13718/A Dinner Surprise

A Dinner Surprise
Date of Scene:	12 August 2021
Location:	Apartment 214, Hugo Building
Synopsis:	Pietro picks up dinner and pastries to take to Willow's apartment. The pair of them have dinner and conversation about a few things happens.
Cast of Characters:	Quicksilver, Willow Rosenberg

---

Quicksilver has posed:
Given that it's New York City, and given Pietro's speed, there are any number of options when it comes to picking up some kind of food. He had considered a variety of different things, and within a short period of time. He stopped at the pastry shop that he knows she likes -- which he also likes -- and bought a half dozen of their treats. After leaving the pastry shop, he sent Willow a message: 'I was thinking of stopping by with dinner. Would you like some company?'

He's done a little bit more than thinking about it, mind you. He's already on his way to a little hole in the wall Chinese restaurant. They never look like much, they're not fancy or well decorated, and they always look as though the decor came out of a garage sale or thrift shop. But the food? The food from them is always the best Chinese food. He slips his phone away into a pocket after sending the message, and he steps through the door. There isn't anyone in line, and so he steps forward to place an order for the food.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow was *finally* taking a few minutes off. Out of her drawer in the fridge she snuck her last chocolate bar. She deserves it!

Right then she got a text: what would she like for dinner? D'uh, Chinese food, of course.

Wills:<<And get extra spring rolls, please! If it helps, tell them it's for me.>>

It never hurts? But she eats the chocolate bar regardless!

Quicksilver has posed:
While the food was being prepared, Pietro stepped out of the Chinese food restaurant to the corner store just down the way. He picked up half a dozen chocolate bars, getting a variety since he wasn't sure which ones were Willow's favourite. With those tucked into the bag with the box of pastries, he returned to the Chinese restaurant. Then he checked his phone for her message and couldn't help but to chuckle at it. 'There will be plenty of spring rolls, I promise.' He'd ordered a dozen of them so that she'd have some leftovers to enjoy, too.

He waited as patiently as he could for the Chinese food to be ready, pacing back and forth a bit. Once it was ready, he steps forward to pay for it and pick up the bag of it. Then he headed out of the Chinese restaurant, and with his burdens, he headed for Willow's apartment. The doorman let him in, recognizing him by this point. Pietro made his way to her apartment door, and then he knocked with his hand that holds the bag with the pastries and chocolate bars.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Eek!

Despite hurrying, she hadn't *quite* finished her chocolate bar when he knocked! "Mff.. Just let yourself in.. Wait a minute. Are you Pietro?" The last bite is swallowed, and she came to the door, and peeked in the peephole."You're not Dracula, are you?"

With Willow this was a real concern.

Quicksilver has posed:
Speed is something that Pietro often makes use of. He has it, so he might as well use it. Let himself in? One of his eyebrows quirks up at that, and a lock of white hair falls forward into his face. Then he blinks at the question. "Am I myself? Well, last time I checked, I am," Pietro answers, sounding a touch puzzled. "If you were to ask, I might bite, but... nu, Willow, I am not the fanged one," he says, his brow furrowing.

He doesn't speak Dracula's name, perhaps for reasons of his own. "This may warrant some explaining, da?" he suggests, still on the outside of the apartment door.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Well, you can never be too careful!" Especially if she gave the blanket 'come on in!' without checking first. The door was opened, as she stepped away from it. "But, in the future, if you are expected, you, Pietro, have my blessing to come on in."

By the time he quickly (for her, at least) came in, she could smell the delights of her favourite restaurant. "Oh my gosh! Wait! You brought extras? Didn't you! Plates? Or eat out of the to-go containers?"

Of course *now* Willow was curious about Dracula and what Pietro's story is.

Quicksilver has posed:
"I suppose that is a true thing, that one can never be too careful," Pietro agrees, giving a small nod. Once the door is opened, he gives a small nod to her that's paired to a bit of a curious look, and then he easily steps inside the apartment. He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head slightly to one side as she grants her blessing to him, and he gives a nod to her. "Thank you, Willow. I will bear that in mind for when both hands aren't full," he comments, quirking a smile.

"Yes, I brought extras. How could I not? Extra spring rolls with the Chinese food, pastries and a few chocolate bars for you," he says, a smile easily returning to his lips. "We can eat out of the containers, I do not mind to share with you," he comments. He steps over to the counter, placing the bag of Chinese food there and then the bag with the box of pastries there.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Oh but she's curious about the chocolate bars now! "What made you think of them? And thank you!" Willow places a kiss upon his cheek. "Let's go into the living room?"

