After making it back to the apartment, Lee had gone to shower. And then blow dried her hair straight. Then fiddled with it for a bit, finally settling on pinning a couple of the front pieces back but otherwise leaving it down. Seeing the amused expression on Tarin's face where he was sitting on the couch when she finally stepped out of the bathroom, Lee stuck her tongue out at him before disappearing into her bedroom.

That in itself took a while, simply trying to figure out what she was going to wear, and she still had to head back into the bathroom to do her make up once Tarin was finished in the bathroom; she didn't want to have purple eye shadow on while wearing something red, after all.

Finally, Lee settled on a black and plaid dress, the same one she had worn when she and Tarin had gone to meet her parents, and again she wished she still had her boots. Oh how she missed them. Thus, it took even longer for her to find the right pair of shoes to wear with the dress.

By the time she had finished her make up, Tarin was already completely ready, already sitting back on the couch, the same amused expression on his face that had been there when she emerged after her shower.

But then they were off to the restaurant, something they hadn't done in so long it was almost hard to remember the last time. More so when it had once been almost a weekly thing for them, if not more than that, though less formally than they were going there this time.

It wasn't until they were walking into the theatre after dinner that Lee started to wonder just what she was doing. Dinner had gone well. Amazing, even. In fact, other than the fact that they hadn't touched once, it felt so normal and natural and right that the dinner could have been one of their many dates the previous winter, before the camp.

The theatre was much more full than Lee was used to seeing it. Then she remembered that her and Tarin's date nights were normally earlier on in the week while this was a Friday night. "I'll go find us some seats if you want to grab our snacks," Lee told Tarin, only waiting long enough to make sure that he was alright with that before walking away.

As Lee sat down in the theatre, her mind was racing. So far, tonight had gone, well, perfectly. Lee couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. Why had she been so hesitant about going out? Right, because she wasn't ready.

But that wasn't exactly true, Lee realized a moment later as she stared blankly up at the screen in front of her. Though she'd been hesitant, she'd been ready to move back to New York, to try things again with Tarin, to see how things would work out. She was living with him! Wasn't that more than simply going out on a date?

Crossing her right leg over her left, Lee started chewing on her bottom lip. At least with Tarin, it wasn't so much that she wasn't ready to be with him, that she didn't want to be with him, it was the touching issue, with how she siphoned, that she was really having a problem with.

She was around him all the time now, though. Not just at home, not just in the next room all night, but also at the shop during the day too. Siphoning that entire time. Taking his energy constantly.

And he didn't care. He wanted her to take more if it meant she'd actually touch him. Even if he hadn't said it recently, Lee knew that for a fact.

She had touched Tarin a lot before, very often, sometimes even constantly, before she had been sent to the camp, and there'd been no problem with it then. The problem now was when Lee thought about touching Tarin more, touching him that much, she couldn't stop the image of Tarin laying beaten and bloody in a puddle of muddy gore out of her mind.

Lee shuddered slightly. She couldn't help it.

The only problem with going to the movies in New York city was that it was going to the movies in New York City. Tarin stood in line waiting to buy all the goodies he'd promised Lee and mused over the way the date had gone so far.

For someone who hadn't been sure she wanted to go on a date in the first place, Lee sure had taken her damn sweet time getting ready. She'd stopped to stick her tongue out at his amused look too, wrapped in nothing but a towel...ungh...Tarin had wondered what he was getting himself into with this whole date with no touching idea.

He was a sadist though...he'd decided that a long time ago with those damn boots...those damn boots that Lee didn't have anymore. Tarin frowned, he hadn't even really noticed until that point. Lee definitely needed some new boots.

The boots, Tarin was still thinking about them with a slightly stupid look on his face when someone behind him called him a prick and told him that he needed to move forward. Noticing the gap that had grown while he mused about the boots, Tarin scurried forward and continued to hurry up and wait...and think...this time about the dress that Lee had chosen to wear. She really was trying to kill him.

Dinner had gone awesome and Tarin couldn't help but congratulate himself on the job he'd done with the whole date idea, no touching aside. It was nice to see Lee relaxing, possibly for the first time since she'd stormed out of the shop that day. It was worth the lack of contact, definitely.

