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Lunar Duality (Spitfire x katuzov)

With a smile, she looked up at him and closed her book, trying to ignore the looks she got when she took his hand. "I have a history class next," she said as she laced her fingers with his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. While there was concern in her eyes, her worry was more for how he was feeling about returning to the real world of their classes and having to be separated for longer than it took for her to run home and back the night before. "You're going to be fine." Her voice was confident and she hoped it would bolster his bravado into reality.

Her grandfather wouldn't have been happy to see her missing classes for a guy, but he'd always encouraged her to help those in need and to take care of the people she cared about most. That list was already short as she had been too focused to make many friends and without her grandfather, she was basically down to her parents. And then came Mike. It was a relationship she didn't understand and the dynamic was still incredibly complicated in her mind, but his certainty that his feelings were his own reassured her, for the most part.

"You got this," she whispered, once again expressing her faith in him and optimistic that he'll believe it himself.
 
Looking into her eyes, Mike felt better. He nodded, leaned in and gave her a kiss, and then departed. Tonight at least, they'd have their date. Something that added a bit of spring to his step. He was already trying to pick a restaurant to take her to. Though, her skills in the kitchen meant that it was unlikely that she'd be impressed too much by the food. Atmosphere was the key. A few good places came to mind. Somewhere romantic. He thought she'd like that.

At class, it was night and day difference from the day before. His spells hit with pinpoint control. None of the extra power he experienced. His classmates poked fun at him, saying that they knew it was a fluke, and the professor seemed utterly unimpressed. Mike didn't care. His magic didn't feel like it was casting itself. His personal pride began to soar and....

His fireball exploded violently. Mike's face paled while his classmates cheered. Alright, well that's enough of that for today. He thought to himself. His time with Selene had helped, but it wasn't a cure. It seemed that growing pride might make things worse. Thankfully class was over. He didn't have to cast anymore for the day. Instead, his classes were mostly theory and tactics. Nothing he couldn't handle.

The day went slowly. His excitement for their date this evening made time drag.
 
Blushing slightly at the kiss, she watched him walk away before quickly making her way to her next class. Anxious as she was about their date, she willed the day along just so she could see him again. However, she managed to focus on classes enough to not show any sign of slipping.

Between classes, she called her mom for a favor and hoped she had time for the trip. She hadn't expected to date, anyone at all really, and she realized if she was going somewhere nice, she needed to dress appropriately. Nothing in her closet fit the bill so she asked her mother to come through for her. After many questions about Mike and a short conversation about his offer to drive her north for Saturday's journey to her grandfathers, she agreed to deliver something to Selene's apartment while she was in class.

She texted Mike to ask him what time she needed to be ready and headed straight home after her last class. Much to her surprise, her mother was still at her apartment when she arrived, offering to help her get ready as well. It was almost as if she'd been waiting for this day for years and Selene could hardly decline. When asked about the new necklace, she replied that it was a final gift from her grandfather and hoped it wasn't glowing or buzzing.

Clothes, hair, and makeup all in place, her mother left and she waited for her date, growing increasingly anxious with each passing minute.
 
Once Mike got back to his apartment, he set about preparing for his date. After showering and shaving it was time to get dressed. He had a decent collection of dress clothes - his parents made sure of it. Though he rarely wore them, he was always prepared for a possible internship interview, or to attend networking events. So, he chose a charcoal grey pair of pants a light blue dress shirt. He opted to skip a tie, but did wear the sport coat that matched his pants. Lastly he applied some pommade to his hair, forming a messy part. Of course he kept his necklace, hidden beneath his shirt. Though it seemed to be thrumming a bit more than he'd expect when so far from Selene. Perhaps it was his own excitement for the date - or hers coming through.

No walking tonight. He got in his silver car and drove first to a flower shop to purchase a single red rose. Cheesy perhaps, but he thought she'd appreciate the gesture.

He parked at her apartment and walked up to her door. A couple of girls giggled when he passed carrying the flower. He knocked, prepared to hand her the rose.
 