"I know, that sounded so formal, but you have to know the wards are very particular.. wait did I tell you about the wards?" Good grief, she may not have.

Quicksilver has posed:
"The chocolate bars? They were a whim while I was waiting for the Chinese food to be ready," Pietro comments. He gives her a kiss on the cheek, then a light kiss on the lips before he gives a small nod to her. "The living room is good," he agrees. "There are chopsticks in the bag with the food. Did you want to eat in the living room as well? I will bring the food, if yes," he offers.

He blinks at her, raising an eyebrow slightly. "The wards? I do not recall you having mentioned them before. I would presume that they are for protection of the apartment and yourself and your roommates," he comments, a touch of curiosity to his voice. "Why did you think that I was the fanged one?" he asks.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Oh, she likes the kisses on the lips. She must remember they past to stage of 'nice and polite kisses between friends' to the next stage!

Willow picked up the bag of food. "Come in! There nicer one in the drawer if you want?"

When she places the bag, she begins to empty it on the coffee table. "The wards are on all the exits, including the windows, and the balcony. And a few ones besides. "Mostly to keep everything that we don't in here, out. But occasionally some are welcomed."

Like Thomas.

"Very few. It's better to welcome with a proper name, but I didn't have to with you. Just Pietro will keep you safe when you are here." But *what* does she say with regards to 'the fanged one'? "That's not his name. Nor is Dracula."

A pause.

"I have met him." Hopefully he doesn't react to that as Spike did.

Quicksilver has posed:
When she picked up the bag of food to carry it to the living, he watched her for a moment. Lifting his left hand, he lightly pulls his fingers through his white hair, tussling it a bit. "I will get them,"he offers, giving a small nod. He steps over to the drawer in order to retrieve two pair of the chopsticks, which he carries to the living room. "What would you like to drink?" he asks, a bit curious.

With her speaking about the wards, he looks towards the windows not far away, considering them for a moment before he looks over to her again. "So they keep the things that go bump in the night on the outside," he muses, his tone thoughtful. "Except for the select few that are allowed or that have permission."

He sets the chopsticks onto the coffee table, listening as she speaks. "Was a proper name not needed for me because I am not of their ilk?" he asks, a smile quirking his lips. He's not a vampire, not a creature of the night. He raises an eyebrow slightly and then gives a nod, to agree with her. "It is not his name, not his given one," he says. "It is said, by some, that to speak his name is to bring his attention upon one's self. You have met him? He is in these parts?" Pietro asks, curious and perhaps a touch apprehensive.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Uh, I think Tali put some tea in to be cold?" Willow shrugs. "Anything is ok." All the boxes and packages were on the table. "Precisely. Our home should be peaceful, I mean, I can't get rid of everything everywhere, but I can do a bang up job on my apartment."

Then she blushes.

"If you want to know, I included you the last time I brushed up the wards. I looked up your birth name." She bites at her lower lip. "You had a tough time during the past." Not you were bad, or, how come you had done those things, or similar things. Just 'you had a tough time'.

Strangely enough, Willow does not treat him any differently.

"Oh? ..yes.. he is around these parts. ..Why?" If the name Dracula get his attention, imagine what his coin must do!

Quicksilver has posed:
"Tea for both of us, then," Pietro says, giving a small nod to her. He heads to the kitchen and gets down a pair of glasses, then retrieves the pitcher of tea from the fridge. He pours the glasses full, then returns the pitcher to the fridge and picks up the pair of glasses before returning to the living room. The glasses are set on the coffee table, and he takes a moment to survey the food. "A peaceful home is a good thing to have, as is a safe home," he says, a smile quirking his lips. "Everywhere is pretty big to be able to get rid of all of the evil," he adds.

Then one of his eyebrows quirks up when she mentions that she looked up his name. And he blinks, surprised a bit by what she says. "You... looked up my name, to add me to the wards here?" he asks softly, a bit hesitantly. His accent is a bit more present, with that. He lifts a hand to pull his fingers through his white hair, tussling it a bit and then rubbing the back of his neck. "That would be one way of putting it," he comments, then gives a small shake of his head. "The past... it had challenges. We did not always make the best choices, then. We try for better, now," he adds, a bit of colour coming to his cheeks. He's hinted around the fact that he's not always been a good person before.

