[h3][u][b]Dave and Ava Homescene[/b][/u][/h3] “So, this is it.” Ava said, opening the door to her house and breathing a sigh of relief as the familiarity of her home settled around her like a security blanket. She opened the door wider for Dave as she walked in, leading Thor in by his leash and harness. “Thanks for taking my bag.” Ava smiled, stepping to the side to make room for the mountain man; Thor rubbing up against her leg and purring as loud as a lawn mower. “‘Course,” Dave said, following her in and nudging the door closed with his hip. Ava had insisted he stay with her, after he’d admitted a certain fear of going home. He missed his people, especially his boy Mal, but given the current climate he didn’t want to risk being around them. “Thanks for lettin’ me stay here. Beats a hotel, right?” “I hope so.” She said, reaching over to firmly throw the lock on the knob and the deadbolt above it. “It’s not exactly...masculine in here.” She said with a chuckle, looking over the theme of pastels, flowers and general softness of her home decor. “But it’s cozy, or I like to think it is.” She bent down and undid Thor’s harness, the cat bolting off to survey his territory with a jingle of his collar. Ava stood back up and fiddled nervously with the leash for a few moments. “So, um, are you hungry?” “I’m alright,” Dave said. He gave her an encouraging smile as he set his bag down by the couch. “Take some water though? If ya don’t mind?” “Sure!” She hung up Thor’s leash and speed walked to the kitchen, quickly returning with a glass of water in her hand. “Here you go.” She smiled, a nervous tilt to the expression. “I’ve got soda or liquor if you’d want that too. I can’t drink it but I always keep some in stock for my guests.” “This is just fine, for now, thanks,” Dave took the water gratefully and cocked his head. “You uh...You alright?” “Oh, yeah.” She said, pressing her hands together and looking around her house. “I’m just glad to be home, finally, but I guess I’ve still got some nervous energy to burn off.” She said with a shrug and a chuckle. She hoped that was it, she didn’t know why having Dave in her house was causing her to feel such...flutters of nerves in her gut. She let Donnelley stay the night and hardly felt anxious about it at all. “Yeah, I bet,” Dave nodded, walking over and sitting on the couch that was to be his bed for the next while. “I needa call my gramps at some point...Have him pick up my dog…” He sighed. He wanted to go home. “Ah well.” He grinned up at Ava, putting on a smile for her sake. “Guess we oughta get settled in, huh?” “Yeah,” She agreed, glancing toward the hallway as the heavy patter of feet announced the arrival of Thor. “You can use my phone if you want, it’s pretty secure. Unless you’d rather get another burner.” She continued as the large Norwegian cat jumped up onto the back of the couch, staring at Dave for a few moments before meowing at him. Ava rolled her eyes. Dave reached absentmindedly for the cat, stroking his fur on automatic and smiling as he did so. “I’ll probably get a burner,” he said. “Need that...Ya know. Separation? I dunno, I ain’t a spy.” “That’s probably for the best.” Ava nodded, huffing as Thor flopped down on the back cushion to accept his pets. She stood awkwardly for a moment, rubbing the back of her neck. “So, uh, are you hungry?” He eyed her for a moment, amusement in his steel eyes. “Sure,” he said, fighting a grin. “Let’s get somethin’ to eat. Wanna order delivery? My treat, since you’re lettin’ me stay?” “Okay.” She smiled, sitting herself down on the love seat and pulling out her phone. “What are you in the mood for?” “Anything you want,” he said. He leaned over a little, scooping Thor up and depositing the large cat in his lap to make petting him easier. “I ain’t picky.” “Well, there’s a pizza place that’s pretty good.” She said, tapping at her phone for a few moments, then she got up from the love seat to sit down next to him. “Here, you can take a look through their menu.” She smiled at him. “I’d suggest BBQ, but I’m not sure if that’s a taboo for a country boy.” Dave made a show of considering it. “I dunno… Barbecue pizza sounds kinda blasphemous….” He gave her a suspicious look. “But I think I can allow it, since it’s chicken. If it was ribs or somethin’ I’d hafta veto. You can’t order ribs delivery an’ expect them to be any good.” “Rib meat on a pizza sounds good though.” She chuckled, turning her phone back toward her. “I like the pesto and goat cheese pizza myself.” “That sounds a step or two too fancy for my roots,” Dave grinned. “But whatever you want, sugar. Like I said, I ain’t picky, an’ it’s my treat.” “Then how about we go simple and get a meat lovers?” She said, pulling up the pizza in question and showing