(no subject)

[weirddreams]

Had they gone on a proper date since they defined their relationship? No. Yet that wasn't the sole reason behind Sam's insistence to take Ruby out for dinner. Today marked five years since he had met her that fateful day. An anniversary of sorts. Or it could be. He arranged everything from the booth at the back of the diner to that cake with the cheeky candles of 2 and 0 to make light of her never aging.

The waitress already knew not to sing Happy Birthday at Sam's behest. All he asked of Ruby was to wear whatever was comfortable. What she decided to wear still managed to steal his breath.

On the flip side, he wore a solid blue shirt free of the usual crisscross pattern to be dressed up for the occasion. His hair combed behind his ears. The faint smell of cologne rose from his shoulders. He still did not know if he used it correctly. It was something he bought (was persuaded to buy) when he picked up a bouquet of red and white flora to present Ruby before they headed out.

The evening started with him holding the door open for her. The restaurant was neither high class or dingy. Yet it was clean-- Sam had checked the reviews and the health code rating it held. A cozy little interior that had something for everyone on the menu-- the meats and veggies. Sam's hand brushed the small of Ruby's as they were seated. "There's not many people that dine here at this time, in case you were wondering." He had checked all those boxes for their comfort by checking Google. This would be a quiet evening. The two of them.

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[peaceonearth]

Ruby had very few expectations about their relationship or about dating in general, so she hadn’t thought much about their lack of a proper date. She was a little (pleasantly) surprised at his insistence, but happy enough to go along with it. She was sure what comfortable dressing up consisted of, but she’d found a vintage shop and had come back to the hotel with a bag. She’d commandeered the room that get dressed, still uncertain if she’d gotten the dress code right when she stepped out of the room to leave for the date.

The flowers were perfect and unexpected. She’d leaned in to kiss his cheek as a thank you and commented that he smelled good so he’d used the cologne correctly. The diner was perfect: cozy, nice enough to be special but not uncomfortable and quiet. She smiles at his commons they sat down. “Are you trying to talk me into something or break bad news to me? You were going to get laid anyway,” she teases him. There’s just the ghost of concern in her eyes that her teasing isn’t just teasing.

[weirddreams]

He reflected that perhaps he was over dressed. Of course Ruby needn't dress any differently than usual if that's what she decided was comfortable. Needless to say, looking at her dress, he knew she was most stunning. He managed to compliment how beautiful she looked without gawking too much. He did look her up and down once before offering his arm to her. In particular, he thought the touch of lipstick and the hair in a bun was cute on her. Later he knew it would be hard to resist the desire to pull her hair down.

His mouth opens to say something but closes almost as instantly. Yes, to say that he is partially stunned by her assumption is accurate. The date had only just started. Of course he's aware it is his own fault. A chuckle escapes in place of his lack of words. "No, no. No bad news. And not here. There will be time for that later. I thought you should know you can relax here. What do you think of the place?"

[peaceonearth]

He's not overdressed, but even if he were, Ruby would enjoy the view rather than worry about her clothing. Honestly, she's not sure the effort of dressing up would be worth it if he didn't gawk at least a little. After all, Ruby doesn't dress up every day or even every date. She murmurs a 'hey hottie,' when she takes his arm.

Mostly she's teasing. She assumes the bad news would come in a more private setting. She gives the room another look at his question before looking back to him. "I like it. It's cozy." She stretches up a bit so she can press a kiss to his cheek as a silent 'thank you'.

[weirddreams]

Some people might say he's out of practice with dating. Somehow that worry started to melt away when he saw her. Maybe it was the confirmation that however he dressed, she still saw him and only him as attractive. "I'm sorry for staring. You look gorgeous tonight." His hand scrubed the back of his neck but soon dropped for a little more confidence. He placed that hand over the hand that went through his other arm.

