No Strings Attached - Riley Tags Stephen

[Riley Adams]

Anxiety plagued the forty-nine year old landscape artist as he prodded his steak; well done with a side of fresh vegetables and mashed potatoes with bacon bits. His favourite but he couldn’t even think about that right then.

When was the last time this happened? The first date. He met Michael twenty years ago and that had taken one whole year before Riley actually felt comfortable with dating the man. It hadn’t even been so bad back then.

The pressure of having to date now that he’s in his mid life, it’s weirdly large. He doubted Stephen was the type to commit. He wasn’t even sure this date was going anywhere. Then, the what ifs started to flood Riley’s mind.

What if I screw up? What if Stephen leaves? What if...what if...did I leave the oven on? Oh my God my pie! What the hell am I thinking? I’m on a date. My pie can wait. Riley looked up at Stephen, hoping he didn’t notice Riley’s blank expression.

"So you're in Hammel as a..." Riley waited for Stephen's affirmation before nodding. "How's that like?" The elder man asked, wondering if the situation nowadays was any better than what he had to go through back when he was recruited. "It can't be too pleasant." Riley took a bite of his steak, trying to enjoy it as much as possible.

[Stephen Gage]

For all the palpable anxiety emanated from Riley Adams, Stephen had to admit: it was funny, and it was a little embarrassing. It was flattering. And it was more than a shade adorable. Stephen had, at a relatively early time in his adolescence, come to terms with the fact that he could certainly look worse than he did. He hesitated as often as possible to consider himself fully "hot," but he had an easier time coming to terms with his appearance than some others. As Riley prodded his food in nervousness, Stephen took the moment to look down at his own, lemon chicken with a (decidedly) small amount of garlic, and hid the small chuckle that was bubbling in his throat. He capped it down with the friendly, warm grin for which he was known, and returned his attention to the man across the table.

The decision to actually go out on a date was the result of a large amount of prodding by Stephen, and a concession by Riley. That is to say, that when the two of them first started speaking in Elaine's flower shop, Stephen had caught on to the older man's shyness. And then he'd caught on to the aversion of the other man's eyes. And then he'd caught the blush. And only then did the light of realization turn on in Stephen's mind. A light conversation and a one-sided exchange of numbers later (one can imagine which of the two men was the one confident enough to actually share his own number), and Stephen simply waited for the moment.

Sure enough, it'd come, and Riley had suggested with no small amount of endearing, uncertain charm, whether he'd like to go have dinner. Sometime. Maybe. If Stephen wasn't too busy. If he was, it was fine. They could reschedule. And to the infinite possible endings for the phone call Riley had probably calculated, Stephen provided the one that was perhaps least expected: a simple 'yes.'

So here they were, at a restaurant of Riley's choosing, trying to meander their way through the obligatory sort of conversations that always precede the more interesting ones. Stephen did not catch the older man's brief vacation from reality, popping a bit of chicken into his mouth, his brow arching as Riley began his question. The mirth never left his eyes, partly because it was genuine and partly because Stephen was horrified the other man would clam up entirely otherwise.

He swallowed, laughing slightly when Riley commented upon the less enjoyable qualities of Stephen's job. The recruiter nodded, taking a brief second to brush a crumb that had managed to escape his lips and stubble (shaving always seemed to be a chore for Stephen) from the collar of his black shirt. "A recruiter, yep. And it, well, it certainly has its more stressful times." he said, offering the shadow of a sheepish smile as he made the admission. "A lot of crying. A lot of wide-eyed excitement, too, don't get me wrong. They're like kids in a candy store, some of them. Others don't, uh," he paused, looking for the proper word. With another chuckle, he found it. "share their enthusiasm."

Stephen took another bit of chicken into his mouth, making quick work of it before swallowing. He leaned forward a bit, cocking his head to the side slightly as he tested his memory. "And you're a landscaper, yeah? If I'm wrong, tell me now so I can feel bad and get that bit out of the way." His grin widened before he reached for a sip of his drink, water for now. Wine would come later, permitting the atmosphere was right. The water was refreshing, but Stephen had almost always found words more entertaining, so he swallowed and continued. "How's that? I've not got the eye for that sort of thing, I think. You seem to, though. The flowers in the lounge look nice, and are even still alive!"

