( Schattenkrieger and sassiechicka )

[Dante Rosaire]

As soon as all of the business at the Gray Mare was taken care of, he collected his money and left. He set off at an unusually fast pace back towards Desirae's house. He found himself wanting to go back more than anything else. He was practically running as he navigated his way through the streets and back up the stairs to her house. He knocked on the door before opening it and walking back in. He found Desirae sitting on the couch with a plate of cookies on the table.

"I'm sorry about that." he began apologetically, "Some soldier lost his damn mind, and I had to deal with him. He's in jail now. I didn't make you wait too long did I?" he added with a frown.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. She blushed as she did so and quickly moved back to the couch. She turned away from him so that he could not see her blush yet again. It had become a habit around him to be blushing.

" It wasn't that long. I was very patient. We have cookies you made. "

Desirae handed him a cookie without even looking at Vincent. She wasn't sure that her cheeks still slightly flushed. She took one herself and nibbled on it.

" Your cookies turned out fairly well. Much better than my usual cookies. "

She quit talking and went back to nibbling on her cookie. She thought to herself, I've really got to learn to mix the cookies like he did. Maybe then they might turn out this good. Desirae finally looked at him to see his reaction to the simple kiss on the cheek. She wondered if it meant as much to him as it did to her.  

[Dante Rosaire]

He was glad to see that he hadn't made Desirae wait for too long. He was also glad to see that their cookies were done, he hadn't had anything sweet in a long time. But when Desirae kissed him, Vincent froze in his tracks. He had been caught off guard by her yet again. He had no idea how to react, all he could do was stand there, frozen. He could see that she was waiting for him to say or do something, but he just couldn't think of anything to say or do in response. Too many thoughts were flying through his head, he couldn't believe that she liked him that much. Ever since Vincent first met her, he had like her but he had always assumed that she was too good for him. But he had to say something.

"Cookies are the last thing on my mind right now." he said with a flustered look on his face.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae knew the kiss had stirred something between them. She wasn't sure where he stood with that, but it meant everything to her. She had to collect her thoughts before she got the nerve to ask him what was on his mind. She starred at him some more, before she got her nerve up.

" And what is on your mind? "

She turned away not quite sure of what his answer would be. She went back to nibbling on her cookie. She waited on him to answer even though she wasn't sure of what his answer would be. She had been taught what went on between a man and woman, but was she really ready for that step. She had promised herself that it would only happen between her and her husband.  

[Dante Rosaire]

He took a deep breath before he answered her question. He had to pick his words extremely carefully. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Desirae's feelings, or ruin what they had had up to this point.

"Well its pretty much you right now. And I may as well be honest." he began.

"I've liked you ever since we met earlier. But I just assumed that you were way too good for me. But the more I was around you, the more I wanted it to stay that way. I never cared about anyone like this. I used to view humanity as a lost cause. But I find myself caring about you, wanting to protect you and make you happy. And when you kissed me just now, it's like a dream come true. I can see now why all the men in town like you so much. You're so kind and caring, and not to mention pretty. Here I am, just a bounty hunter, and you showed me so much kindness, nobody has ever treated me this nicely before."  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae blushed at his compliments. No one had ever been this way with her much less someone like him. She was used to compliments from the drunks around town, but these compliments seemed sincere.

" I've only liked you from the beginning. I always seem nervous around you. I keep falling over everything and you always seem to catch me. I care about you even though I barely know. What sense does that make? "

She went back to being quiet. She had just confessed her feelings now it was up to Vincent to make the next move.  

[Dante Rosaire]

"Well of course i'm going to catch you. I don't like seeing you fall." he replied with a smile and followed with a sigh of relief.

Now that his feeling had been made known to her, things were a lot less awkward. He finally felt more comfortable around her, like he could be himself a little bit more. But something dawned on him just then.

"It just makes me sad that eventually i'll have to leave this place and move on to another village."  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae looked at him. She didn't want him to leave. She had grown to like his company even if she was still a bit uneasy and accident prone around him. That was half his appeal to her.She looked a little saddened at the thought of him leaving. She knew deep down that he could never settle here, but the thought had occured to her.