"Transia shares a border with Romania. Centuries ago, Romania use to be Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia. They say that Transylvania is his," he comments. "I had heard it said that he could not be away from his home. There are many superstitions about him," he adds, giving a small shake of his head. "It is unlikely that all of them are true. He did not bite you, did he?"

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Thank-you," Willow takes her glass with a smile. "I don't know you would begin to get all of the evils out. I've been thinking alot about this. If all the evil was gone, how would we know what is good? After all, to be good you need to be compared to evil, don't you? And furthermore, at what point will we decide that this is even *more* good than that, cultivating a new form of good versus evil?"

Never you mind what would people like Buffy have to do then?

She ducks her head. "I thought, maybe, you'd want to visit more often, and you'd need the protection. I can remove it if you want?" She makes a lopsided grin. "I've never had a boyfriend since I moved away. Maybe I flubbed up?"

Spring rolls were up first. "I read a bit about you, and Wanda. Not to be nosy, but it must have been different than my life. Besides, you made the choices that you had to given your circumstances. Better, even. You are certainly better than I am given the comparable life. Compared to you I never had to choose between right and wrong."

She listens to the history of Dracula. "No.." Though that did come up.. "We were feeling each other out."

Quicksilver has posed:
There's a nod to her, and a smile. "You are welcome, Willow," Pietro says. He reaches for his glass of tea, picking it up and taking a drink before setting it aside. Then he frowns briefly before lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. "I am not sure how someone would go about eliminating or even trying to eliminate all of the evils of the world. There are many. And even more that are perceived evils," he comments. He's quiet a moment, considering a few things, and then he gives a small shake of his head. "I'm not sure about that. I mean, there are things that are intrinsically good. Like helping people across the street or giving food or things to homeless people or things like that," he muses.

"There always seems to be evil in the world. Which seems to beget more evil," Pietro says. He raises an eyebrow slightly as he looks to her, studying her for a moment before he gives a shake of his head. "You did not flub anything up, Willow. Not at all. You didn't know what you would find by looking up my name. I do intend to visit more often, but because of you. Leave it, please. I like that it is there, and... a time may come when I will need the protection that the wards can provide," he says, a smile tugging at his lips.

He reaches for a pair of the chopsticks, shifting them to take hold of them properly before snagging a spring roll from the box. "It was what it was. Different than most," he comments, a lock of his white hair falling forward and partially into his face. "We were orphaned at a young age, then raised by gypsies. Until our abilities started to show, then we were on our own. We had only each other," he says, his brow furrowing a bit. "We made wrong choices, when we were younger. We try to make up for it by making the right ones now," he says, looking to her.

He blinks and raises an eyebrow slightly. "Feeling each other out? How do you mean?" he asks, curious.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"I.." Willow puts her chopsticks down. "Long ago, I dated a demon. And a werewolf. I had faith in them. You should meet Oz - the werewolf. He's cool. It took him awhile to get in tune with himself."

She doesn't mention the demon other than 'I dated..'.

"I've helped to redeem a couple people who we should have, by right, slayed. But something told us to take a chance on them. I have very little to go on, but from what I can see, you are worth it."

Chopsticks back in her hands, she began to eat. "Now, see, who deserves a meal more? Eventually people decide who gets, and who doesn't. Already there are soup kitchens who don't believe in serving crack heads, or mutants. All that's a 'good' things people help out with, using their own judgment."

She finishes one on the spring rolls before answering about Dracula. "I met him in the park. He was curious. Frankly he didn't think I could do anything to him, so.. he thought why not? Anyway, he was exactly like everyone else was, he didn't bother with me because he didn't want Buffy breathing down his neck."

Quicksilver has posed:
"I imagine that demons and werewolves are not so far removed from being like people. Some are good, and some are bad," Pietro muses, his tone thoughtful. He doesn't ask about the demon, or the werewolf, but seems willing to accept what she shares with him. "I imagine becoming a werewolf would take a bit of getting used to, in terms of internal balance," he says, considering it a moment.

He softly clears his throat, his cheeks turning a bit red even as he gives a shake of his head. "I have not balanced out the scales just yet, to become redeemed," he says, a bit stubbornly perhaps. Will he ever feel that he's done enough to outweigh the bad? It's hard to say, really. "I will try to be," he adds, giving a small nod to her and glancing to her before he takes a bite of the spring roll. Distracting himself with food.