[Riley Adams]

The offered smile left Riley all gooey inside, something that shouldn't happen too soon but there it was. Might as well. Riley wasn't too sure the man would want to repeat this dinner any time in the future anyhow. The smile was comforting to Riley and it was one of the things that usually sedated Riley enough to act semi-normal when it came to men. That was how Michael got to him in the first place.

Then again, why was Riley even fidgeting too much. The man had said yes, hadn't he? He was here wasn't he? But he most surely didn't know how boring Riley could be. The last person he was involved with already had a 'skewered' point of view of Riley. They had a lot of time to get to know each other before they started dating.

Riley focused his thoughts back on to the present, trying to give himself a fighting chance. Just because he was old, didn't mean he couldn't let this date be the first among many others later. It could be his stepping stone to finding the next Michael Knowles. Or someone close to him anyway.

Stephen's sheepish smile was responded with Riley's understanding nod. "I think there was once when I was still there, at Hammel I mean, I saw this kid who was still kicking and shoving her recruiters. I guess it's the generation difference. I can't believe how old I must sound to you right now." Riley chuckled in embarrassment.

"That I am," Riley nodded, happy for the subject change. Especially one where he could fully contribute. He laughed slightly at Stephen's admonishment and compliment, waving it off. "I'm glad they worked but that's all on Elaine. I'm more for gardens and backdrops. I'm currently working on this retirement home and their place is gigantic which was why I had to go to Elaine's in the first place. I ran out of supplies." He shrugged with a sheepish grin.

"I just kind of like to make things...pretty." Riley maintained his sheepish grin at his word choice. Of all adjectives he could have used, he had to choose that one. Way to go Brown graduate. "How's your chicken?" Riley asked with a small smile as he popped another piece of cut meat into his mouth. His appetite was regaining and he was slowly starting to feel comfortable.

[Stephen Gage]

It would be improper for Stephen to refer to dating as sort of... old hat. That wasn't the case, and it made him sound rather like somebody who had long since tired of the game and treated it as little more than a meat market in the first place. No, dating was, to Stephen, simply... practiced. It was rather akin to a job interview, really, and while he'd not endured one of those terrible things since his interview at Hammel, he had experienced a small number of interested suitors. And a fair number of those interested in far less than a happy home. As to where his date for the night stood on that issue, Stephen had assessed that he was not the booze-em-and-lose-em type. And as for Stephen himself that night... he was still figuring that out.

But none of these thoughts played themselves out across Stephen's face, itself far too preoccupied with the pleasant grin to bother with conveying uncertainty and indecision. He shook his head when Riley mused about feeling old, raising up a palm to wave away the fears. "Not at all. I say the same things. And that stuff still happens. Been thrown into a brick wall before. That wasn't fun."

Inwardly, Stephen cheered at his memory's victor. Landscaper! He had gotten it right! Point to him. He laughed at Riley's mention of running out of supplies, adjusting his position in his chair and resting his forearms on the table. "Oh, well lucky me you ran out of supplies, then."

Stephen was not blind, this time anyway, to the tint of embarrassment that crept into Riley's smile. He'd used the word "pretty," a rather unmanly word, to be sure, but nothing worse than anything else Stephen had heard in his days. "I make a living making people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Suppose you could say neither of us have very manly jobs." he said, casting riley as understanding a smile as he could manage. The smile relaxed into one of mere pleasantry when there was an inquiry into the state of his chicken. So far, so good. He could complain about his age as much as he liked, but Riley didn't look it. Of course, Stephen had no idea just how old he actually was, but he hardly looked a moment over 40. Especially smiling, which was much better than the deer-in-headlights look. "Oh, it's grand. I've always loved lemon chicken. I grew up with the whole meat-and-potatoes diet. Is the steak good? Looks it."

Stephen sawed off another slice of tender chicken, relishing this one and giving it a proper chewing. He washed it down with some more water, taking the brief reprieve to glance down at Riley's plate. The man had scarcely touched his food. Stephen himself was nearly done. Slow down, Gage. Stephen had a tendency to eat fast, if food were in front of him. The only option: escape. However temporary.