The few minutes felt like forever as she tried not to pace around her apartment. The knock on the door was a welcome respite from the anxiety she'd been feeling but the excitement that replaced it was nearly overwhelming. She tried to compose herself before opening the door to greet him by taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

The moment she saw him, dressed up with a rose in his hand, she couldn't help but grin. "You... look so nice." Blushing, she took the flower he held out to her and kissed his cheek, "Thank you. That's so sweet." She held the door open a bit more, "Do you want to come in while I find a vase and put it in water?"

She went to the kitchen, pulling a small vase down from the cabinet. After cutting the stem to a proper length, she put water in the vase and placed the rose gingerly into it. She placed it on the dining table and smiled at him once again. He looked so good and she worked so hard to look nice as well that it would be a shame to skip dinner just to spend the night kissing and touching in her bed but she'd have been lying if she said that wasn't exactly what she wanted.

Taking his hand, she grinned and blushed. She wasn't sure her thoughts made it through but she hoped not. "You look... so nice," she repeated nervously.
 
"I'd love to come in," he said with a beaming smile. "You look really nice as well." He replied to her sincerely. It was in fact proper form, but in this case very accurate. He always found her attractive, but she had upped her game for this evening.

He stepped in while she cut the rose and put it into water. "I made reservations at an Italian restaurant - Gio's. I've heard good things, though I'm not sure if the cooking will compare well to yours. Have you been there?" The truth was, the pictures he'd seen were the reason he'd booked the place. It was dark, romantic, candlelit. It was as much as he could ask for.

"You look really nice as well." he repeated his reply to her compliment. He took her hands in his. "I am really excited for tonight. I know that things have gotten off to a rocky... maybe even explosive start for us, but beyond all that, I'm so happy to get to take you out. I hope you have a good time." He could sense her nervousness from the... everything about her. He wanted to reassure her as much as he could.
 
"Yeah," giggling nervously, "I guess I said that already. It's just..." It seemed lame to tell him this was going to be her first date and she was pretty sure it was obvious enough that she'd never gone out with a guy before so she didn't strictly have to tell him. "I'm excited too." It wasn't a lie. Nervous and excited were basically sides of the same coin and she was happy that he'd invited her on a date.

With a grin, she smoothed the skirt of her beige dress and tried not to appear as on edge as she felt. She failed, of course, but it seemed worth it to try. "I uhh... I haven't been there before," she said with a shake of her head, wondering how upscale the place was and if she'd stand out terribly. Grabbing the clutch purse from the table, she nodded definitively, "Ok, I'm ready." It hadn't occurred to her that the phrase was becoming her common declaration in their relationship.

She locked the door and held his arm, surprised she didn't feel like a newborn fawn on the stilts she was wearing on her feet. The shoes confounded her as they seemed to hold little purpose, however as she walked in them, she realized how different her posture was and how much more confident she felt.

Then again, that could also have been contributed to being on a date with Mike Templeton. She still wasn't sure what they were supposed to be to each other, but for the evening, they were at least more than friends. Eventually, she would need a firmer definition but she let it go, settling for what she had told her mother. 'We're going to try dating and see how it goes' in the most theoretic way she could phrase it. The truth was she wanted more but was afraid to express it until he decided on his feelings.
 
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"Ok, I'm ready." it was starting to become her catchphrase as their relationship progressed. He could understand that she was nervous and felt the need to get into the right mind frame, especially since all of this was new to her. He nodded and merely said "right this way." He led her down the hall to the elevator and then out of the building. He was glad that his parents had forced him to learn so much etiquette even though at the time, he had rolled his eyes at all of it.

He opened the passenger side door of his car and inclined his head so that Selene could sit down. The moonstone around his necklace almost seemed to purr with contentment. He even held out his hand so that he could help her in. Once she was seated he closed the door softly.

He quickly walked to his door, got in and started the car. The sun was starting to set, and the whole world seemed golden and beautiful. It was just a short drive to the restaurant. Once they were there and parked, Mike looked over at her.

