Old Memories, New Memories... (Nocturne; Delilah)

[Gabriel Reese]

He'd left her just about an hour earlier after agreeing to meet up at the restaurant, and up until he'd arrived at the place, he hadn't felt too nervous. After all, it was just a supper with an old friend, right? Right? Gabe ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the spikes but not paying much attention. Instead, he was mentally a nervous wreck. Why had he suggested this restaurant? It was super nice, like where a person took a date… and this wasn't a date. No, or course it wasn't. It was just two old friends meeting up and having supper together. Old friends wouldn't dress this nicely, though… He glanced down at his clothes; to most people the khaki slacks and the simple white polo shirt and actual, nice looking boots were nothing major, but Gabe knew that Delilah, who was used to seeing him in ripped up jeans and graphic shirts, would realize that he'd taken time to look nice.

"Get it together, Gabriel." He muttered to himself as he paced beside his truck. "It's not like I like her… She's a friend…" The truth was, though, that Gabe had harbored a crush on Delilah back as a teenager. A pretty major crush at that. He'd never made a move or anything due to fear of losing his only friend at the time… and then, just a few days after he'd decided to ask her out, his uncle had shipped him off to military school for his final two years. He'd been gone before he was able to find and tell her or even mention that he had liked her, and upon coming back home, she'd been gone. Gabe had figured that she'd moved, possibly settled down or something in another town or even another state… but noooo… here she was, here, at Blue Ridge!

It had been shocking to see her in the jumping ring. He'd been floored upon recognizing her, and if he'd thought she was beautiful as a teenager, that was nothing on how she looked now. While talking in the ring, he'd barely been able to keep his mouth from running away and making comments like he would have as a teenager… "But I'm not a teenager anymore."

The man was confused. During his younger years, he'd been a player… he'd been a skirt chaser at times… never towards her, though. He'd really thought he'd gotten over the crush… but… "d**n it! She's a friend! A friend!" She probably sees me like a sibling or something, there's no way… Gabe hadn't felt the urge to throw something in a long time, but he felt it now. He barely restrained himself and closed his eyes, clenching his fists and unclenching them and counting breaths until he felt more in control. It was truly amazing how well those 'calming techniques' that counselors advised really worked... Finally, he leaned against the side of his truck, awaiting the arrival of the person who was currently driving his mind crazy with 'wants' and 'what if's' and 'she'll never's'...

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

Upon doing a bit more research on the restaurant, thanks to her best friend Google, Delilah had been pleasantly surprised to find out it was a nice restaurant. But that posed a whole new problem - what to wear? She didn't want to stand out like a sore thumb in jeans, but she didn't want to try too hard. And if anyone knew when she was trying, it'd be him.

She'd opted for very little makeup, deciding he didn't need to be fooled about her looks. He'd seen her at her worst, and nothing would change that. But after lots of thinking, she decided a casual dress was the only way to go. And so, she slipped into her pretty, strapless black dress that showed her curves in a less slutty way. Back in school, she'd hooked up with more than a few guys in an attempt to feel important to someone. But she hadn't been with a man in years. Gabe had always stayed in the corners of her mind.. It was so surprise she had always had a crush on him. He was, after all, the best guy she'd ever known next to her dad. But he had never been interested in her.

Her heart thumped in her chest as she finally pulled into the parking lot in the beat up old Ford truck. Glancing out the window, she spotted a strikingly handsome young man who, if it hadn't been for the familiar face, she would have never recognized. She stepped out of the truck, waving at him with a grin as she walked over to him. It was a huge relief to see that he had taken about the same amount of time to prepare as she had. Her brown eyes studied him carefully before revealing a smile. "You clean up nice, Angel," she commented with a playful grin.

Outfit: HERE

[Gabriel Reese]

If anyone would be able to see the nervousness through the mask he put up, Gabe knew it would be Delly. She could read him quite well and he did not want to look or act like a complete and utter fool in front of her, so when he saw her truck pull up (after all, who else would proudly drive a beat up old pick-up to a higher class restaurant… well, besides him…), he pushed off from his own vehicle and approached hers, stopping short as she got out.