"Would you excuse me for a bit? Won't be two seconds." The pleasantries taken care off, Stephen wiped his mouth with his napkin, stood up, and placed the slightly-soiled thing on the very edge of the table. Bathroom break. He had to go a bit, anyway, so he might as well empty his bladder if he was looking for a reason to stop eating. He smiled at Riley before beginning to walk past him towards the mens room. He got about half a step past the older man's chair before he chuckled and leaned back, placing his hand on Riley's shoulder. "By the way, you're doing fine. Just... relax a bit. I don't bite."

He smiled again, and carried on, deciding whether what he'd just done was a good idea. Broken the touch barrier: good. Alerted Riley to a fault, however small: not so good. Well, he looked like he could use the support.

[Riley Adams]

"Yikes. I can imagine," Riley winced at the image. The last time he felt pain was when he healed a pony with a broken leg. It took a week to mend his own fully and he never wanted to heal anything broken anymore. He supposed it was an occupational hazard but damn it all if he ever cured anything that could cause serious harm to him. It was a good thing he could only heal animals and not humans who have worse ailments. Not that he never tried. He was just scared to.

His thoughts were interrupted when Stephen spoke again. And his words hit the landscape artist with a blush. Not wanting to draw attention to that particular comment, Riley focused on Stephen's next piece of words. It made him smile that Stephen was trying to make him feel better by grouping both their jobs as 'unmanly' jobs. His smile made Riley give out a small chuckle. "I suppose you're right." The older man lifted one shoulder in agreeance while he cut another piece of steak and popped it in his mouth.

His thoughts went back to his pie just sitting at home. Or burning depending on whether Riley actually switched the oven off. Did he? He was sure he did. Deciding to stop worrying about pie, Riley looked up just as Stephen asked about his steak. "Just the way I like it." He replied, wiping his mouth after swallowing.

When Stephen excused himself to go to the bathroom, Riley almost stood up as well. Force of habit. He stopped himself and leaned back. Almost jumping at the touch, he shivered slightly at Stephen's words. Having gotten caught at being the awkward shy guy that he was, Riley's face burned hot in embarrassment.

The time that Stephen was away, Riley could have sworn were the most awkward moments in his life. He thought he was being cool! Well, as cool as Riley Adams could ever be anyway. Was it really his fault that he was always this way around very good looking guys? Especially very good looking guys who actually pay him any attention? He was like a little school girl with a crush!

He was like this around Josh before and he had to be like this around Stephen too? When will it end? Well, he supposed he couldn't really compare Josh to Stephen because Riley never went out on a date with Josh. And there was also the whole thing with Sean and Josh that he was still wondering about. Were they or weren't they?

And of course all of his thoughts had to get directed to his pie again! He bit his lower lip and took out his cell phone and called his next door neighbour, a newly wedded couple who always invited Riley over on weekends for dinner. "Riley, dude what's up?" The man, Patrick, answered the call. "Hey, Patrick. Um...do you mind checking if I'd gotten my pie out of the oven? I'm pretty sure I did but could you check?" There was a pause before Patrick's voice came back on. "Hold up. Do I call you back?"

"No, it's okay. I can wait." Riley reassured the other man. "Alright," came the reply. Riley waited as he heard the click of a door opening, some rustling and another click before Patrick came back on. "Yep. Your pie's sitting nicely on the counter. You baking for an army, Riley?" Patrick chuckled over the phone. Riley smiled and replied with a no. "The holidays are coming up. I was going to give one to you and Rachel. Um, pick whichever you want and if you don't mind could you-"

"Way ahead of you buddy. Fridge right?" Patrick asked. Riley confirmed it with a yes. "Top fridge. I already cleared it up and put wire racks in them." Another pause interrupted the conversation. "It scares me how organised you are, Ri."

Riley chuckled. "Say hi to Rachel for me and enjoy the pies. Thank you so much for checking for me." He thanked the other man. "No problem. I know you'd do the same for us. It's no problem." When they hung up, Riley continued eating, his head now cleared of his pie dilemma. Now all he had to do was survive this date and maybe, just maybe, this dilemma could be solved with a slice of pie back home.

[Stephen Gage]

"It was right here..."

