Chapter Three

Ely stood outside the cafe', a frown on her face as she stared at the door handle. It was less crowded than she had hoped for, which meant she might have to actually talk. Damn.

She sighed heavily and yanked the door open. A cool blast of air hit her in the face, turning the sweat on the back her neck to gel. She spotted Nathaniel sitting in a corner booth, a bored smirk on his face. She frowned again and then tried to force a smile. Morrigan had warned her not to frown a lot. Apparently the last guy she had gone on a date with had complained about it to Morrigan later.

She waved at Nathaniel and walked over to him. He wore another plain t-shirt, this one gray with dark blue letters that read: "Computer Technician: Because 'badass' isn't an official job title." His long hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail and Ely gulped.

She was grateful he had picked a casual place to dine, all she owned was t-shirts and swim gear. "Hi," she mumbled, trying not to scrunch her eyebrows.

He grinned up at her and motioned for her to sit. "I'm glad you showed up," he said.

She shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

He smirked. "Carver didn't warn you about me?"

"He did," she replied and bit her lip before continuing. "Is it true?"

It was his turn to shrug though he did so with a smile. He put his arms behind his head and leaned back, stretching, and his shirt rode up to reveal part of his stomach. She noticed a trail of hair that led down the front of his jeans and her cheeks heated up in response.

"Most of it, probably. Does that bother you?" he asked.

She thought a moment before answering, still chewing on her lip in thought. "No. It's just a casual date in exchange for your laptop."

His face fell a bit as he looked at her. "Is that all this is then? You weren't interested in seeing me at all?" he asked.

"Uh… I, I… guess…" she mumbled.

He snorted. "Well, then. I suppose that's better than flat out rejection."

He grabbed the menu and began browsing it, brow furrowed. Ely stared at him a moment, wondering if he was angry at her answer. With a small sigh she leaned her head in her hand and fiddled with her silverware.

"You're not hungry, I take it?" he asked, glancing at her. There was a flash of annoyance in his eyes and she shook her head.

"I am. Today's Saturday. They have the best pea soup on Saturdays," she replied.

He chuckled. "I thought you weren't ordering to make the date over with quicker," he admitted.

She snorted loudly. "Why would I do that?" she asked.

He put the menu down and raised a brow at her. "I thought this was just a casual date for you?" he murmured, voice low and it made her shiver.

She shrugged. "It is," she said. She doubted he'd have much interest after this. Her sister-in-law always told her men like more perky, upbeat women. "But I'm still hungry."

He laughed loudly. "Fair point," he agreed, and waved the waitress over. He looked up and read her name tag. "Caroline, is it? We need two pea soups for my friend and I here," he said with a small wink.

Ely frowned as the waitress giggled and left the table. Nathaniel glanced over at her and noticed her expression. "Something the matter, Ely?" he asked.

She shook her head and crossed her arms, looking away. The sun shone brightly through the stained glass window and she could hear a few birds chirping. She heard Nathaniel clear his throat and her eyes were drawn back to him. He had a smirk on his face which only made her frown harder.

"You're cute when you frown," he said, eyes twinkling.

Her eyes widened and she felt a bolt of heat shoot up her neck and across her face. She was certain she was tomato red right then. "I-I am not!" she stuttered.

He chuckled. "If you insist," he replied, the smirk still in place.

She got to her feet quickly and mumbled something about the bathroom before walking that way as quickly as she could.

The bathroom was thankfully empty as she stood in front of the sink. She splashed some cool water on her face as thoughts of Nathaniel's smirk made her legs shake. Hell, just the sound of his voice was certain to be her undoing. She just had to keep him from talking is all. Once the food arrived, he'd have other things to do with his mouth.

Other things…like kissing…

Ely cursed herself for even thinking of such a stupid idea. But images of his lips, hovering so close to her own, kept flashing before her eyes.

Shit.

She sighed and grabbed a paper towel to dry her face with. The last thing she needed to do was make him aware of the effect he had on her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calmly walk back to the booth. The soup was already on the table and Nathaniel was staring down at it, a dubious expression on his face.

She sat down and he looked up at her, face twisted in disgust. "It's green."

She grunted. "Yeah. It's pea soup," she replied with a shrug. She grabbed her spoon and breathed in the smell. It reminded her of home and her Nan's cooking.

His upper lip curled. "I'm not sure I actually like peas," he said.

She stared at him a moment and then took a bite. "Uh huh. Then why did you order it?"

He shrugged and took a spoonful of the food. "I don't really know," he admitted before taking a bite. He grimaced as the flavors settled on his tongue and Ely laughed.

"You look ridiculous," she said, still laughing.

He grimaced and pushed the bowl aside, taking a long drink of water to rid himself of the flavors. He watched a moment as Ely ate her soup, a small smile on her face.

He cleared his throat and leaned back. "So, how did you come to live with Carver Hawke?" he asked.

She shrugged. "We've been friends since middle school. We're both barely scraping by on scholarship programs. It just made sense," she replied.

He raised an eyebrow. "Scholarship program?"

She paused to take a few more bites of her soup before replying. "Mmmhmm. Swimming."

He grinned at her then. "Well, maybe I'll have to come see you perform some day," he said, making his tone suggestive.

She chuckled. "Yes, you can see me at my finest: nose plugs, swim cap, and all," she replied dryly.