"Are you ready?" He said with a bit of a grin, though he fully intended to get the car door for her yet again.
 
Through her nervousness, she still couldn't fight the grin that expressed the joy she felt. Being out on a proper date with him wasn't even something she'd wanted a week before but she had grown to like him quite a lot in that short time and she hoped he truly felt the same. The soft glow and the calming feeling of the stone around her neck steadied her further.

She gave him a warm smile as he held the door for her, taking his hand to step into the car. After quickly smoothing her skirt again to make sure it wouldn't be caught in the door, she nodded up at him. She remained quiet on the short trip, looking at the scenery of their beautiful campus and trying not to blush when her eyes caught his.

Giggling at his question, she nodded, "Yes. I'm ready." She waited for him to open the door for her and took his hand again as he helped her step out and onto the sidewalk. Continuing to hold his hand for as long as he'd allow, she clasped her clutch bag tightly in the other hand. Once inside the restaurant, she looked around, impressed and a bit intimidated by the ambience and opulence. She let loose his hand and stood back to let him check in with the maître d'.

To any onlooker, she may have appeared aloof but when he looked at her, she beamed back. The way he looked made her heart feel fluttery.
 
The nicest place in town was a far cry from the of the places Mike had been with his family. However it would do. He could tell that for Selene, this was rare air indeed. He considered telling her about some of the meals he'd had, but opted not to cheapen her experience. She certainly seemed to be enjoying herself, based on the beaming smiles she gave. For his part, Mike strolled up to the maître d' and gave his name.

"Right this way, Mr. Templeton." He said giving a smile.

Mike gestured to Selene and followed him to their seats. Once there, Mike walked around the table and pulled out a chair for her.

With her seated, Mike opened the menu and went about deciding what he might have. "It's all pretty good here." He said, looking at the options. "I'm a big fan of any of their seafood dishes. Do you like Oysters?"
 
As they made their way to their table, she continued to take in the décor. The ambience was still warm and cozy, which put her at ease. The intimate, romantic air to the place made her feel a bit closer to him.

She thanked him quietly when he pulled out her chair and took a moment to settle in. "Yes," she replied with a smile, "my mom charbroils them most often but I like them other ways as well." With a quick look over the menu, she tried to decide between a few seafood dishes based on his suggestion. Being in a fancy place might have been intimidating but gourmet cuisine was not. She gave him a smile as she folded the menu after only a moment to look at the options. "I'll trust you on the seafood," noting that was the section she focused on, "and the salmon capperi sounds the best." It was proof that she could absolutely be decisive when she was so inclined.

"This place is... amazing," she whispered as she leaned toward him. "Thank you for inviting me out."
 
"It's a good choice, though I'm very fond of the shrimp alfredo." The truth was, Mike loved anything with shellfish in it. He was glad she liked oysters, he would have had a hard time passing up ordering a dozen raw blue points. If she found them gross... well it would have been a hard conversation, or he would have had to avoid eating them. He smiled looking over at her through the candlelight. A feeling of bliss came over him, and the moonstone seemed to merely vibrate happily.

The waiter came and Mike ordered "We'll start with a dozen Blue Points, and a bottle of the 2016 Pinot Grigiot. It was a slightly older bottle, but Mike felt it was well worth it. Truth be told, he didn't know much at all about wine, but his dad said it went well with Sea Food.

Once the waiter departed, Mike smiled at her, again admiring her eyes in the candle light. "I am not sure how you ended up with the other half of the necklace, but... I'm glad it's you. I couldn't ask for a better.... partner in all this."
 
Reaching for his hand, she gave him a smile, "I'm glad I get to be the one here with you." She squeezed his hand slightly, "I don't know what any of it means so I'm not really sure how good a partner I'm supposed to be but... I guess we'll figure it out together." The feeling of guilt over not telling him everything her grandfather told her still sat in her heart, weighing it heavily. But she didn't know what to make of it, much less how to explain it.