Stephen Gage stood before one of the mirrors in the mens room, searching through all of his pockets, thus far in vain. Hadn't he put it in the front left one? No, apparently not, he'd already emptied that one. Hardly anything in it but lint, a few cents, and a pen. There was nothing in his back left aside from his wallet, he could feel that, and he'd long since verified his front right as entirely empty. A toilet flushed behind him, and shortly after a man emerged from one of the stalls, casting a curious look onto the flustered recruiter. "Did you... did you lose something?"

Stephen shot him a quick, self-admonishing grin, continuing to look through his pockets. "I could've sworn I had my phone on me. Don't want to lose that one again, it'd be the fourth phone this year."

The stranger's interest in the situation extended about as far as anyone else's would have. Which is to say the only input he had to offer was a short "Did you have a jacket?" before he washed his hands and left. Stephen froze the moment the suggestion was made, his shoulders slumping in realization. Right, he had worn a jacket. It was December, and he hated the cold. Of course he'd worn a jacket. And his phone must have been in there. On his chair. With Riley.

"Well there goes that distraction," he mused, deciding it was the proper time to take care of the mild pressure building up in his bladder. And he'd so been hoping for enough time to allow Riley to catch up on his meal. Finishing one's food early gave the impression that one wanted to leave, and as awkward as Riley had been, Stephen found it endearing. The tap water was frigid when it first came out, though it warmed up quickly, and Stephen made short work of the task. Left with no other recourse than the very unsettling possibility of simply standing in the bathroom and waiting, he took a deep breath and returned back to the world.

Stephen caught sight of Riley putting away his phone. Oh Christ, he hadn't called for backup, had he? Even Stephen hadn't wanted his phone to do that. Just play a little tetris, send a few how-do-you-dos out, and carry on. Though, if Riley had called for advice... Stephen felt a bit flattered at that. And terrified that his gentle admonition may have left a deeper wound than he'd intended. He reclaimed his seat, sending a lightly inquisitive look to Riley. "Everything all right?" he asked, casting a nod to the pocket that contained the older man's phone. He picked up his cutlery, slicing off another piece of chicken and using it to prevent his next thoughts from passing his lips. Not cutting this sort, I hope.

[Riley Adams]

Having had ample time to get rid of his previous anxieties, Riley tried to think of other things to talk about besides work and food. He wasn't much of a conversationalist; most of the conversations he'd ever had were just answering people's questions. He was not the type to ask since he always had that worry that his question might sound stupid or something.

Should he invite Stephen back to his apartment for pie? But what if Stephen didn't like pie? Riley thought to himself. But who doesn't like pie? The man maintained that thought throughout his wait for Stephen's reappearance.

Stephen came back to find a much more relaxed Riley who even offered a smile when asked if things were all right. Riley nodded with a vocal affirmation. "Yeah. I just had to check something with someone." He answered before taking a sip of his water. He tried to remember if it was proper etiquette to have used his phone during a date even if his date was actually not around.

Pushing the thought aside, he looked on as Stephen finished up his chicken. Riley fancied that the rest of dinner went well. Conversation was slightly stunted but it was a first date. No one can really get a proper first date conversation right anyway.

Their food was done and picked up and when the waiter asked if they wanted any dessert, Riley blurted out. "I have pie at home." He paused before clearing his throat. "I mean, only if you want, I've got pie at home. I baked like fifty pies. It's for my friends and family and I thought if you wanted, I could bring one out and we could share. I can't eat one whole pie by myself and since we're already out I thought you would like some pie." The uninterrupted stream finally stopped and Riley took a quick breath in.

"Yeah, you see why I try not to talk." He chuckled in embarrassment. The waiter cleared his throat. "I'll come by later?" he asked and Riley nodded with a small grin before turning to Stephen, a little embarrassed to look him in the eye though. "So...pie?"

[Stephen Gage]

Yeah, Riley definitely looked much better with a smile than a fretting frown. And he hadn't even called out for tactical support! Well, by his own admission anyway, which was well enough for Stephen In any case, the older man seemed relaxed, and that alone was cause for celebration. The conversation flowed more easily throughout the dinner, though still stilted. Understandable, of course. First dates were tricky things, no matter how many times one went on them. Stephen kept his tone light, his smile calm, though he couldn't resist opportunities to toss out gentle sarcasms, spacing them out with equally tame jests at his own faults.