Even so, he promises a final time that there is no bad news. They are in fact more alone than they would be with Dean in earshot. No one cares enough to actually listen to them. "Glad you think so." He leans into the kiss and turns to capture it with one hand below her chin and the other lightly cupping her face. He can't remember right then if she wore lipstick but he feels the transfer of heat when it breaks. "You still a fan of saltly sweet potato fries?" He already knows the answer. The reason why he chose this place is because it's on the menu.

[peaceonearth]

Ruby thinks he's doing just fine with the practice he's got. She playfully rolls her eyes and flutters a hand beneath her chin at the compliment. "You'd insult me by not staring," she assures him. "I didn't put on lipstick for you not to stare." She softens, eyes raking over him. "Besides, I've got to keep up with my hot date."

Sometimes they need a that kind of anonymity that they don't get with Dean in the same house. When the kiss leaves his lips smudged a bit red, she reaches out with her thumb, swiping it across his lips so that the color is a bit less obvious on him. The lipstick she's wearing isn't transfer-proof, but it shouldn't come off on everything too bad. "I don't trust anyone who isn't," she says in response. She picks up the menu and opens it so they can both look at it. "An order of sweet potato fries. What else is good here?"

[weirddreams]

Sam smiles at her ability not to be so modest. He takes a breath in to relax his shoulders. "In that case, I think I need another minute just to appreciate you." His heart is already open to her, but it does escape his notice when her energy grows softer similar to how the air feels before it rains. Light. The desire that no ever interrupt them is one that fills him up. He continues to give her an appreciative glance behinds his eyes. A twitch at the corner of his lips at her compliment.

No one will remember they were here once they paid the bill. At best they'd be described as a couple that weren't out of the ordinary before fading into obscurity. That's the romantic thing about the restaurant. He's fine with what red is left behind across his lips. When Ruby touches his lips to brush the color away, wheat happens is that Sam lets a breath of air through. "We'll get a large plate just to be on the safe side then." Sam thought it never hurt to have leftovers Ruby could snack on. He cracks a cheeky smile before being forthcoming with an answer. "There was a lot of talk about the Mediterranean steak salad online, but what sounded like it'd be up your alley is the Japanese-Mexican Fushion."

[peaceonearth]

It's how she copes with compliments because she ultimately doesn't know how to accept them. She preens a little more for him, winking, and pulling a kissy face expression. If she could blush, she would. She genuinely hopes no one interrupts them as well. She might even suggest a nice hotel room for the evening after dinner as well.

She will never stop being grateful that Sam thinks about things like the food she likes, or making sure she has a snack. It makes her feel loved and human in ways that she hasn't for most of her existence. "I think the fusion sounds good. Are you getting the salad?" Because she definitely wants a bite of that too.

[weirddreams]

There isn't many more ways his dimples or grin could get any wider; there are, however, an infinite amount of breathes he can exhale at being flirted with, like this very instance. It's not exactly a kiss blown at him, but he pretends to catch it as it it were and holds it to his heart. He promptly leans in to press his finger over her lips. After a pause, his lips introduce themselves again against hers when he drops the act. There he remains for a few seconds. Lost in the sweetness. A hotel might be a nice touch to the end of their rather than return home.

Ruby may not be human but in no way does that stop Sam from seeing her as a worthwhile soul. One he loves without exception. These little things are his way to show her a little everyday he thinks about her and cares. Most times he does not think too much about it. This time, everything was planned out a bit more.

He looks back down at the menu to peruse. "Well, I'm not sure yet. Everything seems like, um-- The duck with apricot chutney could be good too." His turn back to her, finally catching on. "Unless-- It isn't a real date unless we share. We'll get the salad."

[peaceonearth]

Ruby likes flirting with Sam. She likes the way he responds, the way his dimples show and the almost-not-quite blushes she gets out of him. She bites his finger playfully. "Could just have you for dinner," she flirts in response.

It's always special when he takes the time to plan something, but the little daily affirmations never go unnoticed.

She shakes her head. "Get the duck if you want. I'm going to eat some of whatever you get." He's right though. It's not a date if they don't share.

