[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]teeth flash at the comment, amusement etching into her skin.

the candles help, really. he helps, too, but she doesn't bring that to light.

"masking the smell helps, too," she lets out a soft laugh.

the final paragraph is almost finished but she lingers on it for a moment. eventually, the pen drops and she glances up at him.

"what kind of food do you want?"

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]"absolutely," she tries to hide the snicker. it escapes anyway as her pen resumes scribbling.

"why?" her eyes dart for a moment, finding him and then retreating.

slowly, her handwriting begins filling the page until the report is almost finished.

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]there's something special about the offer. she realizes as much as soon as he supplies an answer. and yet, she doesn't fully believe it. not yet.

by the end of the night, maybe she will.

"are you trying to wine and dine me?" it's teasing, sure, but her features keep it cool with indifference. poor girl barely knows how to smile, let alone deliver a good joke.

her attention shifts to the candle. her hand pauses, pen dropping a moment later. she reaches, then, for the candle he brought. uncap and sniff is the name of the game now.

it reminds her of fall, of fallen leaves and crisp air, of pumpkin spiced drinks and pies. she loves it, really.

"it's perfect," she finally murmurs. the candle is capped and returned to her desk, a small smile now settling when she looks back to him. "thank you. you didn't actually have to get me another, you know."

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]her lips quirk into a smile. ”really?” she snags a pen and begins to write as she speaks. a careful ploy to not make eye contact, to not reveal the soft pink flushing of her cheeks.

”do you take every doctor out for food?” or just her?

her question is answered slightly with the procuring of a new candle. the glass around it alone hints at the spicy notes it holds. he remembered. her cheeks color a little further at the thought.

”you got me another candle?” obviously, drea… he doesn’t just carry candles around.

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]food… the thought makes her stomach growl. how long ago was lunch? about six hours but who’s counting?

”why not go get food?” she watches him draw a chair next to her and settle down in it. the close proximity feels normal, as if she’s comfortable in his presence. odd, really.

her eye darts to the candle for a moment. the flame flickers lazily.

”good,” she flashes a small smile. ”i’ll need a new one soon.”

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]she washes her hands after he does. soap lathers into a frothy coating and then washes down the drain in a two minute scrub.

he has his coat and yet, he lingers.

"if you don't have anywhere else to be," she murmurs. sometimes company isn't so bad. his might just be at the top of the list. she shifts to her desk after snagging the clipboard from the head of the autopsy table. the remainder of his candle is still sitting on one corner of the wooden furniture. she lights it with the soft flick of a lighter.

"are you not itching to get home?"

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]"i look forward to it, then."

time passes quickly after. normally, she works at a delicate pace that some would call painfully slow. with his assistance, it's easier to get more done in little time.

maybe she really does need another set of hands. man, she hates when people are right.

all that's left now is the report. each organ has been weighed, written down, and properly put away. she's already sewn the scalp back together as well. beautiful little stitches that disappeared beneath messy curls. a shame, really. her stitch technique rivals a surgeon's.

and once her gloves are stripped and disposed of, she turns to him with an almost smile. it's grateful all the same.

"last part is the report," she murmurs. he doesn't need to stay for that, really, but his company is nice enough that she wouldn't exactly mind if he did.

Rory Faust

[attr="class","drea"]

[attr="class","drea b"]

[attr="class","drea i”]another chuckle, softer this time.

”only for you,” is offered with a light teasing tone. she falls silent for a moment, then, as her hands begin to pull skin away to reveal red tinged bone.

her eyes drift up to catch his smile, one she finds herself almost enjoying.

”just let me know when you need me to play bad cop for the interviews,” and with that, she’s shifting gears to shield her eye with protective safety glasses before grabbing the bonesaw.

Rory Faust