him. “Eeeh? That’s suitably manly right?” “I ain’t worried about manly, I’m worried about it tastin’ good,” Dave snorted. “But meat lover is a safe bet.” “Meat lovers it is.” She beamed. “You pay for the pizza, I’ll pay for some sides and a dessert.” “Sounds like a plan to me.” [hr] Ava grinned up at Dave as the two of them walked out of the civilian shooting range they had spent the afternoon at. Her hands were tingling from shooting her handgun so many times and her heart hadn’t quite settled down from the rush of adrenaline she felt when shooting. “How was I?” She asked Dave as they stepped out into the late afternoon, the sun starting to dip low to the horizon and casting long shadows across the parking lot. “I hit the target a couple of times and I almost got the bullseye that one time! Pretty good for being a novice right? Am I talking loudly? I feel like I’m talking loudly.” She asked, pausing her stream of chatter to rub at her ears. “I think I got too used to wearing those headphones.” Dave grinned at her excitement. Her initial marksmanship abilities had best been described as limited. But, a couple of hours of basic instruction on grip, sight picture, and trigger control had her groups tightening up appreciably. While she was by no means a combat shooter, if she kept cool under pressure he felt like she could definitely defend herself against your average mugger. Or Russian. "You did great, sugar," he said, reaching out to give her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "Gettin' some real improvement." She beamed, the touch of his strong hand on her shoulder making her heart flutter a different way. “Thanks.” She said, brushing a stray curl that escaped her braid behind her ear. “You’re a really good teacher, thank you for being so patient with me.” "'Course," Dave said lightly. "I uh...I had different sorts of trainin' when I was a kid. Found that bein' nice makes for more improvement than...Ya know. Not bein' nice." He glanced down at her, leaving his hand where it was for a moment more. "So… I been thinkin'. You wanna have dinner?" Ava looked up at him, tilting her head to the side. “Yeah, we can find some place to stop by before we go home.” She said with a slight shrug. "No, I uh… I mean do you wanna have dinner. Like…" Dave groped for the words, suddenly unsure of himself. "Like uh...with me. Like a date." Ava’s eyes widened behind her sunglasses. “Oh! Dinner, dinner!” She said, her cheeks flushing as an unexpected surge of butterflies taking flight in her gut. “You...really want to go on a date?” She asked, her voice hesitant but there was a hint of a smile starting to appear on her lips. “With me?” "Well… Yeah," Dave said, surprised at her evident confusion. "You're smart, an' you're pretty. Fun to be around… I'd like to take ya out." She smiled wider as her cheeks started to flush pink beneath her freckles. “Wow, um, thank you. I think you’re fun too.” She said. She glanced around the parking lot and pointed over to where her car was parked. “Let’s...get in my car, I think there’s something you should know...about me.” Dave grinned, then frowned, suddenly nervous. His mind turned her words over as they went to her car, and he was suddenly certain he was about to be turned down; maybe she wasn't interested, or was gay, or had a secret boyfriend she hadn't told them about. "Yeah sure, no problem," he said, accompanying her to her car and steeling himself for rejection. Ava unlocked the car for them, taking in deep breaths as she prepared to explain to Dave a very complicated and intimate part of her identity. She slid into the driver’s seat and waited for Dave to join her, cracking the windows so the interior of the car wasn’t so stuffy. “So,” She said, clearing her throat as she rested her hands on the steering wheel. “Um, do you...Have you heard of…” She trailed off and took in a deep breath. “Do you know what Asexuality is?” She asked, letting the words flow out of her as quickly as possible. Dave blinked, looking at her for a moment. "...No?" He said, suddenly looking more nervous than he had. Ava nodded, clearing her throat again. “It is a...sexual orientation that is characterized by a...lack of sexual or romantic attraction towards others.” She said, looking toward him to see his reaction. “Though Asexual is more of an umbrella term, there are other...sub-sexualities that fall underneath it.” Dave worked to mask his disappointment as she explained. "So...does that mean no date?" He asked. She smiled at him. “Dave, I’d love to go on a date with you.” She said with a nervous chuckle. "Oh." Dave lit up, then looked thoughtful. "But if you're not… You know… Romantically attracted… I mean the sexual part, ya know, that's a different thing, but the romantic