He couldn't help it, he stared. And stared. Jaw dropped staring. Gabe finally swallowed slightly and gave her a weak grin, "Hey… wow…" He trailed off, looking her over again, noticing the small amount of make-up and realizing that he'd never actually seen her dress so nicely. "You look… great… better than great." He said, nerves hitting him again, "Beautiful, actually." He knew he probably sounded a bit idiotic, but hell, she'd literally blown his mind! He'd always thought of her as pretty, gorgeous, beautiful even, but... this was... wow, just... wow...

He didn't even think to say something over her usage of his hated nickname, something that was sure to get her attention, as he usually vehemently refused to let anyone call him that. Instead, he gave her another grin, feeling a bit more in control, and offered his arm, "Well, shall we?" He was relieved to note that he sounded much more relaxed and calm than he really was.

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

The look on his face as his eyes fell on her sent chills down her spine. For a moment, it felt as though she were in the movie "Pretty Woman" as Julia Roberts, the once was hooker who had knocked the handsome millionaire off his feet. No one had ever looked at her the way he just had. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies and her grin was about as wide as it had ever been. It gave her the idea that perhaps he did fancy her, at least at one point.

Wait, back up.That was not possible. She pushed the silly thought away. But as he stumbled over his words to finally complement her, she could feel her cheeks reddening in a blush. She spun in a circle, arms out, as she showed off her outfit as she'd seen girls do in the movies, facing him once more and tilting her head to the side, though his words were approval enough. "Jeez, Gabe, don't sound so shocked!" she teased, rolling her eyes. She had never found herself pretty in any way, let alone beautiful, and he knew it, but he was still fun to tease. "But, thank you." She smiled up at him, wanting to throw her arms around him once more but refraining.

She glanced to his arm, grinning again. She slipped her much thinner arm through his, placing her hand gently on his forearm which she noticed was much more muscular than it had been in high school. She raised her big brown eyes to his, smiling brightly. "We shall!" she replied, taking a step forward to lead the way in case he had also forgotten how to walk.

[Gabriel Reese]

“Well, sor-ry. It’s just… It’s not every day I’m actually in the presence of such a beautiful woman!” He replied before thinking as she spun around for him to see the entirety of the dress. He gave her another weak grin as she took his arm, though when she started off, leading him, he stumbled a bit like a fool before catching up.

As they walked towards the restaurant, Gabe couldn’t help but glance down at her every few moments. He still couldn’t believe that she was here. She was his best friend, and he’d honestly thought he’d never see her again… and he was about to eat supper with her at this nice restaurant… god, she just didn’t have a clue what she did to him. Her mere presence was enough to turn him into a mental mess, fumbling over his words in a way that he’d never done before. He wondered why he was such a mess now, when, as a teenager, he’d been able to stay so cool and collected around her. Was it because he hadn’t seen her in so long? Or could it be because as a teenager, he knew he’d never have a chance with her, but now, now… could it be possible?

He shoved the thoughts running rampant through his mind away as they reached the door and pulled it open for her, motioning her to enter before he did. As he performed the action, he was once again pulled into thought as he realized that before, he never would have opened a door for her as a teenager. Gabe, not for the first time, hoped that she couldn’t still read him as well as she’d been able to years ago, because he had a feeling that his emotions were showing plain as day on his face.

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

She laughed softly at his words, a soft shade of red tinting her cheeks at his complement. She bit her lip, trying to rush the coloring of her cheeks away before he noticed, realizing he probably hadn't ever seen her blush in the first place. And nothing screamed 'I've always had a crush on you' like blushing from a little complement. She had just gotten him back, and she didn't want to mess things up so soon. Her own feelings simply did not need to matter at this point in time. She took a deep breath, composing herself before shooting him a grin. "Then we need to get you out more!" she chuckled, shrugging her shoulders simply.

Feeling him stumble beside her, she glanced up at him, tightening her grip on his arm. "One too many already, huh? And here I thought you had turned over a new leaf!" she teased, smiling up at him. She couldn't help but allow her eyes to linger on him for a moment. He had filled out so nicely, and although his face was so similar, it had grown even more handsome. But he still had those kind, sweet eyes. They'd always been her favorite part about him. He'd always thought he was so cool and tough, but she had always known how caring he'd been just by looking into his eyes.