"All who are hungry deserve to have a meal, whether they are mutant or human or animal or other," Pietro says, raising an eyebrow and looking to her. "There should be no judgement. It should be: here's a meal, take a seat and enjoy it. That's it," he comments. And here, too, his accent makes a bit more of a showing. This is something he believes in.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Perhaps he did not want you breathing down his neck, hmm? He is old, Willow. He was born in the fifteenth century," Pietro says softly, then gives a small shake of his head. "I would not presume to guess what the fanged one might have thought. What if he is simply saving you for another time? What if something else caused him to turn his attention elsewhere?" he muses, then lifts one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Most of the demons are bad. Moloch was bad." Still she loved him, even if it was false love brought on by a demon's power. "Oz had a terrible time adjusting. I think he thought that maybe I dumped him *because* he was a werewolf. I don't know. Either way he dropped off the face of the earth and then reappeared. His music is way cool though. He's my friend regardless."

Willow took the container of rice.

"I have all the faith in you." She smiles. "I don't like you because you can tick all the boxes of a good person. You *are* a good person inside regardless of who you behave like. Mostly I like you because you don't make me feel small."

But Dracula..

"He said he didn't want to be bothered with Buffy being on his trail. Nobody really thinks I am a threat." According to Willow that is.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Well... it is not entirely unexpected that demons would be bad," Pietro muses, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "Historically, they serve a darker sort of power than other creatures, I think," he adds, giving a small nod. He took a moment then to finish the spring roll that he'd been eating, considering what she says about her friend. "I can only imagine how difficult that sort of change would be. How much it could, even if only to that person's perspective, stress a relationship or friendship. I am glad that you're still his friend," he says with a smile.

He reached out and picked up the container of cashew chicken, opening it. He used his chopsticks to pluck out a slice of chicken, then raised an eyebrow as he watched her for what feels to him like a longer moment than it actually is. "I have done terrible things that have ended up killing innocent people, and for a cause that was not good. I try to be better than what I was," he says, his brow wrinkling. Then he tilts his head to one side, and he quirks a smile before stabbing his chopsticks into the container and reaching out to lightly brush a bit of hair from her face, if she'll allow him. "That is because you are not small, Willow. You are a witch and you have power, you are smart and capable, and beyond that, you are a beautiful woman," he says, giving a small nod to her. "Among other things, at least," he adds.

"Well... if I count, I think you are a threat," he comments, glancing towards her before eating another bite of the food. "Perhaps he is one who would not admit if he felt threatened by someone. It is hard to guess at what his motives might be."

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Yeah.."Willow scrunches up her forehead. "But he named Buffy specifically. I don't get it. If I am so powerful, how come the magic seems to hit a wall and goes poofta. And when he talked with me he had this look upon his face like you talk to a child. In fact the only thing missing was the pat on the head."

"Is that to your liking?" Willow motioned to his cashew chicken. "They do tofu well." And she reaches for it. The tofu, that is.

She shakes her head negatively. "See? That's where you are wrong. If you weren't it wouldn't bother you, all those things." When he touches her hair she leans into the touch. "Can I ask you? Did you do those things because you were angry? It made you feel powerful?"

She got the impression he and Wanda had to decide to join and live, or to be alone, possibly get killed. And the longer he went with them, to assuage the guilt, he had to buy into it.

"The real story is how you got out of it."

Quicksilver has posed:
"I do not know, Willow. There is likely a great deal of information about the fanged one that I am unaware of," Pietro says, his brow wrinkling briefly. "Perhaps he is more than what he seems, more than just a vampire," he adds, lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. He doesn't know, but since his curiosity has been stirred up, he might well take the time to look up that particular nocturnal creature. "Well, comparatively, given his age... we are all like children to him. We have seen so few years and he has seen many," he suggests.

He glances down to the food he's eating, then over to her before he gives a nod, a smile turning the corners of his lips. "It's good, I like it," he says. He's quiet a moment while he eats another bite of it, and then he gives a nod. "Their tofu is good. They offer it for many of their dishes, to substitute instead of meat," he agrees. He's not very fussy where food is concerned, though that's likely on account of going hungry more than once.

