New Beginnings (Charlie Bartlett Fanfic Starring Robert Downey Jr.)

Chapter 26 - Coconut Gelato

That evening, Sydney and Nathan pulled into the parking lot of the Merante Brothers Market and smiled at one another. It was a proper date, their first, and they were both rather giddy about it.

"Cute," Nathan said, looking at the building as he opened the car door for Sydney. "Far enough from home too." He extended his hand and she took it, biting back a smile.

"It's not the 'steak and lobster' you mentioned before, but it's gourmet pizza to die for, promise." She laced her fingers with his and they took their time walking inside, despite the frigid air. Once inside, Sydney started to walk towards the front of the "cucina", but didn't make it very far. "Everything okay?" Nathan was holding her in place.

"Yeah," he said, his lips curled into a full smile. "It's just, you know, there are people here."

"Um, I thought that was part of the..." Her words were lost to Nathan's lips and her heart leapt. When he pulled back, she blushed. "Oh."

"Nice to be able to do that in public, that's all." He took her hand again and they made their way to the front of the room to place their order.

"Would you be interested in any of our wines?" the young woman behind the long, wooden counter asked.

"No, thank you," Sydney answered, her voice casual. She looked at Nathan, raising an eyebrow. "I'm thinking blueberry."

"You're thinking what, now?" Nathan asked, confused.

Sydney laughed. "Italian soda. I definitely want caramel, but I'm betting you like blueberry for some reason."

Nathan chuckled as he slid his arm around Sydney's waist. "Sounds about right."

The woman couldn't help but watch the exchange in front of her. She was used to seeing couples that were more indifferent with one another, not ones who seemed to be learning about each other. She found it to be a lovely change. She turned, going to the soda fountain, and mixed each flavor; she returned to them with a brighter smile. "Here you go. Pizza will be about fifteen minutes."

The couple took their drinks and turned to face the rest of the room. It was a small, cozy establishment that held long, family style tables rather than individual ones. Being a Monday night, it was far from crowded and they chose a seat in front of the large fireplace in the room. They sat next to, rather than across from, each other, making the experience more intimate.

Nathan looked around for a moment, then back to Sydney. "You've got good taste."

Sydney gazed into his eyes, completely drawn to them. "I guess I do, don't I?" She caressed his face, thrilled to do so in a place other than his home. "I'm glad we're here."

"Me too." He was silent for a moment, his eyes losing a little of their earlier sparkle. "Just because I can't indulge, doesn't mean..."

Sydney's heart ached for a moment. "Please don't finish that sentence. I would never do something that ignorant, Nathan...besides, you saw me tipsy. It gets worse; I get louder, and I say the word 'listen' a lot." She made him laugh and it relaxed her again. "I never need to touch another drop."

He took her hand. "Thank you, that's...thank you." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, giving her butterflies. True, they had done much more than something that innocent together, but little romantic gestures were a weakness of hers. "There's...sort of something else, too." He took a sip of the blueberry soda and his eyes widened. "Excellent choice." He saw worry flaring up in Sydney's eyes. "Nothing bad, I swear." He ran his hand along her arm and explained what Joe asked of him...and that he avoided giving him the answer he promised.

Sydney wasn't upset in the least. "Nathan, it sounds pretty important to his wife."

"It's Valentine's Day."

Sydney smiled. "I don't get swept up in that holiday, it's only ever been a disappointment. Besides, I have a certain obligation that evening."

"That's right, the fundraiser thing." He thought for a moment. "I'd much rather be there for you than with someone I don't know."

"It's okay, really. It's not like it's a 'date' date or anything...right?" Their pizza arrived at the table.

"Right." What he didn't tell her was that he wanted to sweep her up into the holiday - very much so - no matter how silly it might have seemed. "What time will you be done that night?"

"Not sure, why?" She bit into her first slice of pizza and made a noise quite comparable to ones she made a few nights ago. She heard herself and blushed.

Nathan tried to be casual. "Oh, I was just thinking that maybe I could change your outlook; outweigh whatever disappointments you might have had in the past." He, too, took a bite...and made a very similar sound. He followed suit in blushing ever so slightly.

Sydney chewed and swallowed, as did Nathan. "They were very disappointing."

"And I can be very persuasive. I bet I can make you change your mind." He leaned over and kissed her, loving that he could do so openly.

Stop falling, Syd, it's too fast for what you're thinking – baby steps... "Maybe elevenish? Only gives you an hour to change my mind."

"Haven't you heard? I'm the new and improved Nathan Gardner, an hour's cake." They both laughed and continued to talk about anything that came to mind as they ate. They briefly talked about the mentoring project they had been persuaded to take on, then things turned more personal. Sydney poured out her heartache about Arlen and the baby, as well as the relationship issues Jess was dealing with. Nathan grew misty eyed as he told her all about reconnecting with Susan in a way he'd been missing for years. Having someone to listen and, more importantly, care meant the world to both of them.

"I have a confession to make, Nathan," Sydney whispered, once they had finished their meal. "There's another reason we came here."

"Oh?" His interest was piqued.

"Uh huh." She got up from the table and disappeared into the Italian deli attached to the restaurant. Nathan followed and found her in front of a white case. She was biting her lower lip to keep from smiling too guiltily. "Coconut gelato," she said, giddy. "So good!"

Nathan rolled his eyes and wrapped her up in his arms. "It's seventeen degrees outside and this is what you want, hm?"

"Well, that and this," she replied snuggling against his chest. "I think the gelato is just a bonus. I get colder and, well...here you are to take away the chill." She breathed in his cologne. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked softly, still holding her.

"Tonight." She pulled her body back just enough to look into his eyes, so warm and caring. "It's been a long time since I've had a first date like this."

Nathan traced his finger along her neck. "We avoided the usual pressures of a first date, wouldn't you say? Sort of like we wanted to?"

"Sort of," she answered, smiling at him. "I didn't really think all of that through very well, did I?"

He leaned in and kissed her, the act lingering and hopelessly romantic. His voice was hardly a whisper when he answered, "I think we're doing just fine."