part is kind of the whole point…" “I’m sorry, I’m not good at explaining this to people.” She said with a grimace. “I’m a Demisexual Asexual, which means that I feel romantic attraction, but really only feel sexual attraction when I have a deep, emotional connection to someone.” She shrugged, her expression turning embarrassed. “Like I said, Asexual is an umbrella term. Is this making sense?” "Oh, yeah," Dave nodded slowly. "I think I get it. So ya think we're romantically… Ya know…" He raised a hand, grasping for the word. "Compatible, I guess. But don't know about the sexual part yet." “Yes, exactly.” She said with a nod of her head and a relieved smile. “I’ve never been in a relationship before, but I know that sex is a big part of it so I just wanted to be honest with you right off the bat.” "Well, alright," he said, then smiled. "Thanks. And… Hell, let's get dinner then, and figure it out from there." “Really?” She asked, perking up with a wide smile. “You don’t mind?” Dave shrugged. "Ain't gonna know unless we try," he said. "Not like I'm tryin' for a one-night-stand." “I guess that’s true.” She chuckled again. She paused for a moment before reaching out to touch Dave’s hand. “Seriously, thank you for being so understanding.” She said, the flush returning to her cheeks even as she smiled. “You have no idea how much it means to me to be able to be honest about this.” Dave returned her smile and took her hand in his, giving it a soft squeeze. "Any time, sugar. Any time." [hr] The beach sand was soft beneath Dave's battered hiking boots, the evening sun warm on his face. This was the third actual date he'd taken Ava on, an afternoon movie that had segued into this trip along the waterfront. He glanced over at her as they walked, grinned, and reached out to take her hand, hiding his nerves at the impulsive act of intimacy. "It's pretty out here," he said, interlacing their fingers. “It is.” She agreed, flushing as she happily took his hand with a smile on her lips. She carried her ballet flats in her other hand, letting her toes dig into the warm sand as the wind tugged at the hem of her soft blue cold shoulder sundress. “So, how has training been going?” She asked, looking up at him from behind her sunglasses. "Good," he said confidently. "Ghost gives me shit for likin' commie guns, but Donnelley said I'm doin' good, an' even Ghost has stopped yellin' quite so much. I think he's almost impressed." He paused. "Almost." Dave gave her hand a squeeze. "How about you? Them robots comin' along okay?" He knew she'd been working on the drones, but also knew it was futile for him to try and help. Instead he'd settled for sitting in the room with her, providing company and occasionally tea. “They are.” She nodded, taking a step closer to him to lean her head on his arm. “I’ve updated their cameras and WALL-E and EVE are getting fancy new paint jobs tomorrow.” She said, looking up at him with a smile. “I thought maybe you could help me with that, if you want.” "I can't program, but I ain't bad with a paintbrush," he laughed. He ran his thumb gently along her hand as they walked, a sense of giddiness filling him as she leaned her head on his arm. "Be happy to help with that. You wanna do 'em camo?" “Yeah, help them blend in a little better with the forest.” She said, her heart fluttering from their contact. She grew silent for a moment, glancing around them to make sure no one was around. Seeing no one within earshot, she leaned her head back on his arm. “I don’t want this to end.” She whispered to him. “And go back to work in that...place.” "I know," he said softly. He looked down at her and turned, placing his fingers beneath her chin and tilting her head up to look at him. "We're almost done, though. Closin' in on the goal. We got this." He held her gaze for a moment, then leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. Ava’s heart felt like it was trying to beat out of her chest as she watched Dave lean down and felt their lips press together. She felt a spark tingle across her lips and she closed her eyes, finding herself leaning into the kiss as she continued to hold Dave’s hand. A few moments later Dave reluctantly broke the kiss. He wanted more, wanted to pull her into his arms for a proper kiss, but he settled for another gentle peck before straightening with a smile. He still wasn't sure where things stood on that front, and he didn't want to shoot things down by being overly intimate. Ava opened her eyes and smiled wide, unconsciously stepping up closer to him. “That was very nice.” "It was," he grinned. He gave her hand a squeeze, then dared to lean down for a third kiss, holding this one just a breath longer. "That was nice," he said when he'd straightened again. Ava grinned, a