It was finally Tarin's turn and he ordered everything he'd promised, right down to the frozen cokes, nearly choking at the total the attendant told him then scooping up his armful of booty and making his way towards the theater. The bastard ticket taker insisted on seeing his ticket stub and Tarin glared at the guy as he fished it out of his pocket. This guy was probably one of those jerks who judged based on the tattoos.

Finally Tarin was in the theater, he hadn't missed the previews, his favorite part, and as he scanned the seats and his eyes settled on Lee's head, he made his way to her.

Dropping into the seat next to Lee with all the grace of an elephant on ice, Tarin started passing goodies towards her and settling his into his armrest holder and lap. The lights dimmed just as Tarin settled in and he grinned, "I made it back in time for previews!" he said, giddy with excitement as he sat forward, junior mints in one hand, frozen coke in the other.

Once the shudder hand finished passing through her body, Lee looked around, wanting to get all thoughts of the camp out of her mind. Not only did she not like thinking about that in general, but Lee knew thoughts like that would ruin what had been a perfect night so far. And since she had had so few even good nights recently, she did not want that to happen.

As she glanced around the theatre, much more packed than she was used to, Lee saw Tarin walking down between the seats toward her. She didn't feel him coming, there were too many people around for her to do that.

Mere moments later, Tarin was plopping down into his seat (how he did that in the manner he did without spilling anything, Lee couldn't figure out), and started passing things over to her, her popcorn and frozen coke that he had talked about when they left the shop that afternoon.

Once she had her stuff safely in her hands, the lights dimmed and Lee saw Tarin leaning forward in his seat, a look of excitement on his face. As he spoke, though, a laugh burst out of Lee. She wasn't exactly sure what his fascination with previews was; even when they were watching movies at home and they had already seen the movies being previewed, he still didn't let her skip them.

"Just don't forget that we're here for the actual movie, not just the previews," Lee said, smiling over at Tarin before popping a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

Lee looked pleased with the amount of food Tarin had brought back and he grinned. Lee wasn't shy at all, not about how much she ate. Tarin knew it had to do with her powers and how much energy she wasn't getting from the food that she ate, but it was still amusing sometimes to watch her eat the hell out of a buffet then chow down in the theater. Tarin was impressed, it was one of the million little things he loved about her.

The previews were staring in earnest now and Tarin's eyebrows rose as Lee reminded him that they were there for a movie and not just the previews, "I know that..." Tarin said, sticking his tongue out at Lee like she had at him earlier.

Turning his head back to the previews, Tarin watched for a blissful few minutes, "oohing' appropriately at the films that caught his interest and getting downright giddy about a couple of the previewed films.

Moments later, just when Tarin was forgetting which movie they were seeing, the lights dimmed completely and the opening credits began. Tarin settled back in his seat and smiled, this was gonna be good.

The movie was starting, and Lee got more comfortable, shifting her popcorn on her lap, as she saw Tarin leaning back as well.

Tarin had been right, though. Even when they had barely been on screen together, Lee could see the chemistry between the main characters. They just seemed so natural together.

As the movie progressed, Lee becoming completely engrossed in it, she absently munched on her popcorn, not even realizing that she was ever so slowly leaning toward Tarin in her seat. It had simply become habit when watching a movie that she sat closer to Tarin since most times in the past he had sat with his arm around her shoulders.

The movie had come to the middle, very sad tearing them apart scene before Lee moved her eyes away from the screen. Moved them to look over at Tarin, who was sitting there so much closer than he had been when the movie started, staring intensely at something that was so similar to what they had been through, what she had put them through.

It really didn't take long for him to turn to look at her in return. It rarely ever did, Tarin seemed to almost have a sixth sense about when she was looking at him.

Lee didn't even really think about it. She couldn't, or she'd never be able to finish the action. So, without thinking, Lee reached her hand out to cup Tarin's cheek, gently pulling him a bit toward her as she leaned in the rest of the distance, her lips lightly pressing against Tarin's.

Damn...this movie was good. Tarin hadn't been lying when he'd said he missed all the chick flicks he used to go see with Lee...it was the only way he felt right doing it. Part of it was probably the way she'd always snuggled into him as they'd watched. The other part really was how good the stories were.

