xp_logs | [log] Marie and Doug from Sunday, Dec 28

Following on Sunday's email, Marie relies on Doug being a creature of habit and a prompt, decent guy to lure him into having dinner with her as her way of making up for missing their not-date weeks before.

Doug stopped at the door to Rogue's room and took a deep breath. ~Okay, don't freak out, Ramsey.~ Exhaling rather loudly and running one hand through his hair nervously, he reached with the other hand to knock.

Marie opened the door a moment after his knock. She was dressed simply in a long-sleeved t-shirt and jeans, her feet bare. "Hey there. You're prompt. I admit I was kind of relying on that. And on you saying yes to having dinner with me." She stepped back and held the door open for him, and the smell of something good in the oven spilled out into the hall. "I wanted to surprise you, make up for missing out before. Say yes?" She gave him a sweet, hopeful smile.

Doug blinked, struck slightly dumb by the smile. "I...yes. Absolutely." He smiled back hesitantly and walked in. Inhaling deeply, he grinned as his stomach rumbled slightly. "Smells good." Shoving his hands into his pockets for lack of anything to do with them, he said "You didn't have to go to all this trouble. I mean, I understood with the whole riot thing."

"Yeah, I know you understand." She closed the door behind him. "That's why it's worth doing something to make it up to you." She patted him lightly on the back as she passed him, headed for the kitchen. "The whole nice guy thing really should pay off better, you know. You can have a seat or you can help me set the table, your pick."

Heading for the kitchen as well, Doug smiled. "As a nice guy, you really think I'm going to sit there and let you wait on me? Of course I'll help out. Point me at the silverware drawer."

"Everything's on the counter, right there." She pointed to plates and silverware. "I'm organized tonight. I hope home-made pizza's okay with you. I figured I couldn't go far wrong with that and a nice salad."

Doug picked up the pile and moved to the table, placing the plates and silverware at the places. He chuckled. "Are you kidding? With this company, I'd eat liver and brussel sprouts and never complain. The pizza smells great."

"Now, that, Mister Ramsey, is one of the nicest compliments I've ever received." Marie brought the salad to the table. "How on earth are you still single?"

Doug blushed and ducked his head. "I dunno. Probably has something to do with being the guy who's 'just a friend'. That and being average in the looks department." He scuffed one foot against the other.

Marie took his chin in her hand, thin-gloved fingers soft on his skin, and looked at him seriously. "Hmm, I'd say you're above average, in my professional, female opinion. And as for just a friend, well... there's no such thing as /just/ a real friend." She let go of him and turned back to the kitchen. "Now what did you want to drink? I think I've got Coke, milk, water, and iced tea -- yes, even in the dead of winter. I'm an addict."

Doug sat quietly, still feeling where Marie's glove-clad fingers had touched his chin. Shaking his head gently, he said "Huh?" ~Oh, that's bloody brilliant Doug. Just scream that you're in love with her, why don't you.~ "Um, Coke sounds good, thanks."

She opened a can and poured him a glass of Coke and then poured herself some iced tea and brought the glasses to the table. "There. Pizza's almost done. Did you have a good time singing the other night?"

"I..." Doug blushed. "Yeah." ~Except for the whole part where I wanted to go puke backstage when I noticed you there...~ "Singing is just..." he got a far-off look on his face. "It's a way for me to let go of everything and just kind of exist in the moment. It's like nothing else matters, not peoples' opinions of me, not the bad things that happen, nothing but me and the music."

Marie pulled the pizza from the oven and got a pizza-cutter from the utensil drawer. She looked over her shoulder and took in his expression with fond amusement on her own face. "That's good. Not everyone can get to that place, to the center of themselves that way. You're quite good, you know."

"I...really? I mean, I saw you there Friday night. You really thought we were good?" He blushed again.

"Yeah." She brought the pizza to the table and set it between them, then sat down across from him. "You really were. Worth braving the crowd to hear."

Doug smiled weakly. "Thanks." ~Oh god, I hope she didn't figure out those songs were kind of about her, or if she did, I hope she isn't mad, and...~ Taking a deep breath, Doug tried to force himself to calm down.

"I'm afraid I'm a purist." She put a slice of pizza on his plate, giggling as the cheese refused to let go of the rest of the pizza. "Just pepperoni and cheese and sauce on a proper crust. None of this silly pineapple business. It looks like you've really settled in here." She served herself in turn. "Verging on being popular. How are things going out there? I know I'm a hermit... I just can't take the angst the way you can. I'm not strong."

Doug leaned forward and smiled at Rogue. "I kinda doubt that. I think you're one of the strongest people I know. I don't think I could survive half of what you have." Shrugging, he sat back and took a bite of pizza. "Mmm. This is delicious."

"Well, I'm not the cook my mama was, but I do okay. I read the recipe and chemistry does the rest." She nibbled thoughtfully at her salad. "Maybe I'm not strong about what I can't have then. That's probably it."

Doug firmly quashed his overprotective instincts and tried to remain cool. "What you can't have. You mean like Paige and Angelo, or Kitty and Jamie?" He squeezed her hand tentatively. "You're a good person, and there's someone out there for you." ~Like me!~ Doug internally threw a pillow at what he was coming to call his 'unhelpful voice'.

"No." She shook her head and pain flickered over her features, quickly replaced with a small smile and she squeezed his hand back. "That's not for me. I've been there, done that, burned the t-shirt. Disaster doesn't even cover that part of my life, and it was no one's fault really, except maybe mine for being what I am. I'm really okay with it, but it gets a little tiring to have to look at it all the time, y'know?"

Doug nodded. "Yeah, I can imagine. I mean, I love Jamie and Kitty, and I love Angelo and Paige, and I'm ridiculously happy for them, and I want them to be happy together, but sometimes it's hard to sit there and watch them and wish for something like that for yourself. It can be frustrating."

"Well, I'll keep you company now and again until some girl smartens up, how about that?" she offered lightly.

Doug smiled, with just a touch of a wry glint in his eyes. ~How about I keep you company until _you_ smarten up?~ "That sounds great. You're a great person, and I like being friends with you. Why wouldn't I want you to keep me company?" He grinned even wider. "I fail to see a downside."

"Especially if I write you letters of recommendation to all those girls who can't see past their noses," Marie teased. "And thanks. Friends can get kind of scarce... not that it's their fault, I guess I'm just high maintenance because I don't want to do things the way everyone else does. I really appreciate you going out of your way to be nice. Not sure why, but I appreciate it."

Leaning across the table, Doug squeezed Marie's hand lightly again. "I go out of my way to be nice because that's who I am. Also, because you're a wonderful person." He cocked his head, looked into her eyes, and smiled just a touch wistfully.

Marie shook her head, laughing. "I don't know where you get that idea, Doug. But it's really sweet of you."

Doug laughed with her. "That's me. Sweet." ~And platonic and only a friend and...~ Muzzling that pessimistic voice, Doug relaxed back in his chair and just concentrated on enjoying the good food and good company.

[We decided to cut there, having covered all the salient details. Doug hangs out with Marie for the rest of the evening and then gets back to his room for lights-out.]