A Shopping Center, Portland, Maine, Wednesday Afternoon

[spin_kick_snap]

After getting out of work in mid-afternoon, Kathy caught a portal up to Portland for the evening. A random text conversation about her wardrobe had led to Ezra pointing out that he was the best shopping partner ever. Considering his fashion sense--especially compared to the fashion senses of damn near everyone else she was friends with--she couldn't really argue with that, so they'd agreed to meet up in Portland for a bit of an impromptu shopping adventure.

Kathy hadn't expected the address he'd given her to be a small huddle of exclusive boutiques and restaurants in the downtown, but knowing Ez, she really probably should have.

"It's a good thing I pay off my credit card every month," Kathy said, looking at the price tag on an elegant sweater that would look amazing on Dante if she could ever convince him to wear such a thing. "I have a feeling I'm going to need every cent of it to afford a spree in this place."

[NFB and for the guy mentioned!]

Comments

[smilestopscars]

"If this is too much, I can always take you somewhere else," Ezra offered, peering at the sweater. He'd driven here from Currant, so it wasn't even an empty offer! He could take her anywhere. "Although," he added, lightly, "you should remember I have a personal discount at my disposal."

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"Never let it be said that I doubt you," Kathy said, letting the sweater go with a bit of reluctance. Not even because of the price, but why spend money on something the recipient would never wear? "But can your discount really cover the whole of my new wardrobe?"

She was going to assume he meant the five-finger one, though she also wouldn't be surprised to discover that Ez had a personal discount here, too, based solely on the fact that he'd smiled at the cashier once.

[smilestopscars]

Both were fair assumptions to make.

"Well, probably not the whole of it." Just because that seemed like an awful lot of stuff to conceal upon his person. He was good, but he wasn't a magician. "But some choice pieces, at least."

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"Well, if we find some pieces I really like," Kathy said, "and are really overpriced, I might ask to borrow that discount."

Somewhere, a much-younger and more justice-minded Kathy was having a meltdown about a stereo.

[smilestopscars]

Yeah, Ezra was also thinking about that, right now. He tilted his head quizzically.

"You're being a lot more blasé about it than I remember," he admitted. "It's stealing," he added in clarification - leaning in and lowering his voice to a whisper by her ear, because it was private for obvious reasons. (Also because he was his own brand of terrible.) "The discount is stealing. You have already figured that out, yes?"

Just checking!

[spin_kick_snap]

First, Kathy had to shiver, because Ezra was whispering in her ear. And then, she had to chuckle at what he was actually saying. "I'd guessed," she assured him, turning her head quickly to face him, so close their noses brushed. Because she could be kind of terrible, too. "Maybe I'm just excited to be getting my personal version of that stereo."

Getting killed and then spending time eating people had a way of mellowing a girl out, but that seemed a little macabre to just bring up.

[smilestopscars]

Ezra inhaled. Through his nose.

He tried not to be obvious about it.

"Well, I hope the superhero who catches me afterwards this time is as cute as you were," he said lightly, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek - mostly; if he caught a little of the corner of her mouth, it wasn't his fault - before sliding out of her personal space again. "But good, we have an understanding."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Hope so, for your sake," Kathy said, staying where she was until Ez found a comfortable distance from her again. "I'm out of the superhero game, though. I'll wait in the coffeeshop while you work things out in the alley if you need to, though."

That had been fun. A little infuriating at first but then--okay, fun was a poor shadow of what it had been. Incredibly fucking hot was a lot closer, but it was safer to think in terms of 'fun.'

"I'll get you a drink, but don't blame me if I decide to finish it before it goes cold."

[smilestopscars]

"You've met me in an alley way," Ezra pointed out, as if she needed a reminder. "Best just make it a cold drink to begin with."

He remembered they'd taken their time in that alley.

No, he probably wasn't supposed to think about it.

[spin_kick_snap]

Hey, she wasn't going to police his thoughts. He was free to think about whatever he wanted to think about--and it was hard not to think about what had happened in that alleyway when they were talking about it.

"So what you're saying is that I should just skip drinks entirely and go right for dinner. Just get you something that reheats well," she said, making her way towards the display of dresses that caught her eye. They were all pretty short, but still managed to look warm. "You might stroll up in time for me to have dessert."

That innuendo had been unintentional, dammit.