Tarin realized quickly just how right he'd been about the lead actor and actress, you could almost see the sparks flying between them as they interacted on the screen. Tarin couldn't help but think how much they reminded him of himself and Lee...they were kind of the star crossed lovers.

The couple was being torn apart now and Tarin subconsciously leaned foward, watching intently, it was then he felt it. It had always been weird, Tarin could almost feel when Lee was looking at him. She was looking at him now, and she'd moved so much closer.

Tarin turned his head and found himself far too close to Lee for comfort. Well, actually it was more than comfortable, but that was the problem. He'd promised Lee that he wouldn't push, but god damn she was asking a lot of him. He could feel her breath on his face and he almost jumped as her hand touched his face.

The kiss was soft, almost chaste and compared to some of the other kisses they'd shared it was almost laughable, but Tarin nearly yelled with joy, the movie and the other people in theater almost completely forgotten. It took every ounce of his self control not to dive into the kiss with absolute abandon, but he persevered, returning the kiss in a way he hoped was enough to show he invited and enjoyed it but also in a way to show he wasn't expecting more. Hell...he hadn't even expected that much...Tarin went back to when he figured this date was a great idea...it was definitely the best fricken idea he'd ever had.

Lee felt Tarin move slightly as she touched his cheek. It wasn't a flinch away, it wasn't a jump at a surprise, but it was definitely a movement. Was it really that surprising that she was touching him? In the moment before she leaned in, Lee realized that yes, recently, it would be.

And this kiss...It was nothing like their first kiss, so long ago now, feeling almost like a lifetime ago. It was so much more restrained, so much more chaste, innocent.

And so much more significant, so much better.

Finally, Lee pulled back, a slightly nervous smile on her face as she gazed at Tarin. But she left her hand on his cheek, at least for the time being.

"I'm still not completely ready," Lee said, her voice as low as she could make it and still have Tarin hear her over the movie. "I still need time, but I miss us."

Lee couldn't have possibly known how surprised Tarin was that this was happening. After spending the whole afternoon and evening steeling himself and building up his self control so that something like this wouldn't happen...here it was happening. It was going on a little too long though...Tarin's hands were starting to shake with the effort it was taking not to delve deeper into the chaste but lengthy kiss he was sharing with Lee.

Lee pulled back after what seemed like both an eternity and not nearly long enough at the same time. As the contact waned, it was as if consciousness returned as well and Tarin realized they were in a movie theater. The lights were still off and the movie was still playing, the shadows and flickers from the screen reflecting off of Lee's face as she looked at him in a way that could only be nervous. She didn't move her hand though and Tarin leaned his head into it.

Lee spoke and Tarin's heart jumped into his throat...again. She missed them...she wasn't ready...all of it seemed to be swimming around in his head at once. Apparently she thought at the slightest inclination he'd be dragging her off to bed. No matter that it was pretty much exactly what he wanted to do, Tarin bristled for about half a second before relaxing and smiling at Lee, a very bright smile.

"Lee..." he whispered, "If there's one thing I'm confident in, it's my ability to wait for you. I miss us too...and it's all at your pace."

As she looked at Tarin, Lee felt him leaning into her hand on his cheek. Leaning into it to prolong contact, even if she wasn't trying to move her hand at that moment. Looking at her and leaning against her.

And then he was smiling at her, very brightly, the screen lighting up one half of his face as he looked at her.

Then he was whispering to her. It was hard to hear what with the movie still playing, but somehow Lee managed. And as she heard his words, her nervous smile turned into a happier, if slightly lopsided, smile.

He always had said he'd wait for her, hadn't he? Said he'd wait forever for her to be ready if it took that long. And before, he had waited, hadn't pushed her at all. He hadn't been pushing most recently, since she had been back in New York.

"Hopefully it doesn't, but even if it takes forever?" Lee asked. She was sure she already knew the answer, but needed to hear it again, now.

This conversation was getting intense...really intense for the middle of a movie theater. She was still close, and she still hadn't moved her hand from the side of his face. Tarin didn't say anything, he was afraid to break the spell, afraid that she'd stop touching him.

