For Wilke: New York Christmas date

[happy_dsign]

Daphne wasn't going to waste the chance to have an awesome 'Christmas in New York City' type date with no expense spared, even if any shopping would probably not survive the change back to the island. She was okay with that, it would still be fun shopping without a budget.

She also wasn't going to sit around and wait for Wilke to come up with the idea. She had a feeling the island wouldn't stay like this long enough for that to bear fruit, after all. Which is why she bundled up in a cute mint green and cream striped sweater, jeans, and a warm coat, and marched up to Wilke's apartment, knocking firmly.

"Get your coat, you're taking me on a date," she announced as soon as he opened the door.

Comments

[happy_dsign]

"But now you have it, so it doesn't matter," Daphne replied with a smirk, rising on tiptoe to press a quick kiss hello to his lips. "Come on, let's go catch a ghost cab."

[more_than_that]

Wilke gave an exaggerated shiver. "Yeah, okay, but those things are creepy as hell. It was bad in the Tombstone thing when they were all dressed like it was the 1800s or something. Here? When they look almost normal but not quite? And don't answer? I'm going to have nightmares." He finished with a wink, though, to make it look like he wasn't serious.

[happy_dsign]

"I know, but it's better than walking, in this weather," Daphne pointed out sensibly, slipping her hand into his and smiling up at him.

[more_than_that]

"Not going to argue that one. You'd think after a few Kansas winters, we'd be used to this kind of cold by now. But I guess 24/7 in the tropics thins your blood our fast, doesn't it?'

He gave her hand a squeeze then leaned in to peck her cheek before hailing a cab. "So, where am I taking you?"

[happy_dsign]

"Yeah, tropical living doesn't prepare you for for subzero temperatures," Daphne agreed, waiting until they'd both slid into the backseat of the cab so she could answer his question and give the ghostly driver directions at the same time. "Sak's Fifth Avenue, to start." She looked at Wilke and grinned. "We're going to do the New York at Christmas things I've seen in the movies."

[more_than_that]

"Good," he smiled, all innocence, "because that's exactly what I'd have planned. Can't get enough shopping," he added, and clearly expected her to start hitting him any second.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne just laughed though, in too good of a mood to even playfully smack him. She leaned in and kissed him softly before promising, "I'll keep the shopping brief. I don't want to bore you with trying on clothes for three hours." But maybe a few dresses that she would never have dared to wear back home, even if she'd been able to afford them, were in order.

[more_than_that]

"The boredom level would depend on the clothes," Wilke smiled back. "If we're talking shoes, I'll be asleep in ten minutes. If you were trying on naughty little bits of black or red lace? I could probably stomach a few hours of that." Still teasing, he ducked in when he finished talking and kissed her again, her clear happiness bubbling over onto him.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne blushed faintly at the thought of modeling lingerie for him, but grinned gamely as the kiss ended. "No shoes, then, I promise. How about dresses? Can you handle more than ten minutes of that?"

[more_than_that]

Wilke brushed the backs of his fingers against the pink in her cheeks and he wondered if she knew he'd probably crawl over broken glass if she asked him to. "I could probably take an hour or two of dress shopping without danger of slipping into a coma," he said, smirk turning one corner of his mouth.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne beamed at him and then snuggled against them as the cab rolled toward their destination, head tilted toward him so she could watch his face. "We can shop for you, too. It's not all about me," she promised, filled with a happiness she couldn't even describe. This was all just so...perfect, and she was glad she was sharing it with this particular boy. They'd had their rocky patches, but over the months he'd come to mean a lot to her, even if she didn't know how to get that across to him all the time.

[more_than_that]

Wilke knew he'd be breaking every guy code in existence if he told her that it didn't matter what they did if one of the perks was a beautiful girl snuggled up against him. So rather than spill that little nugget, he turned and kissed the top of her head, then laughed and shot her a smile. "Do I lose points if say I'd rather get staked to an anthill naked than shop for clothes for me?"

[happy_dsign]

"So you won't let me dress you up like a life-sized Ken doll?" Daphne asked with a giggle. "Shame."

[more_than_that]

"You can dress me in anything you want," Wilke said, then twisted his mouth, remembering what he'd seen in one shop window while looking for his jacket, "within reason. I just don't want to spend an hour trying on fifteen pairs of pants."

[happy_dsign]

"I'm not that into shopping," Daphne promised. It was more the novelty of being able to pick out anything and take it, with money no object, than the actual shopping that made her want to do this. She could try on dresses that cost thousands of dollars and keep them. (At least until New York disappeared, probably.)

[more_than_that]

"I could be wrong, but I think we've arrived at the shopping portion of the evening." Wilke looked up when the cab slowed, then turned back to her. "Just out of curiosity, do I get to know where I'm planning on taking you next, or is it a surprise?"

[happy_dsign]

"We just got here and you're already trying to move onto the next part?" Daphne teased, then climbed out of the cab, looking up at Sak's Fifth Avenue with an excited glimmer in her eyes. "Ice skating at Rockefeller next."

[more_than_that]

"Not trying anything like that," Wilke said, hand to his chest again like she'd wounded him with her words. "I was just curious to see how awesome I am at date planning."

[happy_dsign]

"Very awesome," Daphne assured him solemnly, then took his hand and headed for the store windows, wanting to look at the famed Christmas displays before they went inside.

[more_than_that]

Wilke kept his hand in hers while they looked at the displays. Well, she looked and he glanced. Mostly, though, he was keeping an eye on the crowds around them and his arms around her protectively. Granted, the weird ghost-things around them probably couldn't mug them or anything, but he wasn't taking that chance, either.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne didn't need the protection, but she smiled and leaned into him anyway, liking that he wanted to keep her safe. The displays were as amazing as they'd always seemed in movies, and Daphne spent several minutes inspecting them all, trying to take in every detail. Finally, though, she turned and kissed his jaw, then smiled brightly up at him. "Dresses now?"

[more_than_that]

Wilke laughed and stepped around, signing as he spoke. "Yes, dresses now." He held the door for her before following her through it, shedding his coat and gloves once they were inside the warm store. "Lead on," he added once they'd cleared the makeup counters with the freaky almost-people trying to get them with cologne and perfume.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne tugged her coat off once they were inside as well, grinning at him as she headed, not for the misses section, but to evening wear. If she was going to try on dresses she'd never been able to afford before now, they were going to be glamorous and sexy and...and hopefully Wilke would find her modeling them less than boring.

[more_than_that]

Boring was pretty much the last word he would have used. Torture might work, though a lot of that was his own fault for wearing jeans today. Okay, he hadn't known when he'd gotten dressed this morning that he'd be treated to the sight of her parading past him in one sexy dress after another. God, the dresses. It didn't matter that all the important parts were covered, they offered the promise that one turn, one slip...fuck. He ran a hand over his face, adjusted in his seat again, and wished to hell he hadn't made such a big deal about trying on clothes himself, because he'd give just about anything for a pair of Dockers right now.

[happy_dsign]

Daphne felt like one part runway model and one part little girl playing dress-up in her mother's clothing. The dresses were completely gorgeous, but she felt weird in them at the same time, like she wasn't supposed to be wearing them.

Still, there was New Year's Eve to think of, and so she was seriously considering each one. "What do you think?" she asked as she ducked out of the dressing room in yet another dress. "Too much?" She plucked self-consciously at the ruffle going across the front.