Michael smiled at the offer. “Sure,” he said simply. Getting a look at the guy’s apartment should give him a bit of a guess as to what he was like. Seeing Raina in her weakened state he was getting a little protective.

He let Rupert help Raina out of the car, as the pair seemed to have something going on. After all, he wasn’t her father, if she wanted to start something with this guys who was he to judge? He just wanted to make sure she would be ok.

ooc: Micheal, if you read the earlier posts in this thread you'll get an idea of Rupert's apartmentm and micheal can start to make sense of why Raina doesn't want him to know she's a mutant.

ic:

Raina let the guys lead her in, she was a little nervous about Micheal being out so late... it wasn't that he was too young but the mansion did have curfew for those underage.

She hobbled her way to Rupert's couch and smiled as an eager poodle jumped into her lap and nuzzled her thoroughly before licking her. Raina felt a little colour return to her cheeks. She smiled wider. "Hey Cutey, miss me?"

She leaned her head against the nearest pillow still sitting upright she smiled at the guys. "I'm sorry, I'll be fine in the morning."

The first thing Rupert did was go to the linen closet down the hall, next to the bathroom, and take down a set of sheets and a flannel blanket. He went into his own bedroom, and came back out with one of his pillows, as well.

"No broccoli feet on the couch, Flipsy," he scolded lightly, whacking the little poodle-spaniel mix in the butt with the pillow. She still needed that bath. What Michael would make of the green-soup-encrusted mini-mutt, he didn't even want to know, but the little dog was currently wagging her tail up at him quite happily. "Will this be good, Raina?" He asked, handing over the bedding. "I've got another pillow, if you want, and other blankets..." He trailed off, a little awkwardly. He’d had women sleep over his apartment before... but not under these circumstances.

Raina smiled up at Rupert feeling the twinge of a romantic moment- obviously killed by the circumstance. (ooc: hehe Micheal, i'm gonna assume you've left now but fill in the blanks!) She blushed a little as Rupert handed her the blankets. "These will be fine... they'll help me warm..up." She was so embaressed and patted the spot next to her. "Why dont you sit down. I've put you through quite the night." she was starting to get her bearings back a bit. "I'm sorry about all of this. I should have never put you in this position... I'm feeling very shameful right now..." she sighed. "I dont think singing was the best idea either..."

she looked at him from under those dark lashes.

((ooc: Sorry to write you out of the plot, Michael, but one must defer to the Lady in these situations. ))

Rupert sat down in the offered spot, trying not to sit too close and trying not to sit too far, trying not to hit on Raina in a vulnerable moment, and trying to show that he cared. This was a bit of a challenge for the chronic bachelor.

“Hey, don’t you start apologizing. I’m the guy that’s been dragging you all over the place; I didn’t even notice how tired you were.” He said softly. “Are you feeling any better, now?”

"I don’t think singing was the best idea either..."

Rupert’s eyebrows furrowed. “What does singing have to do with it?”

He might be holding a conversation, but his mind felt a little dizzy and disconnected. This close, he could actually smell her—it was a cold scent, like the first snow of winter. She’s so beautiful.

Raina took Ruperts hand in hers- her hands were chilled. "I'm sorry, I don't make any sense" she closed the gap between them and leaned her head against his. "Can you ever forgive me for tonight?" she smiled as best as she could feeling so tired. "I think just sitting here is making me feel better."

Maybe it was the fatigue talking, but Raina couldn't help being so candid around Rupert right now. Looking across at his eyes she felt goosebumps.

Suddenly her stomach grumbled breaking the silence. Raina blushed and wrapped the blanket around her. "hmmm... I think my stomach wants a word in."

She’s always so cold, Rupert thought, as her hand wrapped around his. What had her friend at the jazz club said? “Too much time up North”? Rupert didn’t think about it for long—this was just who Raina was. As her head settled against his, he couldn’t help but smile to himself, just a little, at how their natures complemented. She was full of calmness and cold; he was a space heater with anger management issues. If this relationship did last... then he would definitely be getting the better end of the deal, gaining her as a partner.

“Can you ever forgive me for tonight?”

He smiled at her, his eyes showing a fond sort of amusement. “You, Raina,” he said simply, “apologize too much.” And he, Rupert, knew how to put a stop to that: he planted a chaste kiss on her lips. “You didn’t do anything wrong, all right? And this,” he smiled at her, “is by far the most memorably first date of my life.”

gruuumble

“hmmm... I think my stomach wants a word in.”

Rupert laughed. “Would it like some food it, too? I’ve probably got something in that fridge...” As a matter of fact, he knew he did. Underneath the gruff detective exterior lurked a man who actually liked to cook. But you’d be hard pressed to get him to admit it. He casually walked over to the kitchen area, and peered inside the fridge. He gave a melodramatically relieved sigh. “Looks like there’s more than spoiled milk and ketchup. That tummy of yours in the mood for anything in particular?”