She sighed, realizing that if he'd lived longer, it would've been her grandfather. The thought was amusing if a bit troubling. "I wish I knew what to do. Long-term, I mean. I feel like what we've been doing is just... a temporary fix." It wasn't as though they could move in together and she certainly couldn't keep missing class if she was going to stay on track for graduation. As much as she wanted to help him, as much as she wanted to understand what her grandfather had said, she wasn't sure she could fulfill whatever destiny they had and maintain her 4.0 GPA.

While this man had become important to her, she still had her own dreams and goals. And none of them included exerting her will on someone else through magical means. She only hoped that going through her grandfather's things would glean some answers.
 
It was a small thing, but the light squeeze of his hand made Mike's heart flutter. Somehow, her faith that they'd figure out what to do spread to him. He'd seen what she was capable of, and he found it easy to believe in her, and in them. The two had found a way to avoid disaster thus far, they'd bought some time. Mike saw no reason to doubt that they'd be able to figure out the next steps, no matter what they were.

Hearing her start to puzzle out what to do, he gave voice to these thoughts. "You helped me pass that exam, you've helped buy us some time, even if the fix is temporary. We'll be able to use that time to better research our next steps. We've found a lot of clues. I think if we can find a few more puzzle pieces we can start to figure out what the final image will look like." He tilted his head to the side, trying to decipher what they already knew.

It was then that the oysters and the wine arrived. The waiter opened the bottle and allowed Mike to take a small taste, which he did and nodded that it was indeed acceptable. The waiter took their orders and departed.

Mike wasted no time pouring her a glass and helping himself to an oyster after adding horseradish and lemon. It was delicious. "Let's enjoy this night." He said, already feeling a bit of the effect of the wine. "This weekend, we'll figure out what to do."
 
With a hopeful smile, she gave him a nod and took the wine. She wasn't even sure she should try drinking again but one glass surely wouldn't have the same effect as whatever concoction he'd ordered for her at the bar. Smirking at him, she shook her head, "Thank you for this but... I'm fairly certain I swore I'd never drink with you again." She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip, "I hope I won't regret it this time."

She added lemon to an oyster before taking it for herself, trying to put the big picture out of her mind enough to enjoy the date. It was a difficult task made less so when she saw his smile. How could she possibly think about anything else when he looked at her that way? She was beginning to understand why he had such reputation with women who were interested in Destruction Jocks. As those types of men went, he wasn't what she'd expected at all.

After another oyster and a few longer sips, she began to feel the effects of the wine as well. Sensing the light hum of her necklace, her cheeks began to blush again, "I didn't think wine would go to my head so quickly." She chuckled slightly, "This is what I get for doing this a second time." Giggling, she took another sip.
 
"Was it so bad the last time?" His grin was filled with mischief. "I mean, it might not have gone exactly how you would have wanted, but it did start us on a path of becoming close." He giggled a bit himself after taking a sip of wine. "You'll notice that opted for wine rather than a mixed drink this time, especially one as strong as a long island."

Of course, even he knew better than to order anything but wine in a place like this. His parents had scolded him harshly for ordering a beer on his 21st birthday when they took him to a similar restaurant. To them, appearances always mattered, and much of that had rubbed off on him - even if he tried to prevent it. He opted to stop thinking about his parents and instead enjoyed another oyster. "These are really fresh." He said. Not that he exactly knew what he was talking about. Though he knew that he was enjoying them.

"I'll make sure you get home alright..." He said, though his eyes sparkled a bit in the firelight. "Though, I am hoping that you'd be willing to sleep at my place tonight."
 
"I thought my head was going to explode," she replied with a smirk. However, he was right. "I'd argue Hale set us on that path but I won't be thanking him any time soon. The man's ego is... already bigger than yours." Laughing, "If it was that strong, why did you order it? Seems a cruel joke for someone so obviously new to drinking." Her comment was clearly in jest and she didn't hold any hard feelings over the matter.