[weirddreams]

Neither of them are innocent when it comes to whom started it. He holds still when her teeth graze his finger, but soon as there as some slack he slides it forward just to touch her tongue. Then he pulls it back to his finger across her bottom lip. "I think you're going to have to wait this time. I wont have any chance against you if I dont have the fuel." That's his way of saying she would be able to eat him alive.

Love is about compromise, which they do so well. Except in the rare instance he hesitates and second guesses himself. "I apologize. Why not you choose for us tonight? A little bit of everything would be too much to ask."

[peaceonearth]

She mock pouts, but agrees. "Food first. Fun later." Not that eating dinner together won't be fun. She enjoys their food dates regardless of how much she does or doesn't eat.

She scoffs a little at his words. "I think a little bit of everything is fine. We'll take home leftovers. Maybe even share with Dean later. So the duck and the salad? Anything else sound good?"

[weirddreams]

He threads his fingers through hers to give her a little squeeze. Sometimes he found it wasn't easy to choose food from anything she offered but he appreciated her patience.

"That's more than enough. Don't you think?" He chuckles. "But we can order something to go for later." Sam gives her a grin.

[peaceonearth]

"I think that'll definitely do for now," she smiles. They place the order with the waitress when she brings their drinks. "It's been a little while since we've done this." A date she means, "Did you have plans for after dinner?" Because she assumes they're not just doing dinner and back to the bunker. As she stated, it's been a little while since they've gone on a date, much less a romantic one like this.

[weirddreams]

"Too long. But I'm glad we have the time now." He rubs his hand over hers. "Yes, I thought we might try this thing called geocaching. There's a few near by at the park. Um, quiet. The goal is to find something hidden and leave something new. If it doesn't sound like it's for you, then there's star gazing. We've always had fun in nature."

[peaceonearth]

Ruby raises an eyebrow at him, a smile still curving her lips. "You're taking me on a treasure hunt?" Obviously, she thinks it might be fun. "What sort of things do we find? What do we leave? I probably have some protective charms in my bag we could leave."

[weirddreams]

"Yeah. Does it sound up your alley?" Sam tilts his head toward his shoulder in a shrug. Her smile is positive reinforcement that it's not an entirely bad idea. "Could be anything. Usually trinkets are left behind. What sort of charms do you have? It couldn't hurt to pass some along."

[peaceonearth]

"It actually does. Usually, I'm looking for a monster or a person or a magical artifact. This isn't that different except we've got a map to follow? Or clues?" She asks because she's not sure. "General protection and peaceful sleep. There's one for calmness too. Sometimes I put it under Dean's seat in the Impala." Not sorry.

[weirddreams]

"Sure. There are levels of difficulty, but we can ease into it. Generally the item is hidden high or low within 30 feet of the coordinates. Half the fun is finding it using on own map and devices." He'll show her tips for their first geocache with his phone later. He chuckles at confession. It explains a few recent rides in the Impala. "How about we remove that before Dean finds it. We can use it for our first geocache." Win-win.

[peaceonearth]

"Did you used to do this at college? Or as a kid?" she asks, curious about where he heard about geocaching. They'll have fun with it and it's a good activity to do without the interference of too many other people. She pouts a little at the suggestion of removing the charm from beneath the Impala's seat, but Sam is probably right. Dean will flip his lid if he finds it, or once he destroys it. "Fine, but the road rage-less trips were nice while they lasted."

Their food comes and Ruby automatically pushes their plates closer together so they can pick off each other's plates.

[weirddreams]

He lip twitches because her guess is correct. "Yeah, sometime between High School and college. Hard to remember when exactly. Some old friends and I got really into it. All I can say for sure is that it got really popular when coordinates became available on the world wide web." Popular to nerds like himself. They can even choose one outside of town so they aren't looking between buildings and sidewalks. "Don't pout. If you have any other suggestions where you two don't end up fighting again, have at it."