And it helped that she'd always found him easy to read. Which is why her curiosity was growing by the send. He wasn't trying to act cool and collected like he'd always been. Had he changed, or was it because she was there?

Her brows raised as he opened the door, but she stepped through it nevertheless, smiling over her shoulder at him. "Why thank you. Someone learned manners while they were away!" She grinned up at him before continuing forward where she was meant by a waitress who whisked them away to a table quickly. Del's eyes grew wide as they were lead to a table for two placed next to a large wall of windows that overlooked a gorgeous river. The slowly setting sun had painted the sky in purples, pinks, and oranges which reflected off the water.

Delilah turned to Gabe, her eyes still wide with a mix of awe and excitement. She'd never been to such a beautiful restaurant. Had the waitress been kind enough to give them the prettiest table, or had he called ahead to arrange it for her? If she knew Gabriel, he hadn't thought to call ahead. This wasn't a date, after all. But still, she couldn't help but wonder.

[Gabriel Reese]

He laughed at her comment of getting out more, slowly getting his mind back into the groove of things and mentally promising himself that he wouldn’t mess the night up by becoming a fool in front of her. There was no way he wanted to act like an idiot who didn’t know what to saw or how to speak, so he took a few minutes of silence, staring out over the parking lot as they walked, trying to reaffirm it in his mind that she couldn’t like him, because she probably saw him as a brother, and he would just have to deal with it.

“Wha- no! No… Delly… I haven’t b...” So much for playing it cool… Gabriel turned to look at her, surprised at first, then giving her a look upon seeing that she’d been teasing. He had never been great at telling when someone was teasing him unless it was flat out obvious. “Don’t tease me like that!” He exclaimed a moment later, though his eyes were light with humor now that he’d gotten it. “I’ll have you know I haven’t drank to get drunk since… well… a long time now.”

He was also surprised by the table they were taken to, not expecting it to be quite so nice, and took a minute to look over at the view they had before turning back to Delilah, whom, he noticed, was looking quite awed. He raised his hands in mock defense, “Don’t think all this was me. You know me much better than that. I didn’t even think to call ahead or anything…” He dearly hoped his voice stayed even as he spoke, so she wouldn’t be able to guess that he had called ahead and asked for a nice table overlooking the views. Gabriel had changed a lot over the past few years, more than what she could really guess or know during one meeting after all those years. Besides, he wanted to impress her… though he didn’t want her to know that he was actually trying. Though… it was probably obvious…

He pulled her chair out for her, waiting for her to sit down before sitting himself and waiting on the waitress to bring their menu’s. Gabriel felt extremely nervous as he watched her. He constantly reminded himself that this wasn’t a date and she probably didn’t even think of him in those types of ways. While waiting, he cleared his throat slightly, having to say something to break the silence. He knew that he was acting much differently than she was used to him acting, but he’d grown up… mostly. “So… It’s a… nice view, huh?” He said, internally wincing at how lame he’d sounded.

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

Delilah let her eyes wander as they walked silently for a moment through the parking lot. She glanced over her shoulder, deciding her poor, beat up truck did not at all fit in here. She furrowed her brows, wondering if any part of her would ever fit in around here. The man she'd met earlier had been far from welcoming, a complete snob. He had been less than impressed with her job at the academy, probably thinking she was some low life. But was he really so wrong? She had lived in barns for the past six years, never settling down, always on the run. The only thing she had that fit in with a prestigious academy was Char.

She began to laugh as he didn't catch that she was teasing, nudging his side with her elbow gently. That was one thing that hadn't changed. He was still blissfully unaware of teasing. She'd always loved to use that to her advantage, though she couldn't help but feel that he'd suffer from high blood pressure thanks to her scaring him. "Well, that's great," she commented, grinning up at him. "I haven't been drunk since I was nineteen," she added, feeling as though she should let him know she wouldn't be pushing him to drink with her. Sure, she enjoyed a nice glass of wine, but that didn't mean she wanted to get drunk anymore.