The pair had only just finished talking about Stephen's potent distaste for the cold and a shared affection for rain (the recruiter was partial to the warmer, summer sort) when it occurred to the both of them that they'd each finished their meals. Felt rather... sudden, for Stephen. A good thing, to be sure, if time could be said to fly when one was having fun. The waiter made his way over, and asked the gentle question of whether they'd like any dessert.

And lo, the floodgates did open.

Riley spoke. And spoke some more. And even more words came tumbling out. They arrived with such speed and length that Stephen didn't understand them in their entirety at first, only recognizing that there were indeed words, and that there was indeed a ton of them. His smile turned into a mildly surprised grin, eyes widened slightly at the sudden deluge. They trickled to an end, and Stephen and the waiter shared a moment of silence before the latter regained his senses first. "I'll come by later?"

The sheer dryness of the delivery sent Stephen into a miniature giggle fit. It didn't last long, but he chuckled, covering his mouth temporarily. He waved away the waiter's suggestion, shoulders quaking slightly from the residual laughter, and cast Riley an appreciative look. "No, we'll take the check. The man's got pie!"

The waiter nodded and took off, leaving Stephen and Riley with each other's company once more. Stephen decided to risk a less subtle manuever. His grin remained, and Stephen leaned one elbow on the table, his eyes darting quickly to the waiter before returning to Riley. He moved his head slightly, going after Riley's gaze instead of waiting for the older man to meet his. "I like it. I think it's endearing. And I'll definitely take you up on the pie offer."

The waiter returned, bearing a leather fold, the end of the receipt sticking out of the top. "Thank you, hope to see you again." Stephen nodded, smiling, and took the fold, opening it up and looking at the total. He could afford it. The waiter left, and Stephen leaned in a bit placing the fold on the table. "What do you think for a tip? I'm awful at that."

[Riley Adams]

The laughing did not help any as Riley tried his damndest to hide his blush. When the waiter left and it was just the two of them, the air suddenly felt a little more intimate as Stephen tried to meet his gaze. His next words made Riley's blush deepen as a smile threatened to break his face in half. It wasn't wise for him to but Riley was starting to like Stephen. Just a little more than the usual: "Hey you're a pretty cool guy I like you."

He reigned it in and took a sip of water before giving Stephen a crooked smile. "Great. Good. Pie then." Riley nodded and tried hard to look away from the look Stephen was giving him, all the while forcing himself not to break out into a huge goofy grin. Other people may be convinced that he was a well-adjusted, well-rounded grown man but Riley knew he was still a child in several aspects.

Having been in a long term relationship for ten solid years, Riley had felt so odd being alone. But even that got to grow into a comfort zone since he was alone for another ten years. It was strange trying to get back into the mind set he had two decades ago. But at least Stephen was being nice about it. He was being really nice about it. Suffice it to say, Riley was appreciative of the other man's gestures.

With the bill on the table, Riley wondered if he should pay. Stephen's question had him even more confused as to who should pay. Riley couldn't help but remember that when he was with Michael, the other man had paid simply because he was older than Riley had been. In addition to that, Michael had established the alpha dominant role early in the relationship. Good God this was completely confusing.

"Um, I could pay." Riley slid the rectangular slim leather booklet over to himself and looked at the amount. No reason why he shouldn't pay. So he slipped a couple of dollar bills in it and closed it. He signaled the waiter and turned back to Stephen. He gave the other man a shy smile. "Shall we?"

[OOC: I wasn't entirely sure what to have done. I feel like I'm on an actual date, wondering who should pay >.< Thank you Cole for giving me the experience of my first date. Yes, I am indeed pathetic. Would you like to skip straight to Riley's house or should the travel back be played out as well?]

[Stephen Gage]

Stephen found himself questioning just how many dates Riley had ever been on. A certain amount of anxiety was permissible, to be sure. Stephen was feeling some himself, but he had become rather adept at hiding his nerves behind his love of talking. Riley, however, was acting as though this was his first date out ina ges. He couldn't have been older than, what, 40? 45? Pilot Ridge is a small town, yes, but there had to be someone at least interested in a nice landscaper. Especially one who wasn't remotely a chore to look at. The goofy grin, the blushing, was much more in line with someone who hadn't seen hide nor hair of an interested person in years.