" Do you have to leave? Maybe I could..."

She turned away with a slight blush on her face. She didn't dare suggest that. She wondered if he would catch on to what she was about to say. She hoped that he wouldn't. It would be bad for the both of them. Maybe not quite married but possibly together. She couldn't think of that. Unless it meant keeping him by her side.  

[Dante Rosaire]

He could see how much the idea of him leaving had saddened Desirae. But she cut herself off in mid-sentence, she was about to say something, but Vincent could only guess at what she was going to say. He assumed that she was going to ask if she could go with him. He played around with the idea in his mind. He had no idea if she was only saying this in the spur of the moment, or if she had really meant it. Would she really leave her home behind just to go with him? Would she even be safe traveling around with a bounty hunter? His mind began to reel again, and the only way he could set this straight in his mind would be to talk about it.

"Maybe you could come with me?" Vincent replied.

He was waiting for her to answer, he could only continue on after he knew what she was thinking.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae blushed a little. The idea had it's appeal, but would they really work well enough for her to travel with him. She could cook and all, but would that be enough for him? She wasn't quite sure of how to answer the question he had set in front of her. Desirae looked at Vincent. She thought to herself, Could I really give up all that I know and what I love here for a man. She closed her eyes and let a little fantasy play out in her head. She opened her eyes and looked again at Vincent. She knew she was stalling but she had to find the right way to answer the question put in front of her.

" Well I was considering that possibly, but two young adults on their own. What would the next town think of us living together and not..well that's not important. "

Desirae blushed and turned away from Vincent. She couldn't believe she was in the contemplating the idea of marriage. She had said back in her kingdom that she would never marry. That it wasn't meant for her and now she was here thinking about it with someone she had just recently met.  

[Dante Rosaire]

"Well who cares what other people think?" Vincent began.

"I can tell just by looking at you that you really want to come with me. And to be honest, I wouldn't mind having a companion. It gets really lonely wandering around by yourself all the time. Besides, your life is endangered every day you live in this town, if you come with me I can protect you and try my best to make you happy."  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae teared up. She wasn't expecting him to suggest that. Desirae turned to look at him.

" I'd love to travel with you. And get to know you and maybe and over time..."

She smiled and was ready to drop everything for Vincent. She hadn't known she could feel this way. She had butterflies in her stomach.  

[Dante Rosaire]

When Desirae started welling up with tears, Vincent became a little confused. He was expecting happiness or joy, not tears. With a look of concern, he walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder and sued his other hand to stroke her hair.

"Hey wait a minute, don't cry Desirae, don't be sad." he said apologetically.

He couldn't understand why she was crying. Has he said something wrong? Vincent had never been very good at dealing with his own emotions, let alone someone else's. So he tried the only thing he could think of to help, humor.

"Well if you decide to come with me, we're going to have to get you fitted with a weapon, lord knows I can't protect you all the time." he said with a deliberately playful tone.  

[sassiechicka]

Desirae wiped away the tears with the sleeve of her shirt. It was endearing how he thought he had something wrong to get her to cry. He obviously hadn't been around a lot of girls.

" Tears of happiness, I promise, love. "

Desirae turned away as she realized, she had just called him love. She had never said that word without much thought. The last person she said that to was her father right before she left. She closed her eyes and refused to look at him. In a way, Vincent was becoming more familiar to her. She still couldn't place it.  

[Dante Rosaire]

Still in utter disbelief of the recent turn of events, all he could do as stand there and nod. He was relieved that he hadn't made her cry though, he had never been very good with emotions. Though he still couldn't shake that feeling of familiarity he had with Desirae, it was becoming stronger now, and it was starting to bug him now. So to try and lighten the mood, Vincent reached over for the plate of cookies and tried one.

"Wow, these cookies are really good." he said after swallowing the cookie.

"Where did you learn how to bake like that?"