Something in his tone simply wasn't convincing as he tried to tell her he hadn't done anything to call ahead. She felt her heart flutter in excitement, realizing he may have just put some effort into this... outing. Not a date. Just an outing. "It's a lucky day when you think ahead to tie your shoelaces before they trip you," she teased, grinning at him. Still, she wasn't convinced. And part of her didn't want to be convinced.

She was so busy glancing out the windows at the view that she nearly didn't notice he had pulled out her chair. She turned to him, flashing a much sweeter smile to show her gratitude. "Thank you, kind sir," she said, glancing up at him with a joking smile before sliding into the chair, running her hands over the skirt of her dress to make sure it didn't go up too far. She tilted her head, studying the handsome young man as he sat in silence. Why did he seem so nervous? She giggled at his question, leaning forward to place her elbows in the table and folding her hands in the air, propping her chin on her hands. "It's stunning," she replied, casting a glance to the side to take another peek at the view. "I didn't think having supper could be so... fancy," she added with a soft laugh. She'd never been to anywhere nicer than Cracker Barrel, if that even counted. No one had ever taken her out to a place like this.

"So, have you met anyone since you got here?" she asked, half to find out if he'd met any prospective girlfriends and half to find out if there were actually friendly people around.

[Gabriel Reese]

"It's a lucky day when I get to eat supper with someone I-" Gabe cut himself off and flushed a slight red color, "… with someone I've really missed. Especially when that someone's my best friend." He continued after a slight pause. What the hell was I gonna say, there? Sheesh. Get. It. Together. Gabriel. Don't run off your best friend, especially over… He gave her a sheepish grin as he came back down to earth, watching her as she sat down. She just didn't know how beautiful she really was…

As she leaned forwards, he made himself focus on her eyes, her face… and not other body parts. It was pretty easy for him, now… at least… to keep his mind straight. The first week he'd been in military school, he'd tried to hit it up with one of the hottest girls there, only to find out that she was the Physical Trainers daughter… He'd had hell for weeks over trying to 'get fresh' with the man's 'little girl' and had definitely learned his lesson after being made run the track until he passed out. That trainer had been a devil, and Gabe had hated the man from day one. Still did, in fact.

"I'm glad you like it." He said, his tone softer than usual, gentler. He couldn't help but act different at the moment. He was with a person he, if he were honest with himself, had fallen for as a teenager… and apparently still liked. He gave her a small smile upon hearing that she wasn't aware having a late-night supper could be fancy. Honestly, he hadn't been completely aware of how classy the restaurant was, but he was glad he'd picked it instead of a fast food joint.

"Met anyone?" He asked, a quizzical look crossing his face for a moment as he leaned back in his chair, absently thanking the waitress as their menu's were placed in front of him. "No, well.. .yeah… not many, though." He thought for a moment before deciding to tell her the few people he'd met. "I've met some students, Keri, Cara, Aria, and Henri… and a few other staffers, Rebel, Nikki… but not that many people yet, surprisingly. So far, everyone has been very friendly. Henri reminded me of what I would have wanted a little sister to be like, if I'd ever had siblings." He shrugged, "Course, it's not like I could have ever had siblings, with my biological parents... well, you know, my dad in prison and mom falling off the face of the earth..."

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

She tilted her head as he spoke but paused as if to correct himself. Someone he what? Did he really just mean missed? She smiled warmly, glancing down at the table cloth to get away from his gaze, feeling a bit more nervous now that they were sitting together in a romantic setting. She knew her feelings for him had always been there, but she had to keep them away, just as she had when they were teenagers. They didn't need to ruin their newly rekindled friendship. And he didn't like her that way. "I missed you, too, Gabe. I was heartbroken... well, crushed, ya know... when you left," she replied, biting down on her lip as she slipped up with words before flashing a bashful smile.

Her brows rose at his tone, and her eyes finally made their way back to him. She was sure he probably remembered her trouble with making eye contact. She'd always been that way... It felt too.. trusting? She wasn't sure. But now that he was a counselor, she imagined he had gotten better at reading people. And that thought sent butterflies attacking in her stomach. Upon catching his gaze again, she smiled. "Like it? I love it," she replied, her tone mounting with excitement. "Though i'm not sure I fit in here," she added, knowing full well she wasn't as fancy as most of the people around them, both in dress and personality.

