Letting Down Walls [Tatiana]

[Tatiana Beautero]

Tati felt the shift in his expression despite his best efforts to hide it; that brief flash of something pained before he smoothed it away. She didn't push. Tonight wasn't for that. Instead she let the warmth of his response settle over her, appreciating more than he probably knew that he'd chosen to keep them both afloat.

His birthday story though made her eyes go wide before dissolving into genuine laughter. "Still drunk when you shifted," she repeated, pressing her fingers to her lips. "Bishop. That is either the worst or the most brilliant accidental solution I've ever heard. I genuinely cannot decide which." She shook her head, equal parts horrified and delighted. "The healer in me wants to give you a very stern lecture. The rest of me is just glad it worked."

When he asked about TJ, her expression softened immediately into something wholly tender. "Four years," she said, settling back slightly in her chair with the comfortable ease of someone talking about something they loved without reservation. "I resisted getting him for a long time actually. Felt like admitting I couldn't manage on my own." She smiled wryly at herself. "Which was of course completely ridiculous because I very clearly could not manage on my own." She took a small sip of wine.

"My Doctor at St. Mungo's suggested it. He'd noticed I was having a particularly difficult stretch and mentioned a wizard who trained magical service animals." Tati's expression turned fond at the memory. "I went just to appease him, fully intending to say it wasn't for me. And then this ridiculous puppy with absolutely enormous paws made a beeline straight for me, put his chin on my knee, and looked up at me like I was the most important person in the world." She laughed softly. "I didn't stand a chance. I was completely done within thirty seconds."

Her thumb traced the rim of her water glass. "He changed everything, honestly. Gave me a reason to keep a proper schedule, to go outside, to interact with the world." A pause, quieter. "To not disappear entirely into myself." She looked across the candlelight at Bishop. "He still does. Which is why tonight felt significant; leaving him behind. Like proof that maybe I'm getting a little better at actually living rather than just..." She gestured vaguely. "Existing."

Her eyes held his, warm and certain despite the vulnerability in the admission. "I think you might have something to do with that too, for the record."

[Bishop Santos]

He hoped she wouldn't think too hard about the state that left him in afterward, but the point was he'd learned his lesson about drinking that much. That particular transformation led him to look into how he could prevent anyone else from going through it.

He chuckled lightly at her, the healer in her wanting to lecture him, but he shrugged, as it did technically work out. He gave an equally wry smile of understanding when she explained why she had a hard time going forward with getting TJ, though he chuckled lightly at her description of TJ choosing her. He smiled softly at her, nodding along in understanding to show he was engaged and listening and not just absorbing.

He gave a little chuckle when she said he might be helping with that. "I hope I can keep helping," he murmured. "Though I hope I can get TJ to like me; sometimes dogs aren't my biggest fan," he chuckled a little, shaking his head, "But we both find the same person at the center of our worlds, so I want to find a way to make sure that's not the case with him. Any suggestions?" he smirked a little, "Also, he seems really sweet, so I hope at least one dog might like me," he laughed a little.

[Tatiana Beautero]

Tati smiled at that, warmth and understanding moving through her expression in equal measure.

"He is really sweet," she agreed fondly. "He's just... very attuned to me. And very protective." She hesitated for just a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I don't think it's personal, Bishop. I think it's the lycanthropy. His instincts are telling him something his brain can't quite reconcile with what he's seeing; a person I clearly trust and care about. It's creating a conflict for him."

She watched his face as she said it, making sure he understood she wasn't apologizing for it, just explaining.

"He'll come around," she said with quiet certainty. "He just needs time and exposure. To see for himself that despite what his senses are telling him, you're safe. That you won't hurt him or me." She speared a small bite of her food thoughtfully. "The worst thing anyone could do is try to force it or rush it. TJ makes his own decisions about people on his own timeline." A small smile played at her lips. "Much like his owner, apparently."

She set her fork down, leaning forward slightly. "But if you're willing, I think the easiest way would be walks. On the lawn, when the weather allows. If you joined us sometimes; no pressure on either of you, just existing in the same space I think that would help enormously. And he loves playing ball, so if he eventually brings it to you rather than back to me..." She raised an eyebrow meaningfully. "That'll be the moment you know you're making progress."

Her expression grew softer, more sincere. "He's the most important relationship in my life that I have to protect. But so are you." She held his gaze steadily across the candlelight. "So I want this to work. I want him to know you the way I do."

[Bishop Santos]

"No, I know," Bishop shook his head with a wry smirk, "I've known that was why dogs give me a wide berth. I think the only dog that's ever not run from me was someone's like retired police dog, which, fair, he'd probably seen scarier things than me," he chuckled.