She blinked at his final words, uncertain what to say. "I... I hadn't packed anything to stay over." If she were being honest, she was also hoping that he'd like to stay at her place. She wanted more private time together and being in her bed was more comfortable. Not only was it more space, but it was her space. And while she knew they were already moving fairly quickly in their relationship, she admittedly wanted more. Unfortunately, she also knew that his recent issues with control would naturally make him more comfortable in his own bed.

Swallowing hard, she nodded, "Yeah. Ok. We can do that." Her discomfort wasn't overt but it was present.
 
"I didn't think you'd drink it so fast!" He said in a feigned defense of himself, though he knew that she meant no malice. "And Hale's got nothing on me." He winked in an acknowledgement of his ego, and in the hope that she'd appreciate a joke made at his own expense.

Though her face seemed to darken at the mention of staying at his place. He could feel her unease, and felt compelled to relieve it. "Of course, we don't have to." He said, but before he could add more, their food arrived. The waiter placed both dishes, and wished them bon appetit. Though Mike felt like it went on for an eternity. He hoped that Selene didn't think that he was trying to weasel out of spending the night together.

Once he was gone, Mike quickly leaned in and completed his thought. "I really want to be with you tonight. If you'd rather your place... or any other space, I hope I can be there with you. Not just because of my..." He gestured with his hand, a burst of his fingers to represent his explosive magic. "...I just want to be with you."
 
She giggled at his comment about Hale and his own inflated ego but said nothing further. Then Mike began withdrawing and she felt bad for being terribly incapable of explaining her own feelings. She was just about to speak when the food arrived. As the plate was set in front of her, she smiled and thanked the server.

After the man left, she looked at Mike, feeling uncertain as he tried to recover. She knew he was concerned about the stability of his powers and thought it was selfish of her to want to be in her own space when he was more comfortable at his place. Still, she couldn't help the strong feeling she had about wanting him to stay with her. Mostly for reasons she was unable to tell him, and unwilling to talk about over dinner anyway.

"Let's just... play it by ear then. If we get to my house and you still want to go to yours, I'll pack and we'll go." It seemed a decent compromise. "I want to be with you too." There was definitely more meaning in the words than simply being in his presence. She felt so strongly about him without even understanding why. Her parents had told her that feelings often defied reason and she was only just beginning to understand what that meant. "I just want to be where you are."
 
The food smelled incredible, and once he managed to reassure Selene, Mike took the opportunity to inhale as she spoke. His stomach nearly cried out. He began twirling pasta around his fork as he spoke. "That works for me." Though truthfully he had already made up his mind that he'd like to stay at her place. Somehow, it felt... better. The moonstone seemed to agree.

Though he wanted that first bite of pasta, he instead raised his glass, which still had plenty of wine in it. "To us?" He said, almost asking. He very much liked the idea that they were steadily becoming an 'us.' He hoped she did too.

His other hand still gripped his fork, clearly excited for the chance to eat. He also hoped that the food was up to her standards. For him, this was as good as it gets, but he had never had food prepared by a true kitchen witch before - something that she grew up with.
 
'Us'? 'Us' sounded nice. She pondered on it as she raised her glass to tap it to his before taking a sip. The idea of being official in any way was more than she'd allowed herself to hope for but was it truly what he wanted. She hid her concern behind a smile. Was this really the time or place for the 'define the relationship' talk? Was that conversation even necessary in their situation? On a certain level, she knew they needed each other so she couldn't help but wonder how much of that she'd just have to accept.

She took a bite and smiled at him. "This is wonderful," reassuring him that the food was up to standard. "The seafood was a good recommendation. Thank you."

Normally she knew there should be some lull in the conversation before any hard-hitting questions and their interactions had been full of them, but her curiosity got the better of her. "I'm... not sure how to... Do you really want to be an 'us'?" She gave away her meaning by reaching for her necklace. "I do want to... be with you." The blush in her cheeks and aversion of her gaze indicated her deeper meaning although she tried desperately not to send any thoughts or feelings across whatever link they shared.

She finally forced herself to look into his eyes and tried to gauge his reaction, and to see if he understood what she was truly confessing.
 
