The brisk autumn winds played havoc with Sofia robes as she raced towards the little hole in the wall restaurant, feeling quite sure that Dillan would not forgive her this time if she was late. The man was all to forgiving as it was but after last time’s shake of the head she was getting the feeling that their now almost customary after work dinners and brunches were getting a bit to late for the man who left the office the exact moment the clocks struck five. Her lollygagging till half past eight, nine, sometimes eleven was not encouraged by him.

She pushed open the door to find that her dinner, location picked by Dillan today, would be Italian. Yummy! Hopefully this place was as good as he claimed, for Sofia was famished, having neglected lunch in favor of getting the last bit of paper work slipped under Ben’s door, papers that if signed would allow her to keep hunting for Wendell’s body since his killer had been next to no help. Something she hadn’t told Dillan she was continuing – she might have told the man that she had given up. In her defense the man was less than encouraging when she talked about her past informant and her quest to clear up his death, claiming she was taking things one step to far for a wanted criminal that had escaped from them… and telling him she was the reason for Wendell’s escape was not on Sofia’s immediate list of things to do.

Some secrets were best left unsaid.

Waving the hostess away Sofia scanned the patrons of the shop for Dillan. Tradition dictated that he somehow always arrived before her. Narrowing her eyes she systematically started from the front of the small resturant and worked her way backward. There he was, in the back at a candle lit table, the light glinting off his hair, absently playing with a breadstick. Possibly sensing her gaze he turned, their eyes meeting.

A small quirky smile appeared on his face, as an answering one unconsciously appeared on Sofia’s. If asked she would be hard pressed to recall a time she didn’t have dinner with the man. In fact she rather looked forward to her evenings now, sometimes pulling out of her work early just so that she could fix her hair before their meetings – just so that Dillan didn’t always think of her as the sweaty auror pulling in criminals. Appearances were everything after all.

Setting down her purse, Sofia slipped into the chair opposite of the man that was quickly becoming her best friend, smile still firmly in place. With an exaggerated gesture she pulled out her watch and check the time. “Why Mr. Wentworth you might want to mark this occasion I do think I arrived a full two minutes early.” She remarked, a twinkle in her eyes. “Now on my performance review you can add punctual.”

She reached over and pulled off a bit of his breadstick and began to nibble away. “Now what do you recommend from this place? You have to admit the peanut noodles at the Thai place were amazing last night.”

He sat alone at a table in a little Italian Restaurant. It was one of those ultra-romantic settings with candle lit tables and violins serenading you from the corners. Probably the most intimate place they had chosen to eat at yet. Well, he had chosen it (and for that reason exactly). Since he had been unwittingly led into the lions den several weeks back (here meaning a Robards’ family tea), he and Sofia had begun to take many of their meals together. It started out as an apology dinner on her part. Sorry my brothers hexed and threatened you; sorry my mother grilled you like a piece of salmon. Then it developed into hey I’m hungry lets grab a bite. And soon it became nearly routine.

Most people might consider this to mean they were dating. In fact that was exactly how Wendell referred to it in his own head. But Sofia, well she was not so eager to jump on the ‘I’m dating Dillan’ bandwagon. And he wasn’t sure exactly how he felt about it. If she was hesitant because she was in fact still in mourning over Wendell’s death it was one thing. But in all honesty, it was probably primarily due to her own commitment phobias, and that was something completely different. He hoped that maybe, just maybe in this little restaurant he might just convince her to think of their meals as dates too.

Assuming she ever arrived that is. It wasn’t that Wendell showed up particularly early for their sort-of-but-not-really dates. It was never more than ten or fifteen minutes before their scheduled meeting times. It was just that Sofia was habitually late. She was a terrible workaholic, staying late at the ministry often until the wee hours of the night. She would get caught up in her paperwork, or tracking down a fugitive and show up an hour and a half late. Although she had made a habit of owling him if she was going to be late, rather than leave him sitting in some restaurant by himself like an idiot.

He played absently with one of the breadsticks the waiter had brought him, while he waited for her to arrive. He didn’t expect her to arrive for at least another quarter of an hour. But the he caught site of her out of the corner of his eye.