Raina drank in the moment feelin calmer and warmer by the minute. She felt so safe when she was with Rupert. But what was going on with her? She was so intimate with a man she'd only met in the morning. He made her feel at home in this city. She was falling so fast and she knew it.

She was unsure of how to take things- being at his apartment and all, but when her stomach growled breaking the tension she was eager to jump on it.

"Sure!" she exclaimed. "Any food would be great!" She leaned over the back of the couch. her hair slightly in her eyes watching him head into the kitchen. Flipsey licked her toes and she giggled her musical laugh. "I'm starting to feel better already."

“Hmm...” Rupert said, trying to figure out what to offer her. It was rather an extensive list. He really liked to cook, and he was in the habit of keeping leftovers. Honestly, it looked like he’d robbed a restaurant.

"Sure! Any food would be great! I'm starting to feel better already.”

He looked back over at her, grinning when he saw her draped over the couch back. She was looking better, too. He was glad he hadn’t pressed for the hospital visit. “Hard to believe you were fainting all over the city an hour ago,” he smiled out from behind the refrigerator door. “How do muffins sound? Chocolate chip.”

Raina grinned from ear to ear. "It was all a clever ploy to get you alone." she laughed. She smelled the air and pushed her hair back out of her eyes- those dark eyes twinkling at him. "Chocolate chip sounds fantastic." she rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes.

"A cop who can cook, well now, you're a keeper." she joked. "What did you think of the jazz club? I hope my friends didn't scare you..."

"It was all a clever ploy to get you alone." She laughed, and Rupert joined in, after a startled moment. Now that... was a great line. "A cop who can cook, well now, you're a keeper."

He shrugged his shoulders, still chuckling. “It’s either cook, or eat at McDeepFried King, for us bachelors.” He located the muffins on the third shelf, towards the back, and extracted them past the manicotti and the eggplant parmesan with delicate finesse. They were only from yesterday—something he couldn’t say about everything in that mess. He shut the fridge door... and noted the small dog lolling her tongue at his feet. Now when had she gotten there? As soon as she heard “muffins”, probably. “You,” he stared down at her accusingly, “are the reason I can’t keep these on the counter.” Anyone who said little dogs couldn’t jump had never met Flipsy. She acted like a poodle-spaniel-cat mix, when it came to baked goods left undefended in high places. ...And she was giving him the puppy eyes. “Nu-uh, little girl. I’m not falling for that again.” Rupert said, refusing to look at her anymore as he brought the tray over to Raina. He set it on the coffee table, and sat back down on the couch. Only then did he answer her last question—the one he’d been pretending not to hear: "What did you think of the jazz club? I hope my friends didn't scare you..."

“Honestly? I’d be lying if I said the waitress didn’t make me uncomfortable.” He ran a hand through his hair. Chances were good—stupendously good, given what had happened with Yellow Eyes earlier that day—that not all of the kids she worked with were nice and normal like Michael. And obviously, she was fine with mutants. So he was going to try very hard to not sound like a zealot, for her sake. “She seemed like a nice enough girl, though. And that hair was... interesting. Joe seems cool—protective of you, like a big brother. Did you see that look on his face when we first walked in? I don’t think the matching clothes impressed him.” Rupert glanced at Raina’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers shirt, and plucked at his own Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. “Casey seemed like a very good guy, as well. Sometime, you’ll have to tell me the story of how he became an elder.” He looked at her warmly. “You seem to attract good people to you, Raina. I’m not sure if I fit the bill,” he laughed, a little self-cynically.

(OOC: Don’t mind me, just putting in an exit post that is completely out of sync with your posts.)

Michael followed Rupert into the apartment and immediately noticed the semi-green dog that made a beeline for Raina the moment she was in the door. Of all the pets he could have guessed the good detective had, this was not one of them. He liked it, it seemed to soften the “I’m a gruff detective” thing that Rupert had going on.

Of course the “I’m a gruff detective” thing came straight back when he looked around at the apartment. Talk about bringing your work home with you. There were photos and reports all linked to mutant crime scattered about the place. Small wonder that Raina had wanted to keep quiet about her x gene.

When Rupert went to get some bedding he went over to look at one of the photos and his heart skipped a beat. Emerald!? It was now abundantly clear why Raina didn’t want him coming to the mansion either. By the looks of it he’d try and arrest half the residents, and Emerald for one would not go quietly. But it wasn’t his place to judge Raina’s choice in guys, and so long as she liked him and he didn’t try and arrest any of his friends he’d have no complaints.