So Stephen took it in stride, attempting to be as accommodating as he could. If Riley really hadn't been out in ages, difficult to believe as it may be, Stephen considered it his duty to show the older man a good time, whether anything evolved from the event notwithstanding. Thus, when Riley sought escape from Stephen's gaze, the recruiter permitted it, turning his attention to the check.

And... Riley paid? Well that was... nice. Stephen would be loathe to admit his own mild surprise at it, but his recent string of dates had resulted in him paying the full bill, leaving with a bit of a stumble in his walk and, if he were lucky, a bit of a fumble with them later. This was a welcome departure. He smiled as Riley slipped a few bills into the fold, nodding in response to his offer to leave. Stephen rose lifting his coat from the back of his chair. "After you."

It was warmer outside than Stephen had anticipated. Not a terribly difficult feat, given his distaste for cold, though the night was anything but toasty. He hunkered down inside of his coat when they stepped outside, and the discussion of who would drive to Riley's place was short, largely because Stephen wanted any excuse to get out of the rain. And if they had to leave his car at the restaurant and hop in Riley's for the drive, so be it. He could come fetch it in the morning.

The heater in Riley's car sprang to life mercifully fast, Stephen offering a laugh and a sheepish explanation that he certainly did not enjoy the cold. Pilot Ridge was a small town, and the ride was short, though the conversation flowed with the same mixed ease it had in the restaurant. As the pair pulled up to Riley's house, Stephen gave it a quick cursory glance out of the corner of his eye. Nice place. Did landscaping pay that well? Evidently so, if Riley had bought the place by himself. If he hadn't, was there a roommate? No, Riley was too old for roommates, just as Stephen was. Partner? A tinge of apprehension stung Stephen's spine briefly. This could be a scary can of worms he was opening. then again, if this was an affair, Riley wouldn't likely be taking him back to his house to eat pie. Dead partner? Oh god, that would be far more trouble than Stephen was willing to endure. The soap-opera stuff was meant to stay at Hammel.

But whatever the case, Stephen didn't know. And he wouldn't know until the night carried on. So he smiled and cast it at Riley, walking alongside the taller man as he huddled over in his coat. "So what kind of pie have you got? Big fan of apple, myself."

[Riley Adams]

With a nod and a smile, Riley led Stephen to his car and just as they had a pleasant conversation during dinner, the drive back to the older man's apartment was filled with mindless drabble that was just filler conversation. Riley didn't expect much and he wasn't disappointed. Stephen was an excellent conversationalist. He also picked up on Riley's awkwardness and turned it around. It was rather pleasant and by the time they arrived at Riley's door, the man was all smiles, as though his initial trepidation hadn't even been there in the first place.

Going down to a crouch, Riley checked if his spare key was still in the loose plywood on the ground and was satisfied to find that it was still there. Thank you Patrick. Opening the door with his own set of keys, the warm smell of pies greeted Riley and his smile widened. Pushing through the door, he stepped aside to accommodate his guest's entrance, closing it with a soft click behind him. "May I take your jacket?" Riley threw his keys into the empty fishbowl by the kitchen counter and placed a hand on Stephen's shoulder more as an indication of where he was standing than anything else.

"I've actually started to bake for the holidays so I've got a lot." Riley gave a chuckle before hanging Stephen's jacket on the coat rack before hanging his own. "Um, make yourself at home. I'll just warm an apple pie up for you." Riley nudged Stephen gently in the direction of the living room before he headed into the kitchen to get an apple pie out of the fridge and into the oven.

"So do you want ice cream or whipped cream on your pie? I have both, obviously. I personally like mine plain." He called out to Stephen as he took out plates and forks and set them on the kitchen counter. It was then that he realised that there was a framed picture of Michael reading the very first book Riley ever got into after entering Hammel.

After constant badgering on Riley's part, Michael finally relented and read it. The picture depicted the candid amusement in Michael's face as he finished the book. Riley had just snapped it and framed it up despite Michael insisting he put it away. And of course, after Michael passed, the picture was a constant reminder that the man was still adored.