“Why Mr. Wentworth you might want to make this occasion I do think I arrived a full two minutes early.” She remarked, a twinkle in her eyes. “Now on my performance review you can add punctual.”

He looked down at his watch in mock surprise.

“Well done! I was half tempted to set your watch forward this afternoon. However did you manage it?”

“Now what do you recommend from this place? You have to admit the peanut noodles at the Thai place were amazing last night.” She said stealing a bit of his breadstick.

“They were pretty good,” he conceded. When she had first suggested the “amazing” peanut noodles he had thought she was a little bit crazy. But after much prompting he had finally agreed to try them. And they were actually quite good. But not nearly as good as the pasta that came out of this place.

“I always get the chicken parm. It’s my favorite but I’m told the rest of the food is quite delicious as well.”

The faint sounds of violins could be heard in the background, and all around them were tables for two. Sofia chewed on her part of the breadstick a bit longer, a pensive look stealing over her features momentarily. This place was decidedly romantic, which made it all the more sweet that Dillan had brought her here. Sharing the joys of good Italian food with a close friend in a setting most would feel uncomfortable in. A sign of how close they were becoming with each other.

Granted Sofia was beginning to wish things weren’t quite so romantic. Thoughts such as how kissable Dillan’s lips looked in the present lighting kept stealing to mind. But they were only friends, he would have made some sort of advance on her long before if they weren’t. Now she needed to focus on food and not on the lips that would be consuming food.

With an act of will she drew her slowly mounting thoughts out of the gutter and onto the table.

“How about you get the chicken parm since if you say it’s a favorite then its coming to the table, and I’ll get the…” Sofia quickly scanned the menu, a mental debated between lasagna and tortellini quickly occurring. The clenching factor was the plate of steaming lasagna that passed by on its way to a couple that had yet to stop holding hands.

Everyone there was holding hands or gazing longingly into the other’s eyes. Dillan had picked a very friendly location. “…lasagna. We can steal from each other – like in that moving picture with the purebred dog and the tramp.” She continued with a faint blush.

Why has she said that? She hadn’t seen that film since Hogwarts when some of the muggle born Ravenclaws had insisted she watch a ‘classic’ animation. For some reason the image of the dogs kissing over spaghetti had never left her. The completely implausible yet extremely adorable moment had left its mark.

Dillan was a pureblood maybe he wouldn’t know to which movie or film she was referring too. Maybe he wouldn’t have the instant image of romantic Italian meals. Maybe she was full of excuses. That was also a very good possibility.

"I haven't seen to many muggle movies." He said apologetically. He was beginning to think that this was a major fault in his education. It had already caused problems with the whole disguise nonsense. Maybe for their next "date" they should go to the cinema, he clearly needed to remedy this problem. He mentally chided himself; he couldn't continue to think of their pseudo-dates as pseudo-dates if he was planning on convincing her to turn them into real dates.

He noticed her looking around at their surroundings, taking in the soft candlelight, the strains of music, the lovey-dovey couples packed into every square inch of the restaurant. Her cheeks were tainted just the slightest shade of pink. It was one of those biological reactions that Sofia undoubtedly hated because she couldn't control it. And it was an obvious give away about how she was feeling, assuming you interpreted it correctly. Now for instance she was just becoming aware that they were in an intimately romantic locale.

The waiter came around and they gave their orders.

If there was one new thing he had discovered about her since he started working at the Ministry, it was that she didn't men that moved too quickly. You had to be careful and move at the pace she set. He wasn't sure exactly how he had managed to bust up that seemingly concrete rule before. His forwardness by all accounts ought to have ensured him a broken nose and a nice long prison sentence (although to be honest he had received multiple broken bones thanks to the stunning Miss Robards). Thus his reliance on the atmosphere do the wooing for him. If he played his cards right it would only take the smallest of nudges to tip her off her little pedestal right into his arms.