Turning to Raina he gave her a warm smile and said, “Well you look comfortable enough, I’m gonna take off. See you soon.” He stepped out the apartment, closing the door behind him. As he did he resolved that if he hadn’t seen her back at the mansion by mid morning he’d come looking for her. It wasn’t that Rupert wasn’t a nice guy, it’s just that he was very engrossed with his work, which was catching mutants. He just wanted to be sure Raina didn’t end up in a jail cell.

Raina waved to Micheal as he left and caught his expression- she knew she was walking a fine line. As she contemplated it, Rupert sat next to her and she wondered in her head what she could possibly be thinking... and then as she turned and met Rupert's eyes, and felt their deep intense gaze... her stomach flipped and she knew.

She knew she was in way too deep. As he continued to talk she felt her heart beat a little faster. She tried to destract herself by grabbing a muffin and munching, but she could barley taste it she was so destracted by the way Rupert held himself when he spoke.

She suddenly reached out and closed the gap between them by taking Rupert's hand in hers and leaning into the space between his neck and shoulder. (hehe think eternal sunshine if you've ever seen it, the scene where clem and joel are on the couch, maybe i'll add a link)

"I like you Rupert." she said in a soft almost hushed voice playing with his fingers. "I mean i must, this isnt exactly like me. I'm still sorry I ruined both our dates." she closed her eyes now while she talked.

"I'm very happy that you're giving me a chance after all of this, and that you gave the jazz club a chance. I feel that you really stepped outside of your comfort zone for the sake of spending some time with me- and i'm really touched by that."

She was starting to feel better then she did before, and she could feel the heat coming from Rupert. "it's not like me to be so candid..." she admitted. "You and Flipsy seem to have that affect on me. I'm sorry I've put you in a poisition with the work visa."

She was curled up now looking adorable in his t-shirt.

((ooc: Nope, never seen Eternal Sunshine. I’ve been told that I should, though. )

“ ‘Ruined’?” Rupert laughed, settling his chin into her hair. Soft, with just a hint of that stiffness that dye gives. “I’m sitting here with a woman who’s a better person than I’ll ever be—she’s talented, empathetic, passionate, and loved—and I can only hope that she won’t wake up in the morning and realize it’s a case of the flu that’s making me look good to her. I hear she isn’t exactly acting like herself,” he said, with a smirk. “All I know is that I’m happy to be sitting next to her,” he twined his fingers through her own, and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, “and any guy who wouldn’t step outside of his comfort zone to be with her would be a damn fool.” He took a breath, and let it out slowly, watching her red hair move in the warm little breeze. “Honestly, this feels like a dream. It has since the jazz club. I just... I’m not the settle-down type; obviously.” He let his eyes roam over his apartment, over the work folders scattered everywhere and the suspect photos and the stray sock next to the TV that had survived his earlier hasty cleaning. “But you—I... I would like this to last a little while longer. Maybe more than a little while. God knows I’ve got issues that you don’t need in your life, but...” He let himself focus back in on this moment; on their entwined hands and her body leaned against his. God knew she looked adorable in his T-shirt, too. “This is so comfortable. I feel comfortable around you. I... It would be nice if this could last.” He laughed abruptly, feeling his stomach turn over. “Sorry. Too heavy for a first date, huh?”

As he spoke Raina had been absentmindedly twirlling her hair in her fingers feeling nervous. her heart was pounding so fast and so loud she could hear it in her ears. She tried to eat more of the muffins knowing they would help her regain strength. She nuzzled in to Rupert and listened intently to everything he said.

He complimented her and she blushed finding it easier to smile when she closed her eyes. Her whole body ached and her throat felt like it was frozen solid- but Raina was the happiest she'd been in that moment since she first came to NYC.

"sorry, too heavy for a first date huh?"

Raina didn't respond. She sat their quietly feeling overwhelmed knowing that Rupert was feeling just like she did.

"Well, I certainly don't want this to be our last date..." she laughed. "We need some practice to get this thing right." at this point Flipsy curled up by their feet and there was no more noise aside from the occasional bus heard zooming by from the street below the apartment.

She was quiet, and being very daring overcome by the serenity of the moment she knew couldn't possibly last given the nature of the circumstances, Raina leaned forward and Kissed Rupert again.

This kiss was different, it lingered, and she stole heat from his lips that warmed her own. Her hair tangled around them and she brought her hands to his face borderlining something more passionate.

A million thoughts were racing through her head, and though her eyes were closed and her lips locked to Ruperts, she could still see the images in her head that were around Rupert's apartment. Emerald, mutant profiles, document upon document spilled everywhere.

What was she doing? What was she getting herself into? Was this worth it? She had to find out...