked like friends, but it didn't really look like there were any of extended family, which was slightly odd. There didn't even seem to be many of them as kids. Usually, there were a couple of photos (at least) scattered throughout the bunch that looked like they could be parents, but there were none in that room. Even Juliette had a picture of her mom that she kept with her wherever she was staying. The fact that she didn't spot any in Booker's apartment had to say something, but she wasn't sure what. It would be too rude to pry that early, too. So, she kept her thoughts to herself.

>>”What did you bring, anyways?”

Juliette turned back around and tried to focus on the question at hand rather than her thoughts. "Uhm, I brought some Veggie Straws and some Butter Chicken flavoured popcorn. I saw it at the store and figured that it would be worth trying. I don't know, though - it could be completely disgusting." She paused and grinned, "but we won't have to worry about that since we have your cooking."

With the room mostly surveyed, Juliette travelled back to where Booker was standing and looked up at him. Messaging was great, but there really was no substitute for seeing the real thing. Standing next to him in person was so much better. "So what are we going to watch?" Juliette asked, interrupting her thoughts before the date got a bit ahead of itself.

Booker was asked what it was that he had preparing for dinner and he didn’t leave out a single thing. The man was very earnest when he described the meal that he was preparing. To him it really wasn’t that big of a deal. He had done far more complicated dishes with about a seventy-five percent success rate. But this mean? Psh! He could do this one with his eyes closed. And, as a matter of fact, he had attempted it once! Really the fire was minimal at best but, still, he counted it as a success!

The look on Juliette’s face when he told her what was being prepared, however, gave him a moment of pause. The wideness of her eyes almost started him, made him think that maybe there was something wrong with the menu. Dammit, he probably should have asked if she had dietary restrictions before he had decided to make dinner. What if she hated chicken and, boom, he was forcing her to eat it? That sounded like a guff up in his book, but as her smile grew more wide, Booker breathed a small sigh of relief. Her look wasn’t out of disgust, but of surprise and glee.

He could work with that.

>> "Oh my God. Why did we even go to a restaurant last time? That sounds incredible!"

Her reaction to the menu was actually quite adorable. As Booker stood there, watching her excitedly talk about what he was making, the man couldn’t help but blush a little. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, chuckling as she continued to fawn over his apparent cooking ability. He had to shrug a bit innocently at her question.

”Haha, and deny you the pleasure of a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant? Never.”

>> "Was it a lot of work?"

He stuck out his bottom lip as he shook his head. ”Not as much as you’d think. The glaze was simple and the chicken easy to procure.” He said. ”It was just a matter of throwing all the ingredients together. The only thing that was any kind of challenge was the biscuits.” He sighed, looking somewhat defeated. ”Savory breads don’t always tend to be my forte.”

This batch smelled good, though! It should all be fine!

After he took Juliette’s bag and gave her free reign of the apartment, Booker returned to the dining table where he set the bag down. He raised his gaze up, watching as she moved around the apartment, eyeing things here and there. Crossing his arms over his chest, he just stood back and observed her peeking around. He probably should have stepped back into the kitchen, but Booker always fancied himself a bit of a people watcher. He liked to imagine what people were thinking, the thoughts that were passing through their head. What was she thinking? It was a question that popped around in his head but Booker couldn’t help but also take the moment to admire the view.

She really was beautiful. Everytime he said or thought it, it wasn’t just him blowing smoke or trying to appear overly flirtatious. Juliette really was a beautiful woman. Her so skin, the coloration like caramel, the straight, dark hair and the wide, dark brown eyes. But of all of her assets, (absolutely amazing assets at that) he had to admit that it was her smile that he enjoyed the most. The bright, luminescent grin that only seemed possible for someone with abilities like hers. Even though she was in his aura, cut off from her powers, it was clear to see that she was walking with a pocket full of sunshine.

Not wanting to be rude, Booker turned his attention back to the bag that he had brought in. He let Juliette continue to move through the apartment, his gaze glancing to the bag as he peered at it curiously. He probably was fine just pulling the items out but he didn’t want to be rude and instead just lifted his head to ask.

>> "Uhm, I brought some Veggie Straws and some Butter Chicken flavoured popcorn. I saw it at the store and figured that it would be worth trying. I don't know, though - it could be completely disgusting…but we won't have to worry about that since we have your cooking."