The food was divine. For being a foreigner Dillan had an uncanny knack for picking out amazing restaurants. Everything would have been perfect it weren't for that unnamed something that was hanging over the air. Nothing in Sofia's power could offset the overall romantic turn their evening had taken. If only she could have remained oblivious to their surroundings her mind would have stayed at peace.

If only...

Over bites of lasagna and occasional steals from Wendell's plate the atmosphere only got more oppressive, and suggestive at the same time. She wasn't sure if she should continue prattling on about people they knew or start staring at him moony eyed. On one had she felt comfortable with him, more so than she had ever felt with any other person but on the other hand he wasn't Wendell. He didn't make her heart race in the same way. There was no overwhelming sexual tension, no innuendo game, no rush - but there was at the same time. It was all very confusing. At times Dillan seemed more like Wendell than was humanly possible, at other times more different.

Something had to be done. Sofia leaned in close, very sure that she didn't want love sick couple one or three to overhear what was likely to be a colossal blunder of a conversation. "Dillan?" She whispered, feeling more than vulnerable, confusion etched on her face. It was best to be vulnerable for a moment then confused for weeks.

"Dillan?"

She was catching on. He could tell from the slightly confused look on her face, and there was something else there as well which he didn't consider himself insightful enough to name. But at any rate the oppressively romantic location had done its trick. This wasn't the sort of restaurant that you and a co-worker popped by at the end of the day for kicks and giggles no matter how good their pasta was.

"I guess it's about time I admit that I've been deceiving you, yeah?"

He paused taking another bite of his ridiculously delicious chicken parm. For no other real reason that it was 'ridiculously delicious' and it gave her a moment to get that suspicious look on her face that he found especially endearing. It was a look she used to give him all the time when she was trying to determine whether 'Wendell' was telling the truth or just having a go at her expense. It was one of many little things that he missed from his old life.

"The truth is, I've been meaning to ask you out on a proper date. It's just not exactly something that you can slip into conversation in the middle of an undercover op. or while filling out paperwork to get an arrest warrant. So I tricked you into it instead. Awful of me, I know but there you have it..."

He trailed off using his best beseeching expression. A sort of: I know you ought to be angry with me but won't you please forgive me so we can go make out in a closet? Erm....wait.

"I guess it's about time I admit that I've been deceiving you, yeah?"

Blink.

Blink blink.

Why was it all the men she met were deceivers? What was he even confessing to? Did she even want to know what he had been deceiving her on - it could be anything from being a mole for a criminal organization to, worse yet, someone looking into departmental affairs on level two that was about to break the news (in a romantic manner?) that she had been fired for searching for Wendell's body. The candles were all a front! That way people would think she was crying over a proposal or something ridiculous and not over loosing her job- or her beating him to death would be interpreted as a lover's spat, that would work in her favor actually. Bad choice of local Dillan! She shouldn't have never let him into the interrogation chamber, into her house, into -

Who really took that long to chew on a bite of pasta? Honestly. Sofia glared at Dillan, willing him to chew a bit faster. Four more seconds would be alloted before she went after him with her shoe. Luckily for her he swallowed and the explanation began.

"... Awful of me, I know but there you have it..."

Romantic atmosphere, dinner, attraction, dating... that did make more sense than the ministry/spy theory. A whole lot more sense. Sofia went bright red, a not so subtle blush stealing across her cheeks. Then he gave her the look. Wendell Darrow trademarked puppy eyes stared back at her promising all sorts of things. Merlin! How she missed that look, one she had assumed had been lost with him. Yet there in front of her it was, reborn. She had lost her chance once, she was not going to loose it again.

Without further thought Sofia grabbed his collar and did what she should have done to Wendell that night in the closet. Well... bits of it, they were in a public place after all. Needless to say her food was forgotten about in favor of him.

*insert kissy mush*

A while later or was it really only moments, she had lost track of the time, Sofia pulled back abruptly. "Deception forgiven - this time. Next time it will cost you your ability to produce little Dillans yeah?" She murmured softly, her mind still lost in a slightly happy daze. To think her mother had always told her being forward was something to be avoided at all costs.