She looked up to the waitress, smiling and uttering a soft thank you as she gave their menus out. She flipped it open, eyes widening at the pricing. It was a bit more than she'd been expecting. She quickly shut the menu, not even wanting to think about the pricing at the moment, looking back to Gabe who seemed a bit entranced with her question. "[bYeah, uh, friends and whatnot, ya know?[/b]" she added, covering herself quickly. She nodded as he listed people, noting that both the staff members he had met had been female. No surprise. He had gotten even more handsome over the years, and surely women flocked to him. "She sounds great. I hope I get to meet her," she commented as he mentioned Henri, wondering why a girl had a male name. Still, it sounded pretty cute.

She nodded once more, a bit more somberly, at his mention of parents. It was a touchy subject for them both, she knew. "Well, you were enough of a problem child on your own!" she laughed softly, smiling teasingly, trying to keep the mood light. "At least you've met nice people. I've only met Ms. Carr, who was wonderful; the manager that promoted me. And then I met this completely stuck up guy who I'm pretty sure hates my guts," she chuckled, though her lips tugged down in a frown as she remembered the rude yet oddly polite man.

[Gabriel Reese]

He internally smiled upon her comment of being crushed at his departure so many years ago. Even though Gabe knew she meant it because they were friends, it didn't stop the slight twinge of hope of a possible future. He'd given up on his acts of denial, admitting to himself what he'd already knew; he liked her… But she, he knew, or thought, wouldn't return those feelings. Instead, he gave her an answering grin, eyes lighting up. "I'm glad you 'love' it." He said, tone playful, though his next words were quite serious. "You fit in here as much as I do, Delly.I haven't changed as much as it may seem, and I hope you haven't changed much, either."

Gabe nodded to the waitress and picked up his menu, flicking through it and raising an eyebrow at the prices, but not commenting on them. Instead, he glanced up as Delilah set her menu back down and motioned to it. "Well, aren't you going to eat anything? Don't worry about the prices. My treat, I'm paying tonight. No arguments." Shifting to look at the waitress, Gabe glanced once more at the menu, reading it as he spoke. "Maybe you will, sometime… and I wasn't a problem-child. I was a teenager with psychological issues due to 'abandonment'… or something like that, according to my counselor." He gave her a raised-eyebrow look, the type of look that plainly said 'come on, I dare you to challenge me', though a grin was playing at the corners of his lips. "Want me to beat the guy up?" He asked, half-serious. "You know I don't like people 'mistreating' my friends… Oh, and I'll have the chicken-fried steak with a side of mashed potatoes and cream gravy, please. Iced tea to drink, and can we also get some rolls and sweet cream butter, unsalted? For dessert… hm… the berrymisu looks good." He completely skipped the appetizers and went for the main dish, choosing a tea over the red wine he knew the restaurant served. Gabriel looked back over to Delilah, giving her another crooked grin, "I mean it, Delly. Order whatever you like or I'll order for ya."

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

Her brown eyes gazed out the wall of windows to their side, a soft smile on her lips. She was impressed, with the view and with him. He still seemed to be the boy she'd met all those years ago, just with his problems a bit more sorted out. The only problem she'd ever fully dealt with was her drinking, but she knew she had a million underlying problems. Still, she didn't want to let him know that, especially now that he was a counselor. The thought made her a bit nervous, but he was still the man she'd always cared for.

She tore her eyes away from the view, smiling towards him as he spoke. "Me? Change? Nope. Especially not to just fit in here," she replied, grinning defiantly. She always had been stubborn and head strong. That was probably one of the many reasons she hadn't had many relationships in her past. It seemed as though men didn't like independent women. But why should she have been anything else? She'd taken care of her home and mother and horse from the time she was young, after her father's death. She had supported herself and Char since she was seventeen. She didn't need a man to take care of her. Not that she would have minded having a man that wanted to.