Booker snorted. ”Psh, you never know. My cooking could be absolutely terrible and your snacks will be the only way that we can stave off starvation.” He gave her a grin and bowed his head. ’Thank you for saving us.” He started to pull up the bags, looking them over. ”I haven’t tried chicken popcorn, but the veggie straws are some of my favorites. My sister buys them all the time and I steal them, haha.” He then shrugged. ”Just easier than buying my own.”

Oh his sister. How he loved to torment her. Opening the bag of veggie straws, Booker pulled out one or two before he offered the opened bag to Juliette. Munching on the straw, he watched her approach as she eyed him. The inevitable question was coming…

>> "So what are we going to watch?"

This was always the big test for him. Booker had a rather wide range of movie genres and types that he greatly enjoyed, but there were certain movies that the man just absolutely loved to pieces. Movies that he could quote on the fly, with no reason behind why. Movies that were so deeply engrained in him that anyone speaking badly of them immediately soured his mood. So, MAYBE it wasn’t the wisest choice to break out said movies on only a second date, but he got a vibe from Juliette that they could appreciate some of the same things. He didn’t know if she would actually like it, or had even seen it, but he was more than willing take the risk.

So, copying one of his favorite lines of the movie, Booker describe the film chosen with a rather exuberant flourish. ”Oh a movie that has everything!” he began, dawn a fake mask and speaking in an accent that one could guess was probably, maybe supposed to be that of a fencing Spaniard. ”Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...” He straightened up, beaming. ”Of course, I speak of the ‘Princess Bride’…”

While he denied the fact that the dinner probably took a lot of work, Juliette was both impressed and honoured to have been cooked for that early on, especially when it smelled that amazing. One thing was becoming very clear, if it hadn't been already: Booker B. Bookman was a catch.

The biscuits must've been what was giving off the faint burnt smell, she decided. Still, it was very faint, and the new batch smelled amazing. She was no less impressed. "Hey, any part of this meal sounds like something that I would never be able to make successfully, so I'm sold no matter what." Really, he could have given her something simple and she would have believed that it took him hours.

She'd travelled back to the kitchen, where Booker was indulging her, saying that her snacks might have just saved the evening. She knew just how untrue it was, but it was still a nice sentiment, and it made her grin. That seemed to be her face's default setting when talking to him.

>>”I haven’t tried chicken popcorn, but the veggie straws are some of my favorites. My sister buys them all the time and I steal them, haha. Just easier than buying my own.”

"You must be really close with your sister," Juliette mused, looking around at the decorations and the way that he talked about her. It was rare to find a pair of siblings that close, especially that far into life. It was kind of cool. Juliette wanted to meet her, though not as badly as she wanted to spend time with Booker that evening. Meeting Vanessa was something that she wanted to do, but it could wait. "It's cool to see. I've never really spent a whole lot of time around siblings, or had one myself."

She stole a Veggie Stick from the bag and munched on it while they waited, not wanting to spoil her appetite. It would have been a travesty to be too full to eat the meal that he was making.

>>”Oh a movie that has everything! Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles... Of course, I speak of the ‘Princess Bride’…”

As if the evening wasn't already shaping up to be a great one, he'd picked a movie that was near and dear to her heart, and he was quoting it. He had been attractive before, but he'd just reached a new level. It almost seemed as if all of his best assets were amplified now. How on earth did she snag him?

"Inconceivable!" Juliette responded, trying to keep the grin off of her face. "I love that movie."

Booker was a little hesitant to bring up his sister the first time the two of them had gone out together. This time, she already knew, but he was still nonetheless worried about it. Some people might find it strange or odd. As a matter of fact, he had been told by several others he had dated in the past that there seemed to be an almost unhealthy relationship between the two. Then again, those comments came from people who didn’t have siblings or who only saw them during the holidays; they didn’t have the relationship that Booker and Nessa had, they didn’t go through the traumas that they had suffered.

It may have seemed strange on the outside but for Booker he equated it something along the lines or war buddies, soldiers who had gone through hell and made it out alive because of one another. Nessa would always comment about how much she owed Booker for his understanding and compassion early on in her life, and Booker would state the same in return. Sh*tty parents, a traumatic college experience, all of that would have crushed normal people but so long as the Bookman siblings had one another to lean upon, they would weather the storm.