Had Stephen seen it? Riley's heart hammered but he calmly slipped the frame off the counter and hid it in the drawer. But not before he let his fingers trail the edges of the frame, a ritual he performed everytime he left the house. Riley did hope Stephen hadn't noticed it. That would have been pretty awkward.

[Stephen Gage]

What.

Was.

That?

Stephen had seen it only momentarily, in the brief time between Riley taking his jacket and more-or-less being shooed into the living room. It had been a glimpse. But he'd seen enough. A picture. Well-framed, apparently a candid photo from the small window of time in which Stephen had seen it. A man with a book, looking surprised, entertained, and just a little bit on this side of affectionate. Riley had left quickly, given Stephen the privacy required to display no small amount of privacy on his face.

Riley was either a cuckold or a widower. Neither was terribly positive. Of course, a third option was that Picture Man was Riley's brother. But from the glance of it Stephen had gotten, Picture Man looked nothing like his date of the evening. Nor does one have pictures like that of their kin. So either Riley was cheating, as unlikely an eventuality as any other, since he'd invited his man-on-the-side back home for pie of all things. Or:

He was in love with a dead guy.

Shit.

Riley called out to him, snapping Stephen from his terror. Ice cream? What? Oh, right. The recruiter filled his voice with the same mirth he'd displayed earlier, yelling in response. "Ice cream, if you would!" What he could not prevent, however, was the very last traces of Scotland from seeping back into his words, as they were wont to do whenever he was stressed. He never noticed it himself, and it was certainly watered-down after years in the States, but it was present. And whether he'd have noticed it in normal situations notwithstanding, Stephen certainly wasn't noticing it now. He had different things to worry about.

Like dealing with a damn dead guy and still getting something out of the night. Romance, the emotional kind anyway, could get tricky and he had no patience for sob stories tonight. Any other day of the week, sure, but his e-mail had been inundated with cries for helps from recently-recruited Psyches, and Stephen was hardly up to the task of consoling a widower. Damn it. Well, maybe he came to Riley's house for a bit more than pie anyway. Stephen called out to his date, taking the opportunity to glance around the living room. Pretty domestic place. Must've had one hell of a family life. "Would you rather I come in there? Can't promise I won't get crumbs on the couch!"

[Riley Adams]

The sudden change in Stephen's voice, however subtle, caught Riley's ears and for a second, his horrors were confirmed. Stephen had seen Michael's picture and a millions things had popped up into the other man's head and things were going to be awkward. Riley knew things were going too good to be true. It was typical Riley! That is if typical Riley actually dated before he met Stephen. Which Riley hadn't. He was either too caught up with work or still trying to get over Michael. Although recently, both excuses were invalid because he had more people working for him and Michael was but a beautiful memory made for Hallmark greeting cards.

And amongst the inner turmoil that Riley was suffering from, he heard the subtle hint of Scottish in Stephen's voice, even as he offered to eat in the kitchen. Riley's cheeks flushed at the thought that he had gone out on a date with a Scottish man. Accents thrilled Riley immensely. He had always loved the different accents he had encountered, wishing he had one himself. The thought made Riley pause and tap his head with the heel of his palm repeatedly before getting out the tub of vanilla ice cream from the freezer.

"Um, I honestly don't mind. Er, let the vacuum do the job I paid it to do, yeah?" Riley called out, wondering how things were going to go now that Stephen had seen the picture. What he must be thinking right then. Once everything was set on their plates, he brought them out and set the plates on the coffee table in front of Stephen. "Excuse me for a minute." Riley went back to the kitchen and set the pie on the kitchen counter so it wouldn't be a hassle if Stephen decided to have another slice. If.

"So you were telling me about the Winter bash?" Riley kept the conversation light as he handed the plate with ice cream to Stephen while he took the other. No need to ask the other man a serious question; the very question that plagued his mind. Not tonight at least. Or rather not ever. Stephen had had a chance to bolt but he didn't so Riley was going to take that as a good sign. "I hear a couple of my friends are going." He cut a piece of the apple pie and chowed down.