girlish giggle bubbling out of her as she leaned herself against Dave’s chest. He released her hand and put his arms around her, holding her slender body to his. He trailed his fingers down her spine, feeling the shape of her through her dress, but sensibly stopped at the small of her back. Ava shut her eyes as she melted into Dave’s arms, his heart beat in her ear and the smell of his cologne surrounding her. She felt her worry and nerves start to fade, comfort and a sense of security welling in her chest. It would be a nice moment to hold onto and think of when they had to return to the nightmare of what waited in Blackriver. She gave him a hug and then pulled back to look up at him. “So, want to go get something to eat?” “I always wanna get somethin’ to eat,” Dave grinned. “You want...I dunno, burgers? One of them burger stands?” “Sure! That sounds good.” She grinned, taking his hand again. On impulse, she leaned up and pecked him on the cheek with a blush and a smile. “Let’s go.” He took her hand happily, following along beside her. [hr] Dave took the kettle from the stove just as it started to whistle. He killed the burner and poured a measure into the mug waiting on the counter, adding in the bits and pieces he’d learned Ava liked with her tea. That done he crossed to the breakfast nook and set the mug down within easy reach. “Whatcha doin’?” He asked, glancing down at her laptop. “Work stuff?” “Hmm?” Ava glanced over to him, her glasses absent from her face after her contacts had finally arrived. “Oh, no, I’m just...browsing this forum Foster showed me.” She said, scooting further into the booth so there was room for him to sit. The gentle sound of rain pattering on the bay windows started to reach her ears and she looked outside to the grey clouds hanging over the neighborhood. “There’s that rain.” “Been waitin’ on it all day,” Dave said as he sat beside her. “So what sorta forum? I ain’t seen you wrench on a truck lately, so I figure it ain’t one of them.” She turned back to him with a smile. “No, it’s a forum of...people like me.” She said, motioning to the laptop. “Foster showed me when we went to Massachusetts.” “People like you?” He scooted closer so he could see the screen. “Like uh...Psychics, I guess? Or...Who have visions?” He put his arm around her, absently brushing at her hair with his fingers. “Yeah,” She said, leaning against him and reaching over to pick up her tea. “It’s crazy, some of them have had dr-visions of things that happened to us or of cases the Program have had in the past.” She frowned at the laptop as she took a sip of her lavender tea. “They’re all just kids, most of them aren’t even out of high school yet.” She whispered into her mug. “I’m the eldest...psychic that I know of.” “Hm.” Dave shifted so she could lean against him more comfortably. “So you talk to ‘em on here? Or do you just hang out an’ read? Have they...Been talkin’ ‘bout Virginia?” “I just read, the Program is monitoring this website.” She answered, cradling her mug in her hands and letting the warmth spread to her fingers. “It worries me how interested they are in my...whatever it is. If they find out I’m regularly having these visions...I don’t know, I just don’t trust them when I don’t understand what’s happening to me.” “Shouldn’t trust ‘em at all,” Dave said, almost reflexively. “I ain’t told ‘em anything about you or the… Visions. I ain’t said a word, and I won’t.” “I wish I could say the same.” She said, giving him a grim smile. “I told them about the Hound and I had a sleepwalking episode after, but I didn’t say how far I went or who found me.” She rubbed the side of the mug with her thumb. “I talked to Donnelley about it and he seems to think I’m not in any danger, and he and Foster have my back. But I still worry I said too much...They were so fixated on my sleepwalking.” She shuddered and huddled closer to him. Dave bit down a growl, and several suggestions as to what the Program could do to itself in a dark room with a fireplace poker. “Well, you ain’t been sleepwalkin’ since I been here,” he said, forcing some levity into his voice. “Aaand I’m a pretty light sleeper, so you ain’t creepin’ past me to the front door even if ya do. Maybe you’ll get some gardenin’ done in the middle of the night, but that’s it.” He gave her a squeeze and looked down at her, smiling reassuringly. She smiled up at him and rested her head on his shoulder with a chuckle. “Thanks Dave.” She said, taking another sip of her tea. Her eyes landed back on the computer. “I wish I could help these kids more, it feels like it should be my job you know? I’m the oldest, I might be the first and some of them...Some of them have the same background as me.” Dave nodded as she spoke, his fingers still playing