He blinks at her at the question she asks, one of his eyebrows raising. Then he gives a nod. "Part of it was anger, yes. We had been shunned by the gypsies, turned out by them for being mutants and put on our own. They feared the consequences of having us among them," Pietro says, frowning a bit. Then he gives a small shake of his head. "Rejected and angry," he adds, looking down at his food as he stirs it up a bit with his chopsticks. "It did do that, yes," he adds, a bit quieter yet.

"We started to see some of the suffering that we caused. The human cost. And we started to question his methods. Our loyalty to him fractured. Together, Wanda and I freed ourselves of his influence. To make our own choices. To try, instead, to make the world a better place. Regular people might not always treat us well, but... they do not deserve to be destroyed," he says, speaking honestly.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"They do! Almost every dish has a vegan substitute. Well an omnivore substitute. Most of their dishes don't include meat. Honest to Yahweh." Willow laughs at her 'joke' as she crosses her right fingers over her left breast.

She realizes that she has had a pretty comfortable childhood, even though her parents were poor.

"I didn't really know that about you when we first met. I'm so glad that you turned out to be like the man you are. Bad past included." She leans up and over the coffee table and kissed him. "Don't change."

As she listens about Dracula, she frowns in thought."Come to think of it, he really is old. Like older than my grandparents are. Eww." Perhaps she just threw away the nascent crush she was developing.

Quicksilver has posed:
There's a grin that tugs at the corners of his lips, and he very lightly nudges his shoulder against her own before giving a nod. "I noticed, when I was looking at the menu. The food there is always good. They even do battered and deep fried tofu with the red sweet and sour sauce," he comments. It's one of the things that he bought, amongst the other dishes he'd ordered. He didn't pick very many with meat -- the cashew chicken, and beef with broccoli.

His childhood wasn't particularly enviable. One of the few good things is that he didn't go through it alone -- he had Wanda, and they went through it together. They helped each other, and they've always been loyal to one another. They've always had each other.

He gives a bit of a wry chuckle. "I don't really talk about it very much... the past. Some," he begins, lifting a hand to gesture as though meaning outside and the general public, "hold it against me, still." It happens less frequently than it used to, but not everyone has gotten over the things that he once had a hand in. There's a bit of colour that creeps into his cheeks, and he kisses her back. "No guarantees, but.. I will try to only change in the good ways. I am glad, too, for you being the way that you are," he says softly, a warm tone to his voice.

He can't help but to chuckle, his blue eyes showing a sparkle of amusement to them. "Quite a bit older than your grandparents. I would guess that the fanged one is somewhere around six hundred years old, if I remember the year right enough," he comments, quirking a smile. He's quite a moment, then tilts his head a touch to one side. "How old does he look?" he asks, curious.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"It's sorta like me.." Well it's 'different' - she couldn't compare with his childhood. "Like, part of me, the biggest part of me, I can't make mention of. Witchcraft. Magic. Whatever you want to call it."

"At one point, my mother tried to burn me at the stake for being a witch. I had to erase her memory." It didn't do well for her inferiority complex at all.

Willow thinks. "Late 30's. Young enough I would go out with him?"

Quicksilver has posed:
"Sort of, and different as well. It is a part of you, your magic. Your witchcraft... and yet you cannot be who you truly are when you are with your family," Pietro says, giving a nod to her. "As much as being fast is a part of me. Inseparable, one from the other," he muses, considering it for a moment. "I don't remember my mother. My real father shows up now and again to try to kill either of us," he comments, lifting one of his hands to make a slight gesture. It is what it is. He can't change his father, he just does his best to not let him be successful in his efforts.

"Sadly, we do not get the luxury of choosing our own family, but... we can choose our friends, and we can choose those we love and spend time with. Girlfriends, boyfriends," he says, a smile tugging his lips. He lifts a hand, pulling his fingers through his white hair and accidentally causing a lock to fall forward into his face.

"Could you imagine if he were to look his age?" Pietro suggests, amusement in his voice and a sparkle showing in his eyes. "By that definition, that makes me young enough that you would go out with," he comments. He's less than late 30's, at least. "Though I think we might likely be already considered going out with each other," he adds, watching her briefly for her reaction before having another bite of food.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Who is your father? It wasn't in the bit I saw." In other words, Willow was nosy, but not *that* nosy.

She reaches up and tucks his hair back.

"Can you imagine it changing your appearance.. come to think of it, I can use a potion to change my appearance. That isn't quite the same." But she nods. And then he sidles around "the TOPIC": Are they or aren't they going out. "To tell the truth, I've been calling you my boyfriend all week. Was I in error?"