[Stephen Gage]

Riley entered the room, and just a few moments before he did, Stephen managed to spy the older man's shadow. And thank Christ for that, because it gave the recruiter enough time to properly erase the nervousness from his face and replace it with a more suitable smile. He'd decided that Riley being an adulterer was unlikely enough not to be the case. After all, his invitation for pie really was about pie after all, not getting into Stephen's pants. At least, not yet. Because as Riley entered the living room, Stephen glanced to see actual pie in the man's hands. And now that the notion of being a homewrecker was out of the way, Stephen was left with the not-less-unsettling notion that he was moving in on a dead guy's territory.

Well shit.

Riley set the plates down on the coffee table before the couch, Stephen falling into place on the soft cushions. The couch was comfy, that much was sure. And the pie sure as hell smelled good. Stephen was going to cast an appreciative smile at the man, but looked up to see nothing except Riley's retreating back. Where the hell was he going? Stephen had flirting to do. He wouldn't know how awful it would be to trespass on Dead Guy's Man until Dead Guy's Man showed how receptive he would be to the idea. If Riley seemed all right with the idea, grand. Stephen could have a lovely night. If not, Stephen may well have to deal with ten minutes of making out and forty minutes of crying. Usually, that sort of thing stayed at Hammel and in Zac's house where the little arrogant kid could cry and complain to Stephen without the rest of the world noticing.

Life.

Riley returned, conversation on his lips. Good, Stephen needed a reason to pull his eyes up to the other man's face. Party? Right" The Hammel Winter Party, one of Stephen's favorite times of the year. He took his plate of pie into his hands, smiling excitedly as he remembered what they'd spoken about in the car. "Right! The Hammel party. They have it every year. Not sure where it's going to be this time round, but it's great fun."

Stephen repositioned himself on the couch, sitting with his side against the back so he could face Riley properly. He draped one elbow across the back of the couch, careful to keep his plate steady lest he spill his dessert all over the poor sofa. He managed to take his time with his pie, though he held back a chuckle at the sight of Riley going to town on his own. "Well you should come yourself. It's more fun going to the party than just hearing about it from your friends."

Stephen sloughed off a piece of his apple pie, the dessert wonderfully mushy as the ice cream soaked through the top of it. It tasted even better than it looked, no small feat in itself. Kudos to Riley. Against all appearances (as the man, frankly, hardly had the look of a homebody), the man could cook. The flavors left his mouth as he swallowed, and Stephen nodded appreciatively. "This is really good, actually. I'll have to come over more often if you've got more of these lying around." It didn't take very long until the solitary slice of pie was eaten altogether, and Stephen placed his plate down upon the coffee table, leaning against the back of the sofa as he reclaimed his spot. " All you have to do is bring a toy with you to donate this year, and it doesn't cost more than ten dollars or so. Yeah, you could come with me."

[Riley Adams]

Trying to push away any thoughts circling the possibility that Stephen was already fleeing from the apartment in his mind, Riley engaged in the conversation as much as possible. "I don't know, I haven't actually thought of going to be honest." Riley shrugged as he bit into a piece of pie. He didn't drink, he wasn't good at socialising that much so why go to a party where you're pretty much obligated to do both?

Stephen's compliment made Riley smile, a light blush coloring his cheeks. He never had to worry about the food he made but it was nice to be complimented every now and then. "Thank you, I..." he paused when Stephen mentioned coming over often. "Um," he suddenly lost his train of thought and considered not having heard it in the first place. But it was there and like an annoying parasite, it wasn't leaving.

Riley finished his pie a little after Stephen did and listened as the other man spoke about bringing a toy for donation. Well, yes, it was called a charity bash...Riley wouldn't mind going to that. He should. It wasn't like he had anything else to spend his money on. Rina would love to bring her boyfriend along to things like this. It could be tolerable...

"Yeah, you could come with me."

Riley looked at Stephen, pausing for awhile to wonder if the guy was kidding or not. He was glad his plate was already on the table. He would've dropped it right then. Was he asking him out or was it just a generic: "I'm going, you're going, might as well save fuel and go together, no?"

"Um, yeah...s-sure." He forced a smile. "Want another slice?" Before Stephen could answer, Riley stood up and took Stephen's and his plate to the kitchen counter to cut another slice. "So do you know what the dress code is for these things?" Riley called out.