It didn't seem to be happening soon. So Tarin relaxed a little and made himself happy with simply looking at Lee some more. She was smiling, a real smile, a large smile. It had been so long since he'd seen that look on her face and it made him warm through his whole body. It was amazing.

Lee spoke again and Tarin had to swallow before he spoke. It was miserable that so much had happened to her in her life. She'd been so close to really being happy only to have things happen to her that set her back behind where they'd been when they started.

Tarin didn't believe that it would be forever. This was proof. Two hours ago, Lee would never have allowed the thought that she'd be touching and it wouldn't have even entered her realm of possibility that she would have kissed him.

"Even if it's that long Lee." Tarin whispered, looking intensely back at her, "I've said it before, if someting is worth the wait...it's worth the wait."

Tarin didn't respond immediately, but because of the darkness in the theatre, because she couldn't really see his eyes because of the shadows, Lee couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking.

When he finally did respond, even though she couldn't see his eyes, Lee could feel him looking at her. The smile was still on her face as she softly ran her thumb across Tarin's cheek a couple times. "Thanks, hon," she whispered.

Her eyes moving away from Tarin for the first time since before the kiss, Lee glanced at the lights flashing on the screen, then turned back to him with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I guess we should actually watch the movie," Lee said, a bit embarrassed, as she let her hand slowly drop from Tarin's face.

How did they manage to do this, getting so wrapped up in each other that they could lose track of where they were, who was around them, even without trying?

Turning back to the screen, Lee had to shift around in her seat to get comfortable again. Apparently she had turned more toward Tarin than she had thought during the kiss. While she was moving, Lee was thinking, not really watching the movie yet at this point, wondering if the kiss was all she could deal with that night, or if she should try more. Tarin might not be pushing her, but that didn't mean she didn't need pushing. At least if she were the one doing the pushing, she could stop as soon as she really needed to.

By this point, Lee was biting the inside of her lip, debating. A couple of seconds later, Lee gave a small sigh; if she found it was too much, she could always move again, she decided. So Lee finished settling down into her seat, leaning her head lightly against Tarin's shoulder as she tried to figure out what was going on in the movie.

"Any time Lee, and you know I mean that..." Tarin said when Lee thanked him. It was always amazing to Tarin how little faith Lee actually had in him. It made sense though, when he thought about it. How could you have faith in other people when other people had done you wrong on a consistent basis over and over throughout your life?

Movie? What movie? Tarin was pretty sure it would be worth the 17.50 he'd paid to get in to continue where they had left off. Tarin was pretty sure that violated the whole waiting for Lee to be ready thing, though, so he nodded slowly and grinned, then turned his head back to the movie only to find that they'd missed less than about a minute.

Tarin almost laughed, it seemed like the last few moments had lasted at least 10 minutes, maybe longer, it was that whole thing where if he was with Lee, he'd sometimes forget when and where he was.

Lee wasn't quite done though, she'd scooted so close to him when they were kissing, she kind of finished the whole thing off now and leaned her head against his shoulder. To acknowledge the movement, Tarin leaned his against her's for a brief moment before lifting it again and getting his attention back to the movie.

Lee smiled when she felt Tarin's head lean against hers after she started leaning against him. She couldn't help it, it felt so right that Lee couldn't help but feel happy to be sitting there with Tarin. The only thing that would make it more right, more back to normal, would be if Tarin's arm were around her shoulders while she sat leaning into him.

Lee wasn't ready for that yet, she knew she wasn't. The kiss and now this were definitely steps in the right direction for things getting back to normal, but she was only ready for steps so far, not the leaps and bounds that Tarin's arm around her shoulders for the rest of the movie would be.

And the movie...Now that her attention was back on it, Lee was riveted by it once more. She even had to sniffle a bit at the big reunion scene where the main characters got back together.

As the credits started rolling and the lights dimly came on in the theatre, Lee straightened up and looked over at Tarin with a grin on her face. "It wasn't too painful being dragged here, was it?" Lee asked, meaning had he liked the movie, since wouldn't actually admit to having wanted to come see it, that would ruin his image.