She grew red, but eyed at him intently going over his words. Wendell steeled himself for whatever answer she was about to give. He was used to rejection where Sofia was concerned, having never received very much encouragement (or any at all), at least not serious encouragement. However, he had never put quite so much effort into courting her either. Despite himself, he was going to be bitterly disappointed if she said no, again.

But to his pleasant surprise she didn't say no. Instead, she practically launched herself across the table at him, yanking him forward by his shirt collar for a sudden kiss. It was the first time she had been the one to initiate such intimacy, though she was unaware of having ever kissed him at all. But he wasn't too preoccupied by thoughts of success to fail to enjoy the ever-pleasant sensation of kissing Sofia Robards.

She pulled back just as abruptly as she had kissed him in the first place, leaving him in a happy daze, though instantly remorseful at the loss of contact.

"Deception forgiven - this time. Next time it will cost you your ability to produce little Dillans yeah?"

"I'll make a note of that." He replied with a grin. (Make a note never to mention his dual identity that is!) He leaned back a little, removing his tie from the marinara sauce it had unfortunately landed in the haste of their impromptu snog-fest. He looked up at her as he wiped off the splot of sauce and was suddenly struck by something so completely foreign to him that he was momentarily paralyzed. He had no idea what to say to her now.

Normally, he would have made some sort of wisecrack about her eagerness costing him a nice tie. He'd brandy about a few innuendos until they were both so worked up that they'd barely be able to control themselves long enough to pay the bill before beating a hasty retreat. But Dillan wouldn't do something like that....and Wendell had no idea what he would do.

"So...did you want some dessert?"

Did she want dessert?? Had this been Wendell the question would have never been uttered, or discussed - they would have already been exchanging innuendos happily till they could no longer bare to keep their hands, or lips apart from one another a moment longer. Thus dinner could conclude and she would be following him off to their choice of love nest.

Dillan was no Wendell.

That much was apparent. For thought he had eagerly returned the kiss she was starting to think he was a bit shocked by her forwardness. Honestly an offer of dessert after she had threatened to dismember him? She must have given his pureblood sensibilities a bit of a shock.

No matter. If he wanted to talk about dessert she would play along. Even if she hadn't been attracted to him after their kiss, with is lips tasting faintly of what if she was not mistaken was cinnamon... as Wendell's had once had. Oh she was in for an uphill battle it seemed.

"I am in no mood for dessert, thank you." I want you... She heard herself saying, voice husky, all the while undressing him with her eyes. But she couldn't invite him over. Not on the 'first' date. Even if this was around their twentieth. She had scared the man enough, nor was she that kind of girl. Honestly she wasn't. It was just something about him. About Wendell that made her act so... instinctually.

"Perhaps I had best leave? We both do have a busy day tomorrow at work..." where everyone will gossip about us She frowned at the thought of work. Dating a coworker... was that better or worse than dating a marked criminal? She would never know about the latter it seemed. For the best. She waved over the waiter and got the check.

After setting down her half she bent over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Dillan." She remarked, with one last look. She was most defiantly in lust.

It was a bad question, he knew that much as soon as the words left his mouth. It's sheer terribleness seemed to take her by surprise as well. Except that she reacted in a thoroughly Sofia mannner to his verbal gaff.

"I am in no mood for dessert, thank you." She said, but her eyes were saying something closer to....

'I don't want the kind of desert they offer here, at any rate.'

If only he could react with an equally Wendell response. But he couldn't! Blast! Damn! and Curses! Instead he was forced to watch as she took matters into her own hands and decided to call it a night.

"Perhaps I had best leave? We both do have a busy day tomorrow at work..."

'Your voice says no, but your eyes say something different!' His little inner self hummed suggestively.

"Of course," was all he said.

'It's too early to call it a night!! Aren't you up for a little more fun? I know I am!'

"Goodnight Dillan."

"Goodnight Sofia." He muttered as she kissed him softly on the cheek.

'Stick around and have a better one!'

She threw him one last hungry sort of look before she turned and left the restaurant.

And as he watched her go, only one thing pervaded his thoughts.

“Being Dillan, sucks.”