Still, Booker really liked Juliette. He didn’t want this to be weird so he was upfront about the fact that he lived with his sister and, yes, they were close. Not disturbingly close like washing each other’s hair, but they were close nonetheless. Hopefully Juliette wouldn’t think it too strange.

>> "You must be really close with your sister…It's cool to see. I've never really spent a whole lot of time around siblings, or had one myself."

He smirked. ”Having a sibling is kind of important for the whole sibling experience.” he couldn’t help a little playful jab at the younger nurse. But he nodded his head, offering her one of the veggie straws. ”But, yes. We both went through a lot and,” he shrugged. ”We’re just close. Nothing weird, though. As you can see, two separate rooms.” He beamed proudly. ”I mean, it’s only been two weeks but we’re adjusting.” He watched her face for a second before he snorted. ”I’m kidding.”

Shaking his head, Booker chuckled a bit as he set the bag back down on the table. He didn’t want to ruin his meal either. He had stated that it was very possible that his meal was going to be horrendous and they would both have to survive on veggie straws and chicken popcorn alone. However, she didn’t seem to believe his comment and but gave him a thankful grin. It was a grin that Booker mirrored as he continued to chew on the veggie straw. The awkwardness was washing away between them and he was glad for it. He shouldn’t feel awkward around her; not anymore.

Once she asked about what they would be viewing this evening, the man couldn’t help but act out exactly what they would be watching. It was kind of a gamble since the Princess Bride was one of his favorite movies but Booker was willing to take the chance with Juliette. He quoted the film, hoping that his sweeping performance would be enough to pique her interests, just in case she hadn’t seen it before (which would have been tragic). However it seemed that the woman just had a continuous way of surprising him.

>> "Inconceivable! I love that movie."

A wide smile, his hand over his heart, Booker plopped down onto a nearby chair and just shook his head in awe of the woman he was with. ”Be still my heart,” he beamed. ”That has to honestly be the hottest think I’ve ever heard.”

Of course he was over exaggerating, but there was nothing wrong with that. Really he couldn’t understand just how lucky that he had gotten. A random nurse that he was been smitten by, who turned out to be extremely interested in him, and also turned out to be an X-Man, AND/i] loved ‘The Princess Bride’? What were the odds!? He sighed, feeling a sense of relief wash over him, at which he hopped up onto his feet. Now he just had to make sure that he didn’t burn any of the food.

”Well, we still have dinner to get through. So…give me like ten minutes? Everything is pretty much done but I would like to make it presentable.” he said. He started to back away into the kitchen. ”But feel free to sit back and relax! You want something to drink?” he disappeared into the kitchen, not knowing if she followed him into the kitchen or stayed in the living area, so he called out. ”We have…soda…lemonade…water…wine…beer…whichever you like!”

Juliette had convinced herself that the relationship between Booker and Vanessa was completely normal and not at all unhealthy. Yes, she didn't have a lot of prior knowledge on the subject, but she knew that it was rare to be seeing two grown adult siblings living together. She didn't want to think anything of it, though, so she had put on her new relationship goggles and pushed any thoughts of strangeness to the back of her mind. That was, until...

>>”We’re just close. Nothing weird, though. As you can see, two separate rooms. I mean, it’s only been two weeks but we’re adjusting.”

The woman simply stared at him and blinked. Booker was a funny guy who cracked jokes a fair bit, but sometimes, Juliette wasn't entirely following. Every initial thought of unhealthy behaviour was brought back up, and she was officially worried again. Sure, going through a lot and coming out the other side together was one thing, but sharing rooms at twenty-eight was something else entirely. She didn't even know how to respond.

>>”I’m kidding.”

"Oh... yeah, I knew that," she laughed awkwardly, looking down as she felt herself blush. Of course he was joking. It was just a joke. There was absolutely nothing for her to be worried about.

...Okay, so she could just deal with any worries later. They weren't important to bring up in that moment.

Thankfully, they had moved onto a better topic of conversation: The Princess Bride, aka the greatest movie ever. Juliette loved the unpredictable plot (the first time she had watched it, anyway), the quotable dialogue, and most of all, the campy eighties effects. The whole experience was something entirely unique, and there was no movie quite like it. She was glad that they were going to watch it then.

>>”Be still my heart. That has to honestly be the hottest think I’ve ever heard.”

