xp_logs | Friday Evening: Jamie Has A Cunning Plan, Part II: The Big Night.

And if you don't already have your insulin ready . . .

Jamie: Jamie is leaning up against the wall of the dining room in his good slacks and a button-down shirt, hands in his pockets, staring at the door. Occasionally he checks his watch, then visibly runs through a mental checklist: candles are lit, places are set, food is ready--the three-cheese macaroni smells amazing, and he makes a note to thank Lorna later, again. He nudges one of the candles so it doesn't drip, and goes back to staring at the door.

Kitty: Kitty was looking quite stunned as she wandered up the stairs from the bio lab and towards the dining room. Half a dozen small items were clutched in her arms, and her eyes were wide as she finally reahed the door. She was amazed and thrilled by the care Jamie had put into all of this and couldn't wait to tell him.

Kitty: Carefully juggling the items so she could reach out and open the door, Kitty slipped into the dining room, glancing around.

Jamie: Jamie pushes off the wall, grinning, as Kitty enters, and moves to help her put the gifts on a little table. "Hi. Found everything all right?"

Kitty: "I... I think so..." She glances about, taking in the lovely setting on the table and everything all set out and ready for. "Jamie... this is amazing..." she breathes.

Jamie: "Lorna helped. And Ms. Blaire. And Rahne paced off the directions. I couldn't have done it by myself." He grins sheepishly. "You're amazing."

Kitty: Carefully putting down the last item, Kitty leans forward, grabbing at his wrist and kissing him soundly. "Thank you," she finally says when she lets go.

Jamie: "Any time," he says a bit breathlessly. "Well, any time I have two weeks to set stuff up." He leads her over to a chair, which he pulls out. "We should eat before it gets cold, Lorna's already almost not speaking to me because I wouldn't let her make a twelve-course banquet with live violin music. I thought you'd like a quiet dinner with just us better."

Kitty: Kitty's eyes grow wide again. "You braved Lorna's displeasure for me?" She sweeps her skirt out as she sits down and grins at him. "Seriously though, this is perfect."

Jamie: "There aren't any convenient dragons and I'm awful with a lance, so I had to go for the next best thing." He grins and sits down as well. "Asking you to run all around the mansion all dressed up wasn't too horrible, then? Here, try the macaroni, the smell's been driving me nuts."

Kitty: She happily serves out the dish, smiling. "No, not horrible at all. I'm amazed that... that you foud all that stuff, and that you still had all that stuff." She blushes, thinking of the movie ticket stubs. "You're a romantic, more of one than I am. I never could have pulled this off."

Jamie: "I'm a complete and total marshmallow who spends way too much time listening to Canadian bands, is what I am. You would've done something different that was just as nice--actually you did already." He fishes around in his pockets and then waves the coupon book. "Greatest birthday present ever."

Kitty: Kitty grinned. "Well, I highly approve of your 'marshmellowness' and I think my fondness for bizarre folk bands matches your love of an excellent Canadian group."

Jamie: Jamie grins. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep a straight face when you were complaining about them being out of the Railroad Earth CD."

Kitty: She blushes, and glances down at it, resting a finger on the case. "Best boyfriend ever. Also most tricksy, but best." Looking up again she smiles.

Jamie: "Oh, good, now all the other boyfriends are going to call me out for high-noon romantic gestures to the death. Don't you watch any Westerns? Everybody always wants a shot at the best." He smiles and reaches across the table for her hand. "I just want to be yours."

Kitty: Kitty lets him take her hand, smiling rather besotteldy back. "I... I think that's doable. Especially since I don't intend to let you go." Her free hand brushes a stray hair out of her face as she squeezes Jamie's hand.

Jamie: "Good." Jamie takes a bite of macaroni, using his other hand, and blinks. "You know, I think I just swore off boxed mac-n-cheese. Try yours."

Kitty: She has to let go of his hand to use her fork, which she does with some hesitation. "Is it that good?" she asks, lifting the utensil. "Oh... never mind," she adds after taking a bite. "Mmm..."

Jamie: "And to think I just figured she'd give me some recipes." He grins. "I was worried you'd get here after going all over and finding all the stuff and all there'd be would be hamburgers."

Kitty: "Hey, I like your hamburgers." Her smile matches his as she reaches out to put some salad on her plate, offering him some. "I'm amazed you pulled this off in two weeks. And without me caching on..."

Jamie: Jamie tries the salad a bit dubiously, then grins and serves himself a bigger portion. "Dupes. Greatest sneaky labor-saving device known to mutant. Also that's why I recruited help--nobody looks twice at Lorna or Ms. Blaire shopping, and Rahne's so innocent-looking she could get away with anything."

Kitty: "Hmm... true enough," she says consideringly. "I think I owe them thanks, cause this is seriously amazing." She still looks stunned when she thinks about it.

Jamie: "I owe Lorna identical liveried wait-staff the next time she does a thing for Alex, and Ms. Blaire and Rahne haven't called their favors in yet, but I'm sure they'd like hearing from you too. I wanted it to be special."

Kitty: "Well," she says, smiling. "You've pulled that one off in spades."

Jamie: "I'm glad." He grins. "And the treehouse is what I meant the other day, where I'd kidnap you off to away from computers. It's not done yet because it had to fit the song, but it's pretty sturdy anyway."

Kitty: Kitty laughs. "It's good work," she says. "I will quite happily be dragged off up there." Her grin widens. "We could take some board games or something up and just hide forever... or at least for a day."

Jamie: "I'd like that."

Kitty: She giggles faintly. "I won't even suggest running a internet cable up there... at least not seriously."

Jamie: "Ha. If you tried I'd have to backrub you until you were too relaxed to move."

Kitty: "Oh ho... sounds like a plan then." The giggling intensifies. "Way to con you out of back rub... check."

Jamie: "Right, because I'm so hard to convince."

Kitty: She grins. "Well no, but being 'tricksy' is more fun." By now she's finished her first serving, and reaches out to add more Macaroni and cheese to her dish. "Makes me feel all clever, like."

Jamie: "No argument there." Jamie helps himself to more as well. "On either one--tricksy is fun, and you're about the cleverest person I know."

Kitty: "Heh, flatterer."

Jamie: He grins unrepentantly. "Yep."

Kitty: "Well, I shan't complain. It would be very silly of me really, to argue whenever you said something nice about me. I'd spend all of my time either arguing with you or telling you how fantastic you are, and it would be absurd."

Jamie: "We'd never get anything done."

Kitty: "Very true. We'd never do our homework, fail all our classes, and just become general nusincess. Eventually they'd throw us out and we'd wander the streets, arguing back and forth. On the whole, I think it's better if we don't." Kitty can't help the laugh that escapes her.

Jamie: Jamie laughs too. "Definitely have to avoid that. Who knew accepting compliments was the only thing standing between us and homelessness?"

Kitty: "It's amazing the way things can work out. A butterfly flaps its wings in China and all the power goes out on the eastern seaboard..."

Jamie: "They do that on purpose, you know, butterflies. All the flittering around looking like airborne flowers is just an act."

Kitty: "You know, that explains so much. What's the truth then? Are they really super secret evil villains plotting our destruction?"

Jamie: "Worse. They're genetically-engineered alien probes sent by a race of superintelligent space monkeys." Jamie grins. "It all comes down to space monkeys."

Kitty: "It all comes down to space monkeys? Surely there are some things that aren't about space monkeys..."

Jamie: "Well, yeah." Jamie reaches for Kitty's hand again. "You're definitely not a space monkey."