"I'll follow your lead. I know he's important to you, that's why I want to do what I can to earn his trust," he nodded. "I'm not going anywhere, not again. So I'll take it day by day with him, with your guidance," he smiled at her, "I bet he's enjoyed having the other dogs here to play with, though I swear I think I'm going crazy, but I thought I saw Cosmo out there other. Has Penny been around?" he asked.

"She used to gripe at me all the time that I should stop beating around the bush and just say something. She said it was obvious to everyone else but us, apparently," he shook his head with a smirk, "She'd be insufferable if she saw us here," he smiled at her.

[Tatiana Beautero]

Tati laughed at that; a bright, genuine sound that earned a glance from the couple at the nearest table. "Pen," she said, shaking her head with the particular fondness reserved for people who were equal parts wonderful and absolutely insufferable. "Yes, she brought her dragons to show the students. I ran into her not long ago and the moment she found out we were both back at the school she started interrogating me right there in the yard."

She smiled at the memory, leaning her chin briefly into her hand. "She has this way of looking at you like she already knows everything and is simply waiting for you to catch up." A pause. "Which, in fairness, she apparently did." Then something crossed her face; a flash of realization that made her eyes widen slightly.

"Bishop. We were supposed to have dinner with her." She pointed between them meaningfully. "She and I talked about setting something up and neither of us has reached out yet." A soft laugh escaped her. "And now we're going to have to tell her that since we last spoke we've rather significantly..." She gestured vaguely between them, searching for the word. "Progressed," she settled on, biting her lip against a smile.

She could already picture Penny's face. The absolute vindication of it. "She's going to be completely insufferable about it," Tati said, her eyes dancing. "I'll reach out to her and set up a date for us all to get together." She picked up her wine glass. "At least this way we can tell her together. Present a united front."

Her smile softened into something more private, more tender. "Though I have a feeling no amount of united front will save us from whatever she has planned once she finds out."

[Bishop Santos]

Her laugh still struck him like a bell, and he found himself smiling just because of it. "I thought I heard them talking about that; leave it to Pen to be taming dragons of all things," he chuckled lightly. Hearing they were supposed to have dinner with her at some point gave him a look of surprise because Penny hadn't said anything to him about it; well, obviously, cause he hadn't seen her there with Cosmo. But then he chuckled again at the thought of her actually seeing them together. "Oh, I can already hear it," he said, shaking his head.

"I like the idea of facing her together," he smiled at her warmly, "You are probably right though. It will not help spare us the indignity of her teasing," he sipped the wine, "Maybe we should pick somewhere to go where she won't have enough time to harass us, like a fair," he laughed lightly.

"I wouldn't mind it, though, either way, just to be able to enjoy more time with you," he said honestly, smiling lightly at her, "And getting to try new things together."

[Tatiana Beautero]

"A fair," she repeated, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and gentle skepticism. "Bishop. You want to take Penny to a fair. Penny, who will see approximately forty seven things she wants to do simultaneously and drag us bodily between all of them until we collapse." She raised an eyebrow. "That's not avoiding her teasing, that's just adding exhaustion to it."

She smiled though, warm and certain. "Dinner somewhere familiar would be better. The Leaky Cauldron maybe; somewhere we all know, comfortable, no surprises. Pen can be as insufferable as she likes but at least we'll have our feet on familiar ground when she starts." A soft laugh. "And we can leave when we want to without navigating an entire fairground first."

The evening had settled into something golden and easy by the time the waitress reappeared at their table; two glasses of wine having done their quiet work, the remnants of what had been a genuinely exceptional meal between them, the hearth still crackling warmly in the corner. Tati had long since stopped cataloguing her nerves. She'd simply stopped being nervous somewhere between the tattoo story and the third time Bishop had made her laugh hard enough to draw looks from neighboring tables.

When the waitress arrived with a pleasant smile and the inevitable question: dessert, or the check this evening? Tati glanced across at Bishop, genuinely uncertain. The meal had been perfect. She didn't want the evening to end. But she also didn't want to seem like she was drawing it out unnecessarily.

"What do you think?" she asked him instead, turning the decision over to him with an ease that would have surprised her earlier self; the version of her who'd been pacing her apartment an hour ago second-guessing everything. "I'm in no hurry either way." Her fingers found his across the table, unhurried and certain.

"Tonight has been lovely. All of it. I just want to make the most of whatever time we have left before the cold walk back and the train home." Her eyes held his across the candlelight, soft and content and entirely present. "So you decide. Dessert or adventure?"

[Bishop Santos]

Bishop made a face, "Yeah, I was thinking maybe the bright lights would distract her," he laughed a little. "Leaky Cauldron does sound like the safer bet," he agreed, laughing again.