"Us." he answered her single worded question before taking a sip of his wine. Though he watched her intently as she took a bite of her meal, and nearly let out a sigh of relief when she gave her approval. Though he casually shrugged and said "I sometimes know what I'm talking about," with a smirk.

The conversation shifted, as he might have expected when he toasted to them. He looked at her, and the way the candles lit up her eyes. The moonstone necklace around his neck was alive and buzzing, he had to believe that hers was as well. "I do." He answered her question. Almost surprised at his answer. He'd never wanted to be a part of an 'us' before. However there was no doubt in his mind. "I want to be with you as well, and not just because of...." he touched his own vibrating moonstone, to show that it had nothing to do with the connection they shared.

Though through the stone, he thought he caught a strong sense of desire... though it was nascent. He could have been wrong, but he thought it went far beyond a mere title change. He reached out, and took her hand, rubbing the top of it with his thumb. "I really want to be with you." He said as he internally chastised himself for merely repeating himself.
 
While she wasn't sure he caught her meaning, the touch of his hand and the way he looked at her were welcome continued reassurance that she wasn't alone in her feelings. She was hoping at some point she could simply just be certain that the stones weren't the reason for his feelings. She gave him a soft smile, "Good. I mean... that's good to hear you say." Eventually, she knew they'd come up with a solution and solve the mystery of why they had these stones and what they were supposed to do with them, but with his hand on hers and the look in his eyes, it was difficult to consider all of that in the moment. She just knew she wanted him and that he wanted her in return.

"I'm really glad you asked me out. This place is so beautiful and the food is great. I... It makes me happy I was able to get a dress. I didn't think I had anything nice enough here." With a nervous laugh, she shook her head, "I didn't. A lot of my clothes were left at home but Mom brought me a couple of things." Realizing she probably shouldn't have admitted that, she shook her head, "But I like the ambience here. The candle light is lovely."
 
A certain happiness came over Mike at the idea that she had her mother help her for the date. It just spoke to how importantly she took their budding relationship. Though with some guilt he realized he hadn't mentioned her to his parents. It was somewhat different. They always seemed so concerned with the wealth of the family of any girl he showed any interest in. Knowing that Selene's family lived rather modestly.... He really didn't want to deal with that. Though he knew that he'd have to one day, and likely soon.

The rest of the meal concluded. It was quite good, and neither had room for desert. Though he promised to take her out for ice cream sometime in the near future. They wandered out to his car, and he drove her home. Though Mike had thought that he'd rather stay at his own place, every time he considered merely staying at Selene's, the moonstone seemed to pulse, as if it were leading him to entertain her preference. The stone hadn't yet led him astray.

As they parked, he yawned. "What if we just crashed here. I don't need anything from my place, and if this is more comfortable for you... it makes me happy." The black stone around his neck nearly purred.
 
Over dinner, they spoke about family, school, future plans, and avoided the topic of the thing that truly brought them together. She could feel the stone, warm against her skin, but she focused on her date. Part of her wondered how she could come to care for someone so quickly when she hadn't let many people close enough to distract her from school. He certainly wasn't the person she'd thought he was.

As they left the restaurant, she thanked him for dinner and told him ice cream would be nice. Perhaps on another date. Though it was clear she was a bit anxious on the drive, she couldn't help but smile every time she looked at him. She was prepared to concede to staying at his apartment, to make him more comfortable and thus hopefully more calm. When he suggested staying with her, she gave him a small smile, "If you're sure you're ok with that. Wait... you don't need... clothes to sleep in... or for tomorrow?" She swallowed hard at the thought of him in her bed in nothing but boxers, if even that. She did want him after all. And he'd have to at least be partially naked for that. "Yeah umm... ok?"

Leading the way upstairs and into her apartment, her excitement and nervousness both climbed. Once inside, she turned to face him, "Did you... want to go to bed now?" Her heart was racing but she tried not to send any thoughts or desires through the stones. It was difficult but she was pretty sure she managed. If he wanted her, he was certainly the type of person who would make the move. She didn't have to, which was a relief.
 
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