Juliette laughed and crossed her arms as she looked at him, flopped in the chair. They were on the same page with the movie quoting thing. It really was just about the hottest thing that anyone could do (clearly not an exaggeration at all). "I'm glad you're considering me as an alternative to suicide," she added with a wink. Was she going to try to pepper as many quotes as she could into her speech for the next few hours? Yeah, probably.

Booker stood up and walked back into the kitchen to check on the food, leaving Juliette alone in the living room. She wasn't going to be much help in the kitchen, but she didn't really want to sit there alone when she could be spending more time with him. The clear option was to walk with him and see if she could help with anything that wouldn't destroy the meal he'd so carefully crafted.

>>”But feel free to sit back and relax! You want something to drink? We have…soda…lemonade…water…wine…beer…whichever you like!”

Juliette paused and bit her lip. She'd made the mistake of letting Sam's drinking slide until they were already so embroiled in the relationship to do much about it. She wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, so she had to tread carefully. Up until that point, she hadn't seen any of the signs of any kind of addiction, but sometimes they were difficult to spot. She had two courses of action: have something alcoholic and see what he did with it, or dance around the subject forever. The former seemed like the best way to go.

"I'll... have some wine, thanks," she replied cautiously. "I can help with things, if that makes anything easier on you."

He winced a little at the look on Juliette’s face when he tossed out that joke about he and Nessa’s relationship. To be fair, he thought it was rather funny and so far the nurse went out of her way to laugh at damn near every joke he made. But seeing the look in her eyes at what he had said, he immediately felt just a little bad about it. He didn’t want to be that person who others felt bad for or had fearful thoughts that they were not normal. Well, the normal thing Booker didn’t all-together care about, he always marched to the beat of his own drum, but what he didn’t want was for people to view him as abnormal.

He had a close relationship with his sister. That was just a staple of his life and it wasn’t something that he was going to change any time soon. They shared a same living space, yes, but it wasn’t something weird. They each had their separate lives, did their own thing, etc., but he guessed he could understand how someone could think that maybe it was a bit strange. But how to shake that?

>> "Oh... yeah, I knew that,"

He had told Juliette that he had just been joking, a confirmation that she blushed and smiled a bit awkwardly at it. Ugh! Another pang in his heart. He really didn’t want things to seem weird. Part of him wanted to explain a bit more, but Nessa’s side of the story wasn’t one that he should tell; it wasn’t his place. Maybe he could tell her a little bit but it wouldn’t have the same impact as the whole truth. The only thing that really stopped him was how new this coupling was; he didn’t want to risk things with that level of drama just yet. Drama killed most relationships and he wasn’t willing to do that to them.

He would tell her…eventually. But, if only for tonight, he just wanted to be a guy on a date with a beautiful woman; there was nothing wrong with that. There was always time to real life drama later, for now he was happy to just experience the two of them.

As the two of them began to discuss the movie that would be gracing his Binge screen today, he had to admit that he was elated with the news that Juliette was such a fan of the movie, enough to even quote it! Ugh! It was just too amazing that he would meet someone like her. She really was an amazing catch and the fact that he was dating her was dating her just made the whole thing all the more awesome.

>>"I'm glad you're considering me as an alternative to suicide,"

Booker just grinned impishly as he responded in his best giant voice. ”Don’t worry, I won’t let it go to head.” He loved every character in that movie but Fezzik the Giant was indeed one of his favorites.

However, as much as the man just wanted to quote Princess Bride with her for the rest of the day, Booker still had a meal to finish prepping. As he backed away, he informed Juliette that she could make herself comfortable before the thought that she may want something to drink popped into his head. He called out, asking if she wanted anything before he continued to finish everything. But it seemed that Juliette didn’t want to continue to explore the apartment as she instead peeked into the kitchen.

>> "I'll... have some wine, thanks, I can help with things, if that makes anything easier on you."

”Wine it is.” He said cheerily.

He pulled out a full bottle of a pink-colored rose wine. Hefting it up, he gave her an encouraging smile as he set it on a nearby counter and closed the fridge down. Just as he started to open the bottle, he turned back to her as she asked if she could help. He did remember what she had said, that she didn’t consider herself the best cook. The fact that she wanted to help made him grin.

