Never Too Late For Crazy Or Love

Participants:

dirk_icon.gif robyn_icon.gif

Scene Title Never Too Late For Crazy Or Love
Synopsis Roommates can spend Valentine's Day together, too.
Date February 14, 2018

Rose and Trellis


A flower shop in the middle of his neighborhood. Inside the perfumed air is humid and warm, keeping the flowers beautiful while customers who are overdressed pause to snag at collars to allow air in.

This is not exaaaactly a place that Dirk visits often, if at all. Today, he's milling about a flower shop with a box of chocolates under his arm that he'd purchased someplace else. Inside of his coat there's a little white stuffed bear that's holding a red plush heart. It's been a long few years for everyone, while Dirk wouldn't exactly call himself special, it's been a long few years for him too.

He's not paying too much attention to his surroundings, he's focused on the different flowers that the owner has to offer. He passes by the carnations, because they're too friendly. He passes by the roses, because they're too 'lovey'. Right now he's paused in front of the lilies and one in particular has caught his attention. It's white and it's delicate fluted petals remind him of a Bug Bunny death scene. Truth be told, it seems rather fitting.

Flower shops were a place never visited by Robyn Quinn. Not anymore, at least. Rose and Trellis is the sole exception, a place where Robyn likes to go in search of ways to spice up life - flowers for her office(s), perfumes for herself and the places she lives, anything to make everything feel more alive - her new one in Rochester is desperately in need of something bright to bring some life to it after all, to go with the turntable, whiskey, and Eve Pass paintings.

It probably doesn't hurt that she has passing familiarity with the owner.

A day like today probably seems like one of the worst to be visiting a flower shop, but those spices are exactly what brings Robyn by today. She has no one to buy flowers for, and even if she did… she can't discern the colours anymore anyway, so picking out flowers was a bit of a crapshoot. She usually just says what she's looking for and is on her way.

But today, she figures, might the best day. Besides louts waiting until the last second to buy flowers for their girlfriends, she expects that most people have gotten what they need and the more-bare-than-usual shelves will have be abandoned and have just enough to provide her with a way to liven up her small corner of the Wolfhound compound.

If said out loud, that could be hurtful.

Dirk is still gazing at the calla lilies as he turns and begins walking toward the front of the shop. Because his attention is elsewhere, he doesn't recognize his roommate when he first bumps into her. "Oh jeez!" Is sounded out frantically which is a nice change from the usual Watch where you're going that would normally come out of the dainty man. He drops the chocolate and the bear when he grabs onto Robyn's arms to steady her, making sure she's—

"Oh! Hi!" He's feigning happiness to see her as he kicks the box of chocolate under a nearby shelf. The tebby bear is also kicked somewhere else. He'll find them later. "I didn't expect to see you in here Robyn! Uhmm…" and he's stalling as the gears wind in his head and he searches for the right words to say. "Plans for tonight? Sock on the door type of thing?"

Running into people and things is an unfortunately common hazard for Robyn. She tries to be more aware than that - and often, she is. But when her thoughts start to drift, so did her focus on her blindspot. The almost tumble that results for her collision is only stopped by the well timed gesture of-

Dirk?

She looks at him, eye wide in surprise, startled and trying to compose herself. "Bonjour, Dirk," is a quiet response, a small smile forming on Robyn's face as she settles her gaze on her roommate. "Tonight?" She quirks an eyebrow, shaking her head. A hand reaches up, finger scratching at her cheek. She should be in Rochester, but she'd taken her days off early this week - being at The Bunker today was literally one of the last things she wanted. "Nope," she replies with a shug and a smitk. She looks around, canting her head to the side. "I- was here to get flowers for Rochester." She's a bit befuddled, though. "I'm just as surprised, Dirk. To see you here."

Dirk's smile shows a few more teeth than Robyn is used to. He's hiding something. Right now, he's leading Robyn away from where they bumped into each other. "Can I recommend silk? They're a bit easier to keep up, you can scent them any way you want or not at all," still leading away, "did I mention no watering?"