When the question came around, "I'd say why not both, but I'm afraid of how cold it might be on you if it gets too much later," Bishop said. "So how about dessert this time and we come back a bit more equipped for the weather and check out the local shops and stuff?" he suggested, "Or we can get a dessert to go and eat it on the train ride home, that way we're still getting ahead of the colder evening. Then maybe we can sit at the Broomsticks for a while," he added to show that he still wanted to spend more time with her, but he really was kind of concerned with the fact it was snowing when they came in.

The waitress gave a coy smile before saying, "I'll be right back," setting the check in Bishop's open hand before going to the back.

Bishop blinked, looking at Tati, confused. He put the money, cash that he'd had to fight the goblins on conversion rates on, and closed the little padfolio. After a moment the waitress came back with a to-go box and a to go cup that had a top like what one used for coffee and she set them on the table as she took the padfolio from Bishop, "On the house. A scrumptious fudge brownie and a hot chocolate. So everyone's hands stay warm," she laughed softly, "I'll be back with the change," she turned and walked back.

Bishop looked even more confused. "Did we just get free dessert?" he chuckled a little in disbelief. "Gonna have to leave an extra tip," he smirked.

[Tatiana Beautero]

Tati watched the entire exchange with barely contained delight, her hand pressed to her lips as the waitress disappeared again. "We absolutely just got free dessert," she confirmed, her eyes dancing with amusement as she looked across at Bishop's bewildered expression. "I think she decided we were charming." A beat. "Or she felt sorry for us. Either way, fudge brownie."

She reached across and lifted the lid of the to-go cup, letting the curl of steam from the hot chocolate drift up between them. The smell of it was warm and rich and exactly right for a snowy Edinburgh evening. Something about the unexpected kindness of the gesture; a stranger deciding their date deserved a small gift, made her chest feel full in a way that was entirely disproportionate to a free brownie.

But that was the thing about tonight, she was realizing. Everything felt significant. Every small moment weighted with the particular magic of firsts.

"Dessert on the train and the Broomsticks after," she said, settling back into her chair with a soft, contented smile. "That's a perfect plan. And yes, coming back when we're better equipped for the cold, I want to see those shops properly." She glanced toward the dark paneled walls around them, the candlelit intimacy of The Witchery. "And maybe eat here again when we do."

When the waitress returned with the change, Tati watched Bishop count out a generous tip with that quiet certainty he had about doing things properly, and felt something warm and certain settle in her chest. This man, she thought. After everything. This impossible, wonderful man.

She picked up the to-go box in one hand and stood, smoothing her dress. "Ready?" she asked, holding out her free hand to him across the table, the blue gem at her throat catching the last of the candlelight as she smiled. "Take me home, Bishop. The scenic route."

[Bishop Santos]

Bishop smiled and nodded, "Yeah. And if we're better dressed for it, we can check out the Secret Garden dining room too," he said, "I was a bit unsure of the weather when I made the reservation, so I thought the hearth was the safer bet. But I'd like to see the rest of it with you sometime." He chuckled lightly, glancing back at the room around them one more time as if committing it to memory.

He left the tip on the table after settling on what he thought was a fair amount for the exceptional service and the unexpected kindness of the hot chocolate, before standing and pocketing his wallet. He picked up the brownie box and gently took her hand as she offered it, smiling softly down at her.

"Ready," he confirmed, giving her hand a squeeze, "Yes, ma'am," he added with a warmth that carried more than the words themselves.

He walked with her back through the candlelit corridor and out into the Edinburgh night, the cold air hitting them immediately after the warmth of the restaurant. He took a slow breath of it — sharp and clean and carrying the particular quiet of a city under snow — before glancing down at her with a concerned tilt of his head.

"Not too cold?" he asked, then seemed to consider something for a moment before adding, "I could carry you while you hold these," he offered, nodding at the brownie box and the hot chocolate, "I think you'd be considerably warmer that way," though the tips of his ears had gone slightly pink at the suggestion before he'd even finished making it.

[Tatiana Beautero]

Tati felt the blush rise immediately, warming her cheeks against the cold Edinburgh air as she looked up at him. His ears had gone pink at his own suggestion, which somehow made it exponentially more endearing, and she had to press her lips together briefly to contain the smile threatening to take over her entire face.

"Carry me," she repeated, her voice caught somewhere between touched and thoroughly amused. "Bishop Santos, I appreciate the chivalry more than I can say, but I do in fact have two functioning legs and I remembered my coat this time." She patted her jacket lapel pointedly. "I'll survive the walk without needing to be carried through Edinburgh like a medieval princess, I promise."