”I mean…sure, if you want to. Of course.” He popped open the new bottle of wine, grabbed a couple of glasses from the cupboard and poured them both a little less than half a glass. Setting the cork back into the bottle, he turned, popping his lips as he kneeled and pulled out a wicker serving basket from a cupboard, as well as a check-patterned napkin. Lining the inside of the basket with it, he waved Juliette over to a pan that had about a dozen, golden brown biscuits, all lined up. ”You can pop these into the basket while I finish stirring the veggies.” He said happily. ”I mean, I doubt you’d be able to set those on fire, right?” He teased.

>>”Don’t worry, I won’t let it go to my head.”

Nothing was better than being able to talk comfortably with someone. Nothing, except maybe being able to quote the same movie as them in succession.

Juliette's smile only grew as Booker quoted a line from the Fezzik the Giant, which was somewhat fitting considering his height. Sure, he wasn't seven feet tall, but to Juliette, he was reminiscent of a giant. With a laugh, she shook her head and replied, "Well, good. Wouldn't want you getting any ideas. Now, do you have horses, too?" With her joke, she added a wink, enjoying herself immensely.

They hadn't even started the movie, and already they were talking about the end scene. It may have been a sign that they had seen it a few too many times, but Juliette didn't really care. It was still one of the greatest movies ever, no matter how many times you watched it. In fact, it usually just got better the more you knew the quotes that were coming up in the next scene. It was a great cult classic like that. Just like The Room.

He'd offered her a drink, and she'd made the choice to risk having alcohol. She chose wine from the options, to which Booker responded by cheerily grabbing a bottle of rosé from the fridge and pouring two glasses just less than half-full. No unnecessary amount, so no reason for her to freak out. Really, it was a good amount to be drinking on a normal date. She just wished that the idea didn't worry her so much.

Booker had given her no reason to worry like that. He didn't display any signs, and he clearly wasn't attached enough to pour more than an acceptable amount or keep the bottle near him. In fact, it didn't even look like he was giving much thought to the matter. Juliette took in a breath and forced herself to be comfortable with the situation as she grabbed one of the glasses and took a small sip. "Thanks," she said lightly, deciding to nurse her glass for as long as she could manage.

>>”You can pop these into the basket while I finish stirring the veggies. I mean, I doubt you’d be able to set those on fire, right?”

"You'd be surprised," Juliette chuckled, "but I'll do my best."

The biscuits look amazing. Like, pay $5 for one amazing. She carefully pulled them off of the parchment paper and arranged them neatly in the basket. That, at least, she could do without screwing up. Hopefully, anyway. There was never a way to be sure when there was food involved. Thankfully, she had been successful, and she'd ended up with a nicely arranged group of biscuits in the basket. It was a little bit overkill for just the two of them, but it looked adorable.

Juliette lifted the basket over to the other side of the counter and set it down carefully, proudly displaying her work. "Well, I didn't set them on fire," she pointed out. "Your faith was not misplaced."

>> "Well, good. Wouldn't want you getting any ideas. Now, do you have horses, too?"

Her wink make him chuckle as he nodded enthusiastically. ”Four white ones.” he added with his own wink.

God, he sincerely could do this all day but that would mean that food would burn and they would actually never get to see the movie. However, considering how much they were actually quoting the movie, it didn’t seem as if it were really that big of a problem, but there was still food that needed to be eaten. He wasn’t about to let it all go to waste because he wanted to set and quote movies to Juliette all night. No, sadly they would have to break away from this and save all the good lines for when they were actually in the middle of the flick.

For now, the kitchen called!

Slipping away from her he inquired if she wanted anything to drink while he finished up. When win was chosen, Booker was more than happy to oblige. He pulled out the nicely chilled bottle, as well as a pair of glasses and poured them both a respectable amount. He did it so carefully, but sure not to give Juliette too much. The last thing he wanted as her to think he was trying to make her drunk or something like that. Of course he partook in those activities every now and again, but Booker wasn’t exactly a booze hound or anything like that.

Besides, too much alcohol will take away from the experience. He never liked for his senses to be dulled so much and he certainly didn’t want to be in such a state around the pretty nurse. So he kept his glass as a decent amount, probably all that he would be having for the evening. With that taken care of, he offered her the drink and turned back to finish.