Delilah opened her mouth to argue with Gabriel about who would pay for whom, but he seemed pretty adamant about it. She laughed softly, rolling her eyes. "Oh, we'll see," she teased, hoping she'd find a way to at least help with the bill. "And don't be silly, of course I'm going to eat! When am I ever not eating?" she added with a joking grin. It was no secret that she had always been able to eat as much as Gabe had. It was probably the competitiveness within her mixed with her love of food. She had a fast metabolism, so why not eat?

She laughed as he tried to justify his problematic behavior as a kid. "You may be a counselor, but I don't want to hear any of that psycho babble!" she teased, leaning back in her chair, keeping her eyes fixed on him. "No matter why we were bad, we were problem children. We're lucky we made it this far with all our body parts attached," she added with a laugh. "Of course, I was a good kid, corrupted by my childhood best friend," she continued, giving him a dirty, but teasing, look.

"No, no, don't do that. I'll beat the guy up myself," she laughed, grinning at him. He was still the scrappy kid she'd met all those years ago, it seemed. Still, the idea of him wanting to stand up for her sent her heart fluttering. He cared about her... but not like that, of course. She needed to quit thinking about her feelings towards him.. He had found new girls; she was just the best friend. But then, that wouldn't be so bad.

She glanced up to the waitress as Gabe spoke, her brows furrowing as she contemplated what she wanted. "I'll have the chicken parmigiana with the fettuccine Alfredo on the side with a raspberry tea, please." She smiled at the waitress quickly before glancing back to Gabe. "That dessert sounds good; you're sharing with me," she commented with a wide grin.

[Gabriel Reese]

As the waitress took their orders and moved away, Gabe turned to also glance out the windows, studying the view again; it really was beautiful. It was funny, he thought, he'd grown up just a few hours away, yet hadn't really known that such a place as this had existed until a few weeks ago when he'd stumbled across the town while surfing the internet, looking for a possible job.

"Good. It'd suck if you'd changed." He smirked, then the smirk turned into his 'hand in the cookie jar' grin. Gabe had always liked the fact that she was so headstrong and stubborn. Traits like that were rare, nowadays in females… well, most females. Not all, not by a long shot, but he'd definitely seen a change in what women thought men wanted. Not all males liked females who were solely dependant on them. Gabe knew that he didn't. He liked people who were willing to bash heads with him, but who were also ok with his wanting to do all he could for them. He'd never really found a person like that, though.

"So, what about you? You got a steady romance in your life yet? Or are you still single, like me?" He questioned, laughing at her comment over eating but choosing to not reply with his own comment, instead waiting for her response to his answer. If she was still single… well, maybe…

Gabe nodded to her admonishment that they had both been 'problem kids'. It was only too true, he knew, and he laughed aloud. "Psycho babble? Really Delly?" He asked, laughing a little still and receiving (and ignoring) looks from patrons at other tables. "I admit, I'm a counselor, but rest assured I don't babble. I have my own way of counseling that isn't quite like what most people would think." He thanked the waitress when she brought the rolls and their tea back first and took a sip of the cold drink before reaching to grab a roll and a packet of butter. "I would argue that you corrupted me, but, alas, I know that you speak the truth." He said wisely, barely keeping a smirk off his face as he buttered the roll and tore a chunk off, tossing it in the air and attempting (and failing) to catch it in his mouth. Once again, he was on the receiving end of stern looks from other patrons. "Ah… missed." He stated woefully, looking at the piece of buttered roll on the table for a second before eating it anyway. It wasn't like it was dirty, the table was clean, and the piece of food had only been on the tabletop for a few seconds. Three-second rule, after-all.

Gabe took a napkin and wiped off the bit of butter that had smeared across his cheek in his failed attempt to throw it in his mouth. "Fair enough." He agreed, "It does look very good. Sure, we can share. I'll even feed it to you, if you want." He teased.

[Delilah Wren Cellos]

She grinned, chuckling slightly at his words. It was reassuring to know she was a decent enough person to keep at least one person from wanting her to change. But Gabriel had never been one to try to change her. He had always been so calm and accepting, deep down. Not that either of them had ever showed their almost tolerable sides as young kids. But Delilah had never had a problem seeing through Gabe's "bad boy" act. It had always been oh so clear to her he was a big teddy bear, just as sensitive as she was deep down. They just both chose to tough life out rather than cry about it. "I'm too stubborn to change, don't you worry," she replied with a laugh. "I feel like you just wrote in my yearbook with one of those 'I don't really know you so I'm just going to tell you not to change," she added with a teasing grin. She'd always hated seeing a million "you're cool, don't change" signatures people left. But then, no one had ever really gotten to know her except for him.