Willow blushes furiously.

Quicksilver has posed:
As she reaches up to touch his hair, his gaze lifts to follow at least part of the movement of her hand. Then he looks to her, quiet a moment after the question she's asked. "I think it's not in a lot of bits. You would most likely know his reputation by the name of Magneto," Pietro says.

"I can see it having a certain appeal, for some situations," Pietro comments, considering the notion. "And using a potion isn't quite the same, but it's not that far off... it still has the same net outcome of looking different," he says, raising an eyebrow as he watches her. He carefully sets his food aside, moves the coffee table a bit, then moves to be in front of her before leaning down to kiss her softly on the lips, if she lets him. "Mm... not in error, Willow. Not in the slightest," he says quite softly, a smile tugging his lips.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow stopped her hand for just a moment. "Mag.. neto..?"

*bliiiiiink*

"Like Magneto Magneto? He's your father? What is he like?" Other than the rumour and gossip mills. Willow knew better than to assume that those were truthful. Mind you, he didn't seem hospitable the way he was portrayed by Pietro.

She watched as his food was put to the side, and followed suit wondering why..

Then she was kissed

Forget the changing body. Forget the father. Pietro was kissing her. Really kissing her. "Definitely going out."

Quicksilver has posed:
There's a small nod to her surprised question about his parentage, his blue gaze lingering on her. "Mmhmm," Pietro affirms. "He's Wanda and I's father. We never knew him until after the gypsies had tossed us out. After we'd been on our own for a fair while. He found us. Recruited us to his cause, used us," he says softly, giving a small shake of his head. "We were tools to be used, once he knew of our existence."

Softly, he lifted his right hand to lightly twine his fingers into her hair, bringing his hand to rest at the nape of her neck. He lowered to one of his knees next to her, then lifted his other had to lightly brush his fingers over her cheek, after the kiss is parted. "Mmhmm, definitely going out... a thing we should, perhaps, do more often," he says softly, a smile curling at the corners of his lips.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Oooh. He's the one." Or close enough. "I guess my parents are stupendous compared to him." Even if they had projected that her value was in marks, not in herself. She had spent all her life getting good marks.

Good marks == Good Willow

"I'm sorry. We don't have to have any more discussions about your father." And she really did mean it (even if she was so curious!)."

When he knelt beside her, touching the nape of her neck, she giggled. "What? Do you think we've been indoors for the bulk of our dates?" Teasing him on several levels at once.

Quicksilver has posed:
"Mmhmm... founder of the Brotherhood and mastermind of all or at least most of the evil doings that the group enacted," Pietro says, his brow furrowing. He gives a small shake of his head at her comment about her parents, and a smile touches his lips. "He may be my blood father, but I don't really see him as much of a father figure. He has never acted much like a father," he adds. "There will be other times to speak of him, if you wish," he offers.

He quirks a smile, and then he chuckles softly at her words. "We have probably spent as many of them out and about as what we have indoors, but... I like having you at my side and with me. Inside or outside," Pietro comments, a smile quirking his lips and a bit of colour touching his cheeks. "I like to enjoy things with you," he adds.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow also blushes. Partly because, hello she was getting closer to Pietro, and partly because he blushed too. "Are you finding this.. well.. It's been a long time. I almost had a boyfriend, and something went wrong. He just vanished on me. I thought I did something wrong.."

"I can sometimes, well, when I love someone, I *love* someone. Some people find that unawares. They kinda expect me to be, well, innocent. Dagnabit, I am a pagan!" As though that explains everything."

She might not be an innocent, but she sure blushes like one.

Quicksilver has posed:
Lightly, he brushes his fingers along her cheek, and he listens to what she says. "It has been a while, since the last girlfriend that I have had," he says softly, a bit shyly, perhaps. "If ever you were to do something that bothered me or that I found to be wrong, then we would speak of it. The only thing that would make me vanish is if something happens to me," he adds, giving a small nod. "Which I hope it doesn't." He doesn't want to vanish on her, after all.