He laughed a moment and she smiled in return. "I think I might enjoy that."

She shook her head, enjoying the easy conversation. "So, how do you know Carver?" she asked.

"We met through Aveline. She introduced us both at Belegarth," he replied.

Ely nodded in recognition. "The medieval combat with foam swords, right?"

Nathaniel grinned as he continued to watch her eat as they talked. He liked that she enjoyed her food. It made him wonder what else she might enjoy. "Yep. You should try it something."

She grunted and took a sip of water, letting the cold liquid run down her throat. "No time between classes, swim practice, and my mixed martial arts class."

His eyes widened. "Martial arts?"

This time she was the one who grinned. "Yep. You should try it sometime," she quipped.

He laughed at this and her grinned widened. "Maybe I will," he replied with a smile.

Ely looked down at her empty bowl and sighed. Now that there was nothing to eat she felt at a loss with what to do with her hands. Keep them in her lap? Too stiff. Wave them around while talking? Fidget with the silverware? She groaned inwardly and suddenly felt awkward, all over again.

Nathaniel leaned forward, letting his arms rest on the table. "Still hungry? Or something else?" he asked.

She blinked up at him a moment and frowned, which, oddly, made him smile. "No. I'm full," she replied.

He nodded and waved the waitress over. When she got there she smiled brightly at Nathaniel and he grinned in return. "We need the check, please, Caroline," he said.

"Of course, sir!" she replied, politely. "Will this be on one check or two?" she asked.

Ely opened her mouth to say 'two' but Nathaniel was quicker. "Just one," he answered.

She nodded and smiled at them both before walking away. Ely looked at Nathaniel, brow furrowed. "I can pay for my own meal," she grumbled.

He chuckled. "I'm sure you could, but it's quicker this way," he replied.

Ely struggled not to frown harder. "I didn't realize you had to leave right away."

Nathaniel shrugged casually. "I don't."

This time she did frown. "Oh," was all she could say though.

He grinned as Caroline laid the check on the table. He handed her his debit card but kept his eyes on Ely. "I was thinking maybe checking out the new theme park that opened up nearby."

"The Wonders of Thedas? I heard about that place. Well, have fun," she replied, trying not to sound disappointed.

He chuckled again as he signed the receipt. He stood up and looked down at Ely, putting his wallet back into his back pocket. "Well, I hope to," Nathaniel said with a grin. "Or do you not like theme parks?"

She looked up at him, a confused expression on her face, before realizing what he meant. "Oh! Uh, yeah, I mean yes, I do," she said and got to her feet.

He smiled and motioned for her to walk first. "Good, then we'll both have fun," he replied and watched as she walked towards the door. He smiled to himself and made a mental note to thank Carver later.

~...~...~

The sun had set about an hour ago and the night hair caused Ely to shiver. She stood in front of her door, a stuffed toy in one hand, and looked up at Nathaniel. He had won her to strange looking animal and they had laughed while trying to figure out what it was supposed to be. It looked like a cross between a rabbit and a pig with the nose of a anteater.

She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and gulped nervously. "Thanks for tonight. It was fun," she mumbled nervously.

His smile was wolfish as he leaned in close. "Mmm. It was, I never expected you to scream so loud on the roller coaster," he said, murmuring into her ear.

She blushed, remembering the high pitched sound that had emitted from her when The Dragon's Crooked Spine had went in for a vertical loop. "It felt like I was going to fall," she grumbled.

He chuckled and his breath against her ear sent shivers down her back. "It was pretty cute when they tried to tell you weren't tall enough, though," he continued, causing her to blush further.

She grunted and pushed lightly at his chest. "Jerk," she muttered.

He pulled back a bit, this time staring into her eyes. She licked her lips and his eyes followed the movement, both of their heartbeats pounding. He leaned in and she softly closed her eyes, holding her breath in anticipation.

When his lips brushed against hers they were firm and confident and she melted into the kiss. She clutched the stuff toy in her hands as Nathaniel used his tongue to part her lips. She moaned into his mouth and he gripped her shoulders tightly.

Suddenly a swath of light hit them as the front door flew open. Ely jerked away, surprised and embarrassed at the same time. Carver stood in the doorway, a frown on his face and a pretty girl with dark skin and golden eyes next to him. She had a saucy grin on her face and a gold piercing below her lip.

Carver opened his mouth to say something but the girl cut him off. "Hello! My name is Isabela, you must be Ely. Who's your friend?" she asked with a lavious wink.

Ely rubbed the back of her neck. "Uh. This is Nathaniel," she replied.

Isabela smiled and bowed. "Well, I should head out. I hope to see both of you again, soon," she said and winked at Carver.

To Ely's amazement Carver blushed a little and nodded at the girl. She grinned and pressed a kiss to his cheek, her breasts pressing against his arm for a moment before she sauntered off.

Carver grunted and glared at Nathaniel one last time. "I'm going to bed," he said, turning around and heading up the stairs.

Ely turned to Nathaniel and moved towards the door. "I, uh…" she said, not really sure what to say. Her lips still burned from their kiss and she wanted more.

Nathaniel grinned down at her. "Can I call you again?" he asked.

She nodded and hugged the stuff toy to her chest. He chuckled and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight then, Ely," he said and walked away.

She stood on the stoop a moment, still in a daze before she finally went inside and up to bed.