He smiled at her grateful response and readied to start milling around the room. However, before he could, Juliette offered her assistance. Not one to tell someone they couldn’t do something (no matter how many warnings she uttered that she was a terrible cook), Booker would accept the help. Who was he to turn down a request from a lovely individual as her?

Still, he did take into her account the fact that she didn’t believe she had the cooking talent so he gave her something simple – bread. A basket offered and a direction towards the cooling pan of biscuits, he gave her direction and a small little tease just for the heck of it.

>> "You'd be surprised…but I'll do my best."

He snorted. ”I have all the faith in the world…” he said. ”…and the number of the nearest deli that delivers bread.”

He smirked a bit, turning back to his task at hand as he busied himself finishing up the vegetables. They were cooked fairly well, glistening with the butter sauce that he had prepared for them. As he finished mixing them, he pulled up a wooden spoon, dabbed his pinkie in it, and sampled the flavor. The spices seemed to work extremely well with the butter so he sighed in satisfaction. Slowly he scooped up a tiny bit more of the sauce so Juliette could sample as she completed her task.

>> "Well, I didn't set them on fire,..Your faith was not misplaced."

”Wooo! You saved me ten dollars,” he chuckled. ”As your reward, you get to sample this…” He held up the spoon with the sauce on it. He waited for her to sample it, standing back, awaiting her appraisal. God, why was he stressing out about this? It was just sauce. Ah well, he hoped that she enjoyed it and, if so, he would direct her place the biscuits on the table outside as everything was ready. And, if she didn’t like it, well…he still had the number of the deli?

Juliette gave a joking laugh to his comment about the deli, unable to consider the fact that it might be a necessary call if she did, in fact, screw it up as badly as she usually did. More than a few times, she'd tried to cook something and ended up having to order takeout because it was completely inedible. Over the years, she'd just resigned to the fact that she wasn't destined to be the next Master Chef.

However, she had successfully managed to move the biscuits from one location to another and arrange them in a way that looked presentable. She clearly deserved a prize for that.

Booker played along and allowed her to taste the sauce that he'd used to marinate the vegetables (something Juliette would have never thought of doing), to which Juliette gratefully leaned forward and tasted the end of the spoon, holding her hand beneath it to catch any drips.

The sauce was magnificent. Even better than the food that they'd had at the little Italian place, partly because she knew that it had been made with care and attention, and she was looking at the hands that had made it. "That tastes amazing," she enthused and closed her eyes as she licked the remnants off of her lips. He was kind of amazing.

They brought the rest of the meal to the table and arranged it nicely, creating a rather romantic atmosphere. Soon enough, they were seated and eating, enjoying each other's company as they had in the Italian restaurant. As usual, Juliette found it difficult to let her grin fall when she was around him.

The food was as good as it smelled and looked, if not better. Juliette had made that fact clear several times over as she ate, unable to believe how someone could make something that delicious in their own home. It was sort of absurd, really.

Having her taste the sauce, Booker had stepped back, somewhat defensively, just in case she absolutely hated his creation. To him it tasted good but he knew that people had different feelings for what their favorite flavors were. Some people like bitter, some sour, some salty, some sweet, it was a cornucopia of possibilities and seeing as he was still in the very early stages of dating this woman, he still wasn’t sure exactly where they stood. He would, though, he would learn with time. For now, he just wanted to know how she was going to react in this current situation.

He was happy to see that it would be favorable. As she stepped closer, her lips momentarily pursed as she advanced on the spoon, she tasted the smallest sample of the buttery sauce. The sound that came from her was more than telling. She was enjoying it. When she stepped back taking the drop or two that clung to her full lips, he had to smile a bit as she nodded her head.

Thank god.

>> "That tastes amazing,"

His smile broadened as he blushed a little at her praise. Nodding his head in thanks, he directed her towards the dining room again, her basket of biscuits in hand. ”Excellent.” he said with a relieved smile. ”Um, just place those on the table, okay? I’ll set up everything else. It’s all done.”

He turned watching her go, his eyes trailing her from behind as she stepped out of the kitchen and the man sighed a bit heavenly as he leaned against the counter. She really had an aura about her that was absolutely unexplainable. He was drawn to this woman and it seemed that with every passing moment it was a fact that grew more and more potent. But, they had only been on one date and now were on their second. Booker would have to see how things unfolded but he was more than patient enough to find out.