[smilestopscars]

Of course it had.

Ezra hung back for a few beats just to watch her. Not even any specific part of her, just... her. The way she moved.

It didn't actually make it any easier to not think about anything he shouldn't think about, but oh well. He followed her to the dresses before it got too obvious. "Mm, and probably a hearty dessert, at that."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Something decadent and chocolatey and you can tell me all about your alleyway adventure," Kathy said, grinning at him over her shoulder. "You are, however, encouraged to lie to me when I ask if their uniform was cooler than mine."

[smilestopscars]

"Yours had a rainbow, I don't think they could top that," Ezra replied as he felt tye fabric of a dress. "What about other comparisons, though, am I allowed to be honest about those? About skills and things."

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Kathy took a second to think about it, pulling a dress down from the display and holding it front of her for his perusal. "Yeah," she said. "I mean, so long as you reassure me there was some redeeming qualities about that night. Be nice to seventeen-year-old me's ego."

[smilestopscars]

"Oh, don't you worry, my little cherry blossom," Ezra said, shaking his head. "I'm sure few could match seventeen-year-old you's utter enthusiasm."

As he spoke, of course, he was examining another dress with a critical eye like he was idly trying to decided whether the stitching was up to his personal standards or something. Not looking at her made it at least a little easier to not think too directly about that night.

(Except he was getting flashes of it anyway. Her on her knees in the alley, spent but still swallowing him down. Her clawing his back to shreds. The sound of her coming around his fingers while his aching -- well, anyway.

What was important was that he didn't let himself think about doing all those things now, right?)

"There were many redeeming qualities. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world." Except perhaps for more of the same.

[spin_kick_snap]

Judging by Kathy's expression, since she was much less adept at hiding her thoughts than Ezra was, he wasn't the only one taking a brief trip down memory lane. Her hand unconsciously stroked the dress she still held against her, unable to keep still.

A moment later, she met his eyes and flushed, hand dropping to her side as she realized what it had been doing. But her gaze was clear and steady above her pinking cheeks and her chin high. "Pretty sure I still have that same level of enthusiasm now," she said lightly. "Everything else got better, though."

[smilestopscars]

"Oh, did it?" Ezra replied, keeping his tone light.

It wanted to be something else.

"I'm not surprised."

[spin_kick_snap]

Just two people, having a completely light conversation.

"Well, gods, I hope so!" Kathy said with a laugh. "At least, a lot more confidence and practice have gone into it. I should hope by this point I've gotten better."

[smilestopscars]

"It does make sense," Ezra allowed. Like anything else was even a possibility.

He reached for the dress she'd been holding up. For a closer look. Kept his tone as idle as he could. "I suppose I'll have to take your word for it."

[spin_kick_snap]

"For tonight anyway," Kathy agreed, watching his expression. And no, not because she thought he'd have any grand revelations about the dress.

[smilestopscars]

There wasn't much there. Ezra was decent enough at cleaning the traces of lust and longing and whatever else off his face. Especially when he knew he was being watched.

"Mm."

... Yes, he was being opaque on puprose. The only thing he didn't do was make it seem like his reaction had anything to do with the dress.

[spin_kick_snap]

Oh were they doing this again? Kathy didn't even sigh, just turned around to continue to go through the dresses, looking to try a few on. She was doing her level best to stop reading into every little expression or non-committal noise the guys did; if they wanted to tell her something, they could use their goddamn words.

[smilestopscars]

Ezra was pretty sure she already knew everything he could say, and for as long as the status quo remained, he wasn't going to risk saying them again.

If she thought there was something else to say, she could ask.

He put the dress back on the rack and picked up another one - then immediately put that back as well, because ugh, garish.

[spin_kick_snap]

Nah, she was pretty sure she had the information she needed.

"I'm liking this one," Kathy said, pulling out a deep, wine-red dress. The hem was flirty, going down to about mid-thigh, with a scalloped neckline that hugged her upper arms and left her shoulders bare. Thin gold threads caught the light around the hem and cuffs weaving in a subtle pattern. "Almost makes me wish I had places to wear it to."

[smilestopscars]

Ezra looked over with a critical gaze a beat later.

He tilted his head, then nodded, before looking up at her face. "You're too tied up in dresscodes, darling," he said. "You can wear it wherever you want."