She shifted the hot chocolate into her free hand,then rose up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips; warm and unhurried despite the cold swirling around them. "But thank you," she murmured as she settled back down, her eyes finding his with quiet sincerity. "For thinking of it. For being so considerate of me, always." Her fingers squeezed his. "I'm not used to someone looking after me like this. I'm still getting used to it, honestly."

She turned them gently toward the direction of the station, tucking herself into his side as they began to walk. The snow was still falling softly, dusting the cobblestones and catching in her dark hair. "Now," she said, her tone lighter, "tell me about this Secret Garden."

[Bishop Santos]

When he repeated it back, he made an apologetic face like he knew he probably should have asked it. "Okay, if you're sure," he murmured, then flushed as she kissed the corner of his lips, mostly because it still made his heart stutter as much as if she'd just kissed him full on. He gave her a soft smile in thanks. "I just want to make sure you have the best experience. We both deserve to get the fullest experiences with something like this," he gave her hand a squeeze back.

He put his arm around her, holding her close but not so close they'd trip over each other. "Well, I had to learn about them over the phone, so we'll see if I remember the details right," he chuckled lightly, "It was actually down a level from where we were. They said the whole appeal was the feeling of finding something hidden. The ceiling is hand-painted... I think they said it's only lit by candlelight and the big windows, though I think there were also doors that would open up during the warmer weather. They said it sometimes feels like an entirely different world because it's below street level, so you feel tucked away. But the walls are stone, so I thought it was probably going to be chillier down there than the room we were in."

He took a deep breath. "That poor person on the phone probably thought I'd never stop asking questions," he chuckled. "But this isn't some experiment I'm willing to gamble with," he smirked down at her. "This is the woman I've waited so long for the chance to proudly stand beside. There was no way I was taking a chance."

"But I'm willing to take other chances that you are also willing to take. Like going to festivals or parks or whatever you hear about that you want to explore, or even just another restaurant you want to try," he chuckled again, kissing her temple. "The world is our oyster, as they say."

[Tatiana Beautero]

Tati listened to his description of the Secret Garden with her eyes half closed and a soft smile on her face, imagining it: the hand-painted ceiling, the candlelight, the stone walls and the feeling of being tucked away somewhere entirely hidden from the world above. The image of it settled over her like something warm and inevitable.

"Hand-painted ceiling," she murmured. "Bishop, that sounds absolutely magical. And I don't mean that in the literal sense for once." She tilted her head against his shoulder briefly as they walked. "I think we need to go back in the spring. When the doors open onto whatever's outside and it's warm enough to enjoy the stone walls rather than freeze against them."

Another item for the list that was quietly building between them. Edinburgh in summer. The Secret Garden in spring. A whole world of firsts still waiting. But it was his next words that made her steps slow almost imperceptibly, her breath catching in the cold air.

This is the woman I've waited so long for the chance to proudly stand beside.

She looked up at him in the snow-softened Edinburgh streetlight, this man who had called his Ministry colleagues to ask detailed questions about a restaurant because he wasn't willing to gamble with her experience, who had practiced a necklace clasp just in case she'd let him put it on, who carried her in his mind so carefully even when she hadn't known it.

"You asked that poor person approximately forty seven questions about a restaurant," she said softly, "because of me." It wasn't quite a question. More like something clicking into place. "The world is our oyster," she repeated, her voice warm and a little wondering as they continued walking, the station lights beginning to glow through the falling snow ahead of them. "I think I like the sound of that."

She squeezed his hand, the hot chocolate warming her fingers from one side and Bishop warming everything else entirely. "Festivals, parks, restaurants, the Secret Garden in spring." A small, contented exhale. "I want all of it. Every single adventure." She looked up at him once more, her crystal blue eyes soft and certain in the winter dark. "As long as it's with you."

[Bishop Santos]

Bishop smiled at her saying they should come back. "I was hoping you'd be up for it," he nodded. "I think it'll be rather lovely," though truly it was her he knew that would be the lovely thing.

He chuckled at her guess of how many questions he asked her, "I don't know if it was that many, but I wasn't exactly keeping count," which was as close to admitting she was probably right as he was going to get at that moment, but just for the fun of the moment. When she said she liked the sound of the world being their oyster, he smiled again, "We've already found some great pearls." He said in agreement with her list of their plans so far.

"I want it to. Honestly, when we get to the heart of it," he looked up as they were reaching the station, "I just want you, Beau. And I want to make you happy," he looked at her, "That's insanely sappy, I know, but it's the truth of it. When you smile, I could take on anything," he smirked, blushing at the confession, but that's what these kinds of nights were all about, right?

"I'll take every adventure, every date, every conversation I can get. So long as I keep getting to see you happy." He led her to the train car, "But let's get in here and let you have that brownie before it actually gets cold," he smirked softly.