She raised a brow at his question, looking him over carefully before figuring out exactly what to say. "You know the only steady man I've ever had in my life is Char, and that's sadly not legal here yet," she joked, grinning playfully. "I'm just as single as you are, if not more so," she added, just to make sure they were clear. Why was he asking? She bit her lip, smiling softly as the thought that perhaps he had some interest in her made its way into her head.

She shook her head slightly, trying to clear the thought from her mind. There wasn't any way he had any romantic feelings for her, no matter how badly she was hoping for it... His voice tore her away from her negative thoughts, a grin spreading over her pink lips. "Oh do you, Doctor Angel?" she teased, tilting her head in slight curiosity. "I hope you aren't one of those guys that just doodles all day and asks kids how everything makes them feel," she added with a wry grin.

Before she could reply to anything about his corrupting of her, the waitress brought out the bread and drinks. "Thanks," she commented softly, smiling at the waitress before quickly snatching a bread roll from the basket. She didn't bother wasting time with the butter and tore off a chunk, popping it in her mouth. She began to laugh as a flying piece of bread missed Gabe's mouth, shaking her head. "You have much to learn, young grasshopper," she told him, mimicking an Asian accent. She tore off another piece of bread and tossed it in the air, catching it in her mouth before looking back to him and winking.

She could feel the dirty looks they were getting from everyone around them. It was no secret she was getting tired of being looked down on already, even though it was only the end of her first day in Blue Ridge. She glanced around at all he people who quickly cast their gazes away as she eyed them. "At least we're having fun," she commented loud enough for at least a few tables to hear. "I like my bread in my mouth, not shoved up my as*," she added equally loudly before turning back to Gabe and grinning. "People these days!" she laughed, making it sound as though looking at other customers was far worse than yelling rude things through an upscale restaurant.

[Gabriel Reese]

A confused look graced his face, and he tilted his head sideways, studying her quizzically. "Wait, how can you be more single than me? Single is as single does." He asked, trailing off in confusion before blinking it away as her other words hit him full in the face. "Hey, what about me? Are you implying that I'm some sort of gender-confused chick or something? I'm pretty sure I've been a 'steady' in your life... and I'm male." He said with a smirk, looking down at himself and motioning as well. "I'm pretty sure I don't have female parts." He laughed before adopting a pensive look, "At least, I'm fairly sure. You can check if you don't believe me." He said, only half-teasing, as his tone was light and joking but his look was serious… until one looked closer and saw the humor hidden in his eyes. He was elated that she was single, and he was pretty sure his happiness at her statement showed on his face. Gabe coughed slightly in an attempt to cover it up, knowing he was slipping... but he couldn't help it around her. She was just so... perfect... at least, to him. She matched him so well, he thought. Plus, she already knew him and was just drop dead gorgeous and had a personality to die for. "Well, that's great that you're single. I mean, not great that you haven't found anyone... but... great for us... because I can take you out more now without fear or some man beating me up... not that I could be beaten up easily..." He trailed off lamely, feeling his face flush red once more, and focused on eating another bit of roll so he would have to look at her, as Gabe knew that, at that moment, if he looked at Delilah, she'd know in a heartbeat that he had feelings for her. He wasn't sure just why he wanted to hide it so badly again, but part of him figured it was, once again, because he didn't want to scare his best friend off.

He fell silent for a few minutes, only looking up when he was sure the red was gone from his face, and he laughed loudly at her comments about the people in the restaurant. "Oh, Delly… don't mind the civilians. They're just upset that their life isn't as exciting as ours is…" He stated loudly, giving a couple at the neighboring table the 'evil eye'. The couple looked away and Gabe mentally cheered. He still had 'it'… whatever it was. "By the way, you have got to teach me how to catch food like that. I've never been able to do it…"