---

In short time Booker had rejoined Juliette out in the dining air, his hands laden with two plates, each one filled with the food he had prepared for the evening. The chicken breasts were a beauty to behold, golden colored with sealed glaze wrapped around it. One could easily smell the citrus fruit and sweet honey that went into making the appetizing glaze. Set on the plate next it was a small pile of veggies, corner, broccoli, and peas, all of which had been infused and coated in that delicious butter sauce that he had had her sample. Once the plates were down, he returned with his wine, barely touched, and small dish with butter for the biscuits. Only when every was prepared did he sit and join her.

Dinner had gone extremely well. Much like at the restaurant where they had gone for their first date, they sat, they talked, they shared their interests and events that had led up to this day. Most of it was thankfully already known thanks to their copious amounts of texting and phone calls that they engaged in, but still it was nice to hear those stories all over again.

On top of that, Booker had to admit that the food he had prepared was actually quite good. Normally his chicken could be dry sometimes but he had thankfully marinated it enough for a change. However, despite the good food, his attention was not enraptured in his own achievements but instead with the woman he was spending the evening with.

Having left the Amazing Amazon apron behind, Booker looked far more casual, sitting at his table, chuckling at an anecdote that Juliette had just went on about. He shook his head, laughing as he took a sip from his wine glass which was only now slowly starting to reach the bottom. He had never been much of a wine drinker but he could appreciate it from time-to-time. It did pair fairly well with the food he had prepared so that was a plus.

A smirk on his lips he reached over, picking up the last half of his biscuit. Most of his meal as already gone by this point save for a few scraps of chicken and a pea or two. The biscuits he always liked saving for last. Dipping an end of it in the sauce, he took a nibble of the slightly soaked end and grinned up at her as she regaled him with a story from her nursing.

”Oh come on,” he said with disbelief, shaking his head. ”You’re making that up.” he snorted and shook his head, pointing accusingly at her with his remaining biscuit. ”Shouldn’t lie to people who feed you.” He was only teasing, of course. With the life Juliette lived, he was willing to believe a lot that she engaged in.

Juliette was well used to talking to Booker on the phone or texting, so she'd heard many of the stories that were shared over dinner. However, there was something much better about hearing them in person, and a phone could never truly replicate the experience, no matter how many fancy new features it boasted.

Of course, the food was amazing. There was nothing better than home cooking, especially when it could be enjoyed like that. Sitting there with him and enjoying his company made the already awesome experience better.

Her chicken and vegetables were gone, so she was prolonging the meal by taking small chunks off the end of her biscuit. Every few minutes, she would take a little chunk and dip it into what was left of the sauce from the vegetables, just as Booker did. She didn't want to finish before him, and she definitely didn't want to move the evening faster than it needed to. She was enjoying her time, so there was no reason to rush anything.

She had been a little worried about the wine, but it was evident that she'd worried for no reason. In fact, she'd finished her wine first without realizing, meaning that if anyone was going to be labelled a drunk there, she was the most likely candidate. All in all, she was fine with that fact, so long as she hadn't accidentally turned the tables.

The meal was wrapping up as she told an anecdote from work. It was one of her best stories for that kind of setting, actually. Since she worked around blood and bodily fluids during most of her nursing shifts, it was difficult to think of something interesting that didn't have parts inappropriate for a dinner table. Especially when many of them featured someone putting something into their body (through an interesting end) that they really shouldn't have. The story of how one of the doctors had been told that there was a pregnant woman outside of the ER in a cab was often her go-to.

>>”Oh come on. You’re making that up. Shouldn’t lie to people who feed you.”

"I'm not kidding," she shook her head and chuckled. "Thankfully, the woman was nice enough not to sue, although she was a little angry that he thought she was pregnant. The doctor's yet to live it down, though; every once and a while, someone will come up to him and point at whatever he's holding and tell him to make sure that he has the right one before using it."

She laughed quietly, reminiscing about one of her favourite parts of working in the hospital as she dipped her last piece of biscuit into the sauce. A second later, she was out of food. Quietly, she set her hands down in her lap, still not wanting to make it seem like she was trying to hurry him along. They were at his apartment, after all, so she would let him decide where they would go when.

"So do you have any crazy stories from work?" she prodded, trying to imagine what a crazy librarian story could entail.