Watching her push their plates together brings him to smile. He starts with a fry from her plate just to see. Not under-salted nor over. He savors it for a second and sucks the salt off his finger. "Tasty. Looks homemade." It's not all prepackaged diner food here. He aimed for that.

[peaceonearth]

"I guess that would make things easier. It's a little like a treasure hunt with a clear map." Unlike the 'treasure' hunts they do for 'work'. She doesn't mind searching in a town or city, but a more nature themed hunt could be fun. "Suggestions that don't include witchcraft? Because I think magic is the only way Dean and I won't bicker." It's their way of showing affection in some part.

"Very tasty," she says, not taking her eyes off him.

[weirddreams]

"Here. I was going to wait to show you but you should choose." He opens the app, options, narrows the field to a beginner range outside of the town. Shortly, he slides the phone into her hand. If anything, somehow on the outskirts would be away from prying eyes. Neither of them would have to worry about too much public display of affection. He thinks about what Ruby and Dean have in common. Without realizing it, he scrubs his hands over his face. "Well...Fried food, to name one thing. You both have a collection of weapons." Periodically, he spies Dean hang up his gun collection in his room when they're taking breaks. Likewise, Ruby has access to her demon blade, an angel blade and other odds and ends with the sole purpose of destroying types of monsters. Beyond that, he can't think of anything else on the spot.

He can never not smile anew at her brand of flirtatiousness. "Oh, yeah? Have another bite then." He remembers to breathe even under her watch.

[peaceonearth]

She scrolls through the phone with one hand, sometimes pausing to pinch and zoom in on a map before moving to the next. "This one looks like it could be nice." There's a river that runs through the area or at least a small creek of some sort. She hums a little at his assessment of the similarities between her and Dean. "You," she adds to the list. "At least half of those we bicker over," she smirks. Sam forgets that bickering is a form of endearment for them, like siblings.

Lightly, playfully, she leans over and bites his shoulder gently before picking up one of the fries and taking a slow, appreciative bite of it. "Not bad," she agrees though she still finds him tastier.

[weirddreams]

Watching her scroll through the app, there's a comfortable silence that fills the space between them. Every so often he leans over to eye what she zooms in on. The last one she shows to him earns a smile and a nod. "Not too many people will be up in that area," he acknowledges. To his knowledge the fish travel more upstream where most campers, and even the hikers, tend to go. The two of them would likely only come across wild deer and squirrels in the surrounding area. His lip twitched at the corner, somewhere between the acceptance of Dean and Ruby caring about him and wanting to tell Ruby that isn't exactly what he meant. He concedes rather easily that she can have it. He was long past telling her what was beside the point. "I'm not ready to give up yet. Promise me you'll try to find common ground at least." It's true that he forgets that the bickering is endearment for them, yet he's not entirely convinced it's the best long-term strategy either. They're too of his most important people. One day he would like to see them communicate without the need to bicker.

He should have seen that coming. Ruby is a bit of a wild card, though, and his understanding of the situation leads to his mixup. He assumes she has the intention to kiss him and leans in. It feels more like a nibble to his shoulder and he neither feels any pain in his surprise nor pulls away. His body tingles from his shoulder to the look in his very eyes. Seeing her tease him, by moving back and having a bite of the fry, provides him with a bit of amusement at her boldness, behind the lingering desire to continue elsewhere. "Yeah, no. Let's try to get through our meal first." He can see they're on the same page.

[peaceonearth]

"We'll be alone, just how I like it," she says cheekily. She turns it into flirting, but Sam knows how serious she is about liking when it's just the two of them. The wildlife will be a bonus. If it weren't for the lack of a bathtub and a real bed, Ruby would enjoy camping very much. "Scout's honor," she says, holding up three fingers in the Boy Scouts of America hand sign. She will try to find common ground (she's aware they have a few things in common) but she can't promise the bickering will disappear.

She smirks at his admonishment. "An incredibly difficult task, but you'll need your stamina. For geocaching, of course," she jokes as she takes a bite of his food next.