Miranda woke to the sound of the truck’s engine dying. Briefly, she thought they’d broken down but when she opened her eyes, she found herself looking out at a large white sheet fastened to the side of a barn.

Huh?

Lifting her head from Declan’s shoulder, she blinked sleepily. “Where are we?”

“A friend’s.” He replied, forgetting everything but how beautiful she looked fresh from sleep.

“Who?”

“Doesn’t matter.” He reached out to gently untangle her mussed hair. “Date’s not over yet.”

Her azure eyes clouded in confusion and he smiled. “Just wait a second.” Sliding away from her, Declan opened the door and hopped out of the truck.

He was gone but a moment when the sheet was lit up by a strong light.

Looking over her shoulder, Miranda squinted against the light’s brightness, her eyes straining to see where Declan had gone. She couldn’t see him but it looked to her like the light was coming from a projector.

The color changed and she turned back to see an image being projected.

Returning to the truck, Declan leaned over to pull two cans of soda and a bag of popcorn from behind the seat. “All right, we’ve got everything. We’re ready.”

“For what?” Miranda questioned, her gaze alternating between the FBI warning displayed on the sheet to his smiling face. “What’s going on?”

“We are exploring another icon of teenage dating.” He explained with a grin. “The drive in movie.”

“This isn’t a drive in.” She pointed out, accepting a soda as he tugged her close.

“Sure it is.” Declan argued. “We drove in here didn’t we? Voila. Drive in.” He gestured at the sheet. “That’s a movie, we drove in here. So that makes it a drive in movie. No one ever said anyone else had to be here.”

She opened her mouth to point out the flaws in his arguement but found her comment fading as she rested her head against him, snuggling close. The scent of Declan permeated the air around her and his bodyheat radiated throughout her slim frame. She was never as relaxed, as comfortable, as at peace as she was when she was with him. It confounded her to no end. Declan was, by his very nature, completely infuriating and a headache waiting to happen. Yet he had the ability to calm her and relax her like no one else. The man was nothing if not a walking-talking contradiction in terms. “Ok.” She said finally, not knowing what else to say. “So what are we watching?”

“Bugs Bunny.”

The immediate reply was confirmed by the appearance of those infamous ears and, moments later, infamous face chowing down on a carrot, on the screen Miranda shook her head and laughed slightly. “You’re insane, Declan.”

“Oh I know.” He agreed willingly. “To paraphrase a movie, “I battled with reality all my life and I finally won out.”

She smothered a giggle at the comment, rubbing her cheek against the soft material of her shirt. “Must have been an impressive battle.”

“Oh it was.” Declan’s head bobbed. “Very long, very bloody, imaginary blood but that’s beside the point,” He caught the look in her eye and grinned. “What were you expecting?”

“With you?” Miranda replied dryly. “One never knows.”

“And you love it.” He responded unrepentantly.

“I do.” She agreed with a nod. “It keeps things interesting.”

“May you live in interesting times...”

“But not *too* interesting.”

“Ok, not *too* interesting.” Declan acquiesed then grinned at her. “Let me know if you start to get bored.”

She pinched him lightly, peering up at him through the duskiness, her eyes glinting with merriment. “That will never happen. You and boredom don’t belong in the same language much less the same sentence.”

Shifting his position, he smiled, placing a fingertip beneath her chin and lifting enough that he could kiss her slowly. When they parted, he brushed his nose against hers and smiled. “I’m that interesting, huh?”

”You are.” She nodded. “A fascinating puzzle that may take years to unravel.”

“Just years?” He gave her an expression of mock-offense. “I”m that easy to understand?”

Miranda’s lips hinted at a smile and she inclined her head, pretending to consider the problem. “All right, decades then.”

“I would have preferred centuries,” He responded with an aggrieved sigh. “But I guess decades will have to do.”

“They will.” She affirmed. “Unless you’re Immortal and hiding it from me.” This was said with a playfully suspicious look. “And if you are...then we need to talk.”

He laughed softly, kissing her again. “No, no secret immortality. Sorry.”

Miranda favored him with an expression that seemed remotely similar to a pout. “Ah.”

“Already planning the experiments were you?” Declan teased, his gaze moving to watch Bugs Bunny outwit Elmer Fudd yet again, chuckling softly at the antics of the cartoons.

“Maybe.” She hedged, resting her head against him once more. “It would make a fascinating study.”

-----

“Hey...” Declan’s gentle touch on her cheek brought a groggy Miranda back to the waking world and she sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Movie that boring huh?”

His tease brought a sleepy smile from her. “No, you’re that comfortable.”

“Ahhh...’ He nodded. “I’ll be your mattress anytime.”

His unwitting comment made Miranda lower her hands and direct a pointed, amused, look at him and instantly Declan blushed. “I didn’t mean...”

“Of course you didn’t.” She agreed with a patronizing nod.

“I didn’t!” He protested, his blush deepening in the darkness.

“Mmmhmmm....” Her sleep–tousled hair in another nod and she stretched lightly within the confines of the truck. “This was nice, Declan.” She revealed, favoring him with a soft smile. “I liked it.”

“Good.” He smiled widely, leaning forward to slid a hand into her hair and draw her close for a kiss. “You needed it.”

“I did.” She agreed. “Thank you...I mean that, Declan. Thank you for everything. You always come up with something like this when I need it, and you always seem to know when I need it.”

“I bugged your brain.” Declan joked lightly.

“Or something.” She countered dryly.

“Or something.” He repeated, running a fingertip along her cheek, guiding her dark hair away from her face. “Like constant and intensive study of every little thing you do, say, express...” His smile softened. “I think I’ve gotten pretty good at reading you.”

Moving closer again, Miranda hugged him. “You are.” She affirmed softly. “You are.”

----

“Home sweet home.” Declan pronounced, pulling up in front of Miranda’s building. Before she could speak, he got out of the truck and hurried around to her door, opening it for her. “May I walk you to your door?” Bowing extravagantly, he grinned at her and held out a hand.

She accepted it and allowed him to help her out of the truck. “You may.” She replied, adopting his playfully formal tone.

Offering her his arm, he waited for her to slip hers into the crook of his elbow before leading her up to the front door. He took her hands in his then, looking about quickly. “Doesn’t look like anybody’s watching.”

Miranda smiled and shook her head. “Maniac.”

“Your maniac.” He promised, dropping his head to hers.

Accepting his kiss, she chose not to reply, but met his gaze with loving eyes.

“So...” Declan adopted the ‘nervous date’ persona. “Can I...uh...can I call you? Sometime? Maybe?”

She feigned consideration then smiled. “No.”

“No?”

“No.” She repeated, entwining her fingers with his. “You can make breakfast instead.”

“Breakfast?” He echoed.

Miranda unlocked the front door then looked over her shoulder at him, teasing. “You do know how to cook?”

“Cook?”

Turning, she drew his face down to hers, kissing him deeply. “Yes, cook.”

“I’ll learn.” Declan promised softly. “Anything you want to teach me.”

She smiled. “I love you.”

He kissed her again, whispering the same when they parted and letting her draw him inside. “Miranda?”

“Yes, Declan?”

“How about a picnic this weekend?”

“A picnic?”

“Yeah, food, blanket, small chirping animals, ants raiding the basket. A picnic.”

“Declan, I have a paper to finish!”

“You need to relax!”

“Paper!”

“Relax!”

“Ok....But then I finish my paper.”

“Ok, then you finish your paper.”

“Thank you...maniac.”

“Your maniac.”

“My maniac.”

Finis

 

Not mine. Not even close.

 

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