"I expect you to be you. Innocent or not so much so," Pietro comments, his blue eyes showing a sparkle to them. One of his hands moves to settled upon one of her knees, his touch soft and warm. "I am trying to let things between us take their own speed, to try not to push them at all," he admits, quirking a bit of a smile.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
"Same with me. Everything seemed to happen so fast. We were getting out of high school, and next thing I knew, I have just one more year, and no boy or girl friends to be seen. I know I'm not Buffy, but no one?" Willow shakes her head. "I know you say I'm beautiful - which I'm not. Maybe cute? Yet I never expected this. I mean, I even chose from both sexes!"

She really doesn't understand it.

"I think taking it as we want it.. wait.. you're not going to dump me without warning, are you?"

Quicksilver has posed:
"Fast or slow have different perspectives to different people," Pietro comments, a soft chuckle coming from him. "I didn't really go to school very much," he adds, lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. He speaks of it fairly matter of factly, as just another piece of his life that was different. His focus had been on surviving, for both himself and his sister, then.

One of his eyebrows quirks up, and a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "I say that you are beautiful because you are, Willow. And you are cute. And you are many other things, too," he comments, giving a small nod to her. He keeps one of his hands resting lightly on her knee, and he gives her knee a soft squeeze. The fingers of his other hand lightly move a little through her hair before coming to rest at her other knee. He blinks out of surprise at her question, and then he gives a soft laugh and shakes his head. "No, Willow... I would not do that," he says softly, sounding sincere.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow ducks her head. "Thank you for that." Then, she faces him. "See, I don't mind if you change your mind. Really I don't.. ok, maybe a little tiny wee bit." She makes a gesture with her hands, putting her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. "Just waiting for a call that never comes?"

There's a shake her head.

She listens about himself and, presumably, Wanda, and she holds his hand. "I can't imagine being outside of school. My parents.. they're nice enough, but the only way they showed love was my work at school. Get a B? No lecture, but there was disappointment in their gazes. An A? A small smile. I lived to bring home A's, or A+'s to be approved, I guess."

What Willow doesn't know in her multitudes of different bits and pieces was, she didn't only seek approval with her grades, but that insecurity (for it was that) bled over in all her life.

There was smart, yes, but there was also wisdom. Willow didn't have much wisdom. At least not the same quantities as her smarts.

Quicksilver has posed:
There's a quirk of a brow, and Pietro gives a small shake of his head. "Whether you mind or not, I am not changing my mind," he says softly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "And you are welcome, Willow," he adds, his blue gaze holding fast upon her. He's quiet a long moment and then he gives a small nod. "If something happens to me, you will hear of it. Either by Wanda or by another means. I will try not to leave you wondering, I promise," he says in a gentle tone.

"I have a hard time imagining being in school. I have never been graded for anything other than by experience... by putting something together and then seeing if it works or if it doesn't work. And there were times when there were words if it didn't work," he comments. And for a fair while, that something was explosive or otherwise destructive and if it didn't work then things became a bit more dicey. "It shouldn't matter whether you get a high grade in something or a low grade, you should still be accepted and loved all the same," he adds, giving a small shake of his head. He has a hard time with the concept of it, but his life was quite different. "I accept you as you are. Just be you," he says, a smile quirking at his lips.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
As he speaks, she shakes her head negatively, not on purpose, but rather in disbelief. "How can you know how good you have done without a mark?"

Sure Willow can say that Pietro is smart, and he can do this thing, and that thing.. and do well, but for her? Without the mark how can she expect to know how good she has done? Her parents used marks. Her whole life was marks. The only time she 'disobeyed' was following Buffy to Gotham University, instead of somewhere like Havard, or MIT.

"I.." And she hushes, not knowing what she actually wants to say.

Quicksilver has posed:
"I read about a lot of things. And then I find out how well I know it by doing things, or by talking to other people who know about the things as well," Pietro says, his tone thoughtful. "Experience, you could say," he comments, giving a small nod. "Things that I have wanted to learn, I have often and many times learned them on my own and without a teacher," he adds, lifting one of his shoulders in a bit of a shrug. He doesn't think of it as better or worse than the way she learned things in school, just different.

"It is different. One needs to judge for one's self how well the material has been learned, sometimes," he says softly. "We all have our own path. Sometimes the choices on it are made for us and other times we make them ourselves," he adds, a smile touching his lips. He leans in close to her to lightly kiss her on the lips, if she'll allow him to. "Perhaps we should eat a bit more of dinner, before it grows cold?" he suggests.

Willow Rosenberg has posed:
Willow breaks out and beams. "Foooood!" Then she laughs. "Did I detect a bag from the pastry place for dessert?"