through her hair. “Tell me ‘bout that,” he said. “I don’t know much there. Your background, I mean.” “Oh,” She sighed softly. “I was adopted by my parents because, when I was about two years old... I was abandoned on the side of some back country road in West Virginia.” “Just two…” Dave sighed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, sugar.” “Thank you.” She said, blinking back the water that stung at the back of her eyes. “Anyway, some of these kids are in the foster system or are also only children and...I don’t know, it just seems like there might be a pattern here. Maybe if we figure it out, we can understand what this is.” “Maybe,” he nodded. “I think… I think it’s good you wanna help them. Shows you’ve got a good heart.” He held her silently for a moment. “I ain’t much of an investigator, you know that, but if there’s some way I can help, you just lemme know, okay?” Dave grinned suddenly. “That’s kinda what boyfriends are for, right?” She flushed and smiled up at him. “Boyfriend huh?” She asked in a soft murmur. “You making it official?” “I will if you will,” he said, leaning close. “Ain’t anybody else I been kissin’ on.” He punctuated the point, finding her lips with his. She returned the kiss, melting further against him with a soft, happy sigh escaping her lips. After a few moments she broke the kiss to rest her head on his chest. “Alright.” She said with a smile. “We can make it official.” Dave grinned, resting his chin on top of her head. “Let’s go sit outside,” he said. “It’s nice out. Got that porch swing, sit there an’ listen to the rain?” “I’d like that.” She beamed, kissing his cheek. “Let’s take a blanket too, it’s pretty cold out there.” Dave grinned and stood. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll grab a blanket, and meet ya out there.” Then he headed for the living room, for the large microfleece blanket that Ava kept folded on the couch. Ava shut down her laptop and picked it up with her tea and carried it off to her office. After putting it away, she passed through the back hallway, past the mud room and joined Dave out on the back porch. She smiled at him as she looked out at her backyard, the bright greens and colors of her garden slightly muted by the clouds and rain. She took in a deep lungful of the rain freshened air. “It really is a nice day.” “It is,” he said. He waited until she’d sat, then pulled the blanket over the both of them. He snuggled her close, pulling her into his lap, his arms around her. “It’s pretty out here. I do this in Arkansas sometimes, out on my mountain. Sittin’ on the porch, watchin’ the rain.” “Me too.” She smiled up at him, as she settled in against him, her mug cradled in her hands and wafting the sweet smell of lavender and honey into the air. Dave shifted in the swing until they were both comfortable, leaning his head back and enjoying the sound of the rain and the small, warm body against his. It was cool, but not cold; the rain was a warm one, a steady pour but not quite a storm. It cooled the breeze, and brought out the smell of the plants in the garden. The smell mingled with that of Ava’s tea, and Dave let himself relax while he drank in the various sensations. Ava sighed, letting her body relax and her eyes fall partially closed as she sipped her tea and enjoyed the sound of the rain and the closeness of Dave’s embrace. Soon she finished her tea and set the empty mug down on the porch. “This is nice.” She said, snuggling back into the warmth of the blanket with her head resting on Dave’s shoulder. “It’s nice,” he agreed. Once she’s settled in he laid his cheek on top of her head for a few moments. The rain continued, and in the stillness he grew more conscious of her body in his arms. Dave turned and kissed her forehead, smiled, then leaned closer, pressing a kiss to her lips. He kissed her again, then again, shifting so he could more easily reach. Ava smiled against the kisses, returning them easily as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she turned in his lap slightly. The motion spurred Dave on, and as he went for another kiss he held, his lips parting as he deepened it. The tip of his tongue brushed her soft lips, slipped between them, seeking hers, and his hand slid to her firm abdomen. He slipped it beneath her sweatshirt, found the hot flesh of her muscular stomach beneath his hand, and he paused, hesitating. “Is...Is this okay?” He asked, his voice husky. Ava blinked her eyes open, looking up into his cool blue and smiled. Warmth and arousal was curling to life in the pit of her stomach, her body alight with excitement and pleasure from that simple deep kiss. “Yes.” She answered and kissed him again. Dave had a brief moment to grin, then was moaning softly into her kiss.