Ryker's Guide (Mild)

Nerves

Ryker

Ryker wasn't sure if this was a good idea. In fact he was pretty sure it was an awful idea and would have probably cancelled if Daryl hadn't spent all day making dessert, not that the peach cobbler usually took that long. It just didn't turn out right, according to Daryl, until the sixth time. And Daryl had almost started on a new one, until Ryker pointed out the time while finishing his test bite.

When Ryker had assumed that his cowboy was stressing about the fact that they were going over to dinner with Meri and Carbry where they would inevitably address the offer that was on the table and suggested they cancel the plans, Daryl had kicked him out of the kitchen.

They had even gotten dressed up. Well, far more dressed up than he really expected. Even Daryl was wearing a dress shirt and pants, though they had foregone ties and Ryker had annoyed his cowboy to no end, reaching up and unbuttoning a button or two on Daryl's shirt when the man wasn't paying attention. As it was, Daryl hadn't noticed that his shirt was open to expose his collarbones and the beginnings of his very defined pecs.

The cobbler was fine. Better than fine, better than the amazing one Charlie made. And despite the fact that he had eaten a good portion of all of said attempts, he found himself craving another piece as they stood in the elevator that was taking them to Carbry's place.

Ryker was holding a bottle of wine in each hand, cause Daryl had insisted they bring a red and a white, along with the dessert and flowers. Ryker breathed in the delicious scent of peaches and Daryl. "You know we could have just bought a cake or something."

Daryl delivered him a scathing look. "You don't bring bought things to someone's house for dinner."

Ryker felt his lips twitch. "Why?"

Oblivious to the teasing, Daryl glared even more. "It's rude."

"Does Meri drink wine?" Ryker glanced down at the bottles in his hands, frowning at them. They were as expensive as the bottle of whiskey he had assumed they were buying, and wouldn't last nearly as long.

"Whiskey isn't a dinner drink." Daryl shook his head as he stepped off the elevator, as if he had read Ryker's mind. Or perhaps it was because he had been bugging Daryl about it in circles the entire way there, grinning even more. "Carbry drinks wine."

"If he starts a conversation about hints of oak and cherry blossoms and the one time he crushed grapes with Voltaire or whatever, I'm throwing your cobbler at him." Ryker grinned and knocked on the door before Daryl could respond.

And the door opened to expose Meri, who grinned and flung the door open, only to find Daryl throwing a bouquet into her arms. Apparently that was another thing people did when they went over for dinner, buy flowers. She was in a dress, oddly enough. Though her feet were covered in pink fuzzy slippers, the dress was a dark black that shimmered purple as she moved.

"You brought the cobbler!" Meri hugged Daryl when they had stepped into the apartment and she had closed the door. "Supper is pretty much ready."

The food smelled amazing, though when Ryker glanced between the two of them, then to the table which was already laden with food, he realized that someone else had been cooking up a storm. "You know... it's mainly you two that are eating, right?"

Carbry walked out of the kitchen, wearing much the same as Ryker and Daryl, though he had an apron on that was pink, and covered in little cats. His boss just smirked at him, and Ryker was certain that Carbry was doing this just to pull his leg.

Ryker looked down at the wine in his hands, frowning and wondering if he could convince Daryl to ditch the dessert and leave before the punch line came around.

"Come on, D. Let's put that in the oven to keep warm." Meri was already dragging Daryl into the kitchen when Ryker looked up to find himself alone in the room with Carbry.

"I... uh... This is probably shit, but..." Ryker held out both bottles in front of him as Alesky approached, as if he could fend the other man off with two glass bottles.

Carbry raised a brow, before taking one bottle and glancing at the label. "I've heard this is a superb wine." He glanced at the bottle Ryker still held. "Both of them. You selected well."

"Just the guy at the store, really." Ryker shrugged and followed the other vampire toward the table as Carbry turned and walked in that direction. He watched as the older man opened the bottle of red and placed it down on the table.

"Are you ok with this, Ryker?" Carbry's words were soft, casual. "If you're not, this can just be dinner."

Ryker took the corkscrew out of Carbry's hands and focused on the bottle of white he had. "You're serious about this, right? This isn't just... some elaborate.."

Carbry took his chin in his hand and pulled Ryker up to look at him, pulling him closer, close enough that they could kiss, if either one of them moved forward a tiny bit. Ryker had never noticed how much larger the man was than him before that moment.

Ryker wasn't a small man himself, but he found himself suddenly aware of Carbry's sheer physical presence. "I do not have a cruel sense of humour, Ryker. Nor will you face any judgement, no matter what happens, not from any of us, nor from anyone else."

"Stop using your bedroom voice." Ryker muttered, clearing his throat and forcing himself to break their gaze. He turned, though he didn't step away. "You two better not be eating the damned cobbler!"

Carbry laughed, and by the time Ryker turned back to look, the older vampire was already moving to grab the glasses out of the fancy non-kitchen cupboard that rich people stored their fine crystal and shit.

Ryker put the bottle of wine on the table and looked up to see Meri and Daryl walking out of the kitchen, Daryl soaked, Meri carrying a flower vase.

"I may have accidentally sprayed him with water trying to fill up the vase." Meri grinned, pausing as Carbry moved to shift a couple of dishes out of the way to make room for the flowers.

Daryl just laughed softly as they all moved to sit down.

Ryker found himself letting out a calming breath before breathing in the food's scent that made even his mouth water. At least there'd be an enjoyable dinner to be had out of this.