"Well if you're not expecting company, make sure to pencil me into your agenda," he says quickly, seeming more relieved once they've left that aisle. His baby blues still dart nervously in that direction though. "I can make us a pizza or something and we can watch sappy movies together all night. You're a big fan of rom-com, right?… of course you are, everyone is!"

There's a bit of a snort - highly uncharacteristic for her - as she laughs at that. "I haven't watched a rom-com in…" It's been a while. She's not even sure when the last time she earnestly watched a movie was. Her smile widens a bit at that. "I think that sounds lovely, Dirk." And it does. Still, she can't help but study him as he talks to her. "I had planned to cook. I am more than willing to not, though."

Her eyes flick back the direction his does. "Surprised you don't have a date, to be honest." The scarred side of her mouth curls up into a smirk. "Or do you?" She reaches up, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll be around. I look forward to it. It'll be fun."

"Oh, you'll cook?" Dirk grins, giving Robyn a nudge, "you can make the pizza then. I like pretty much everything on it, so you can take your pick." Then he shrugs a little and leads her back to where the calla lilies are.

"I don't have a date exactly," he says in a lower tone, his eyes shifting toward the door and then back to Robyn. "I'm just being nice, but it's not a date exactly." He's not a private man but he's also not so public with his private life. "So aside from chocolate covered cherries, a teddy bear that says 'sorr for yur loss', do you think these flowers would give the impression that I'm not available tonight?"

Robyn blinks, turning to look over at the calla lilies. She is quiet, sizing them up for a moment. "I'd say so. They're lovely flowers." She pauses, looking over at him. She considers asking what colour they are, but she decides against it. She stares at them a moment later, before looking back to Dirk. She fall quiet, after a moment looking back at the flowers, a suddenly forlorn look on her face.

"Aw what's wrong Robyn?" Dirk says, a sudden look of concern washing over his face. He leads Robyn toward the aisle they first ran into each other. He stoops to find the chocolate covered cherries and then the teddy bear. "Why don't we take a break from all these flowers and you can tell your little Batman everything?"

Staring at the flowers a moment longer, Robyn exhales a shap breath, a weak smile forming back on her lips as she follows after Dirk. She can't help but chickle at your little Batman - somehow that never gets old. Except when it does. "Memories, is all." She eyes the bear and the candied cherries - things she didn't realise he already had when he mentioned them a moment ago.

"Trying to remember the last time I was in a flower show on Valentines." Seven years ago. She shakes her head again, a bit more forcefully, before smiling and looking over to Dirk. "Nothing for me to dwell on." A beat. "But thank you."

Dirk loops his arm around Robyn's shoulders and leads her to the door. "Lemme tell you a story about love, little Birdie," he says with a smile on his face. "I know it's hard to believe but I was in love once, during the war."

He gives her a knowing nod before she has a chance to actually say anything. "I know! Dirk Dickson settling down?" Chuckling, he opens the door to let her through, without flowers. "Met her in Thailand, yes I said her."

Robyn is a bit taken aback, looking back one time as she's lead toward the door. She had been planning on getting some flowers or perfumes, but it seemed that would wait for another tie. She listens, a look of surprise crossing her face. It's not that Dirk never struck her as the type, but… well, it's hard to put her finger on.

She stifles a sarcastic remark - clearly not appropriate, stopping as the door is opened for her. "Thailand?" She's never asked Dirk much of what he did during the war - she tends to assume most folks want to talk about it about as much as she does. She furrows the visible part of her brow, standing in the doorway and looking over at Dirk. "I had no idea. What happened?" She seems genuinely interested

"Well…" Dirk begins, heading down the road to the apartment they share. He zips his coat up against the chill and stuffs his hands in his pockets rather than lead Robyn around by the shoulders again. "When Russo and Kincaid decided to take down Studio K for good, after you disappeared, I took my severance and booted to Thailand."

It explains his eccentric decorating style, at least.

"Beaches, booze, broads," yes he's still a bit crass but he doesn't hide stuff from his beloved ~roomie~. "And then SHE walked into my life, ten pounds of crazy in a five pound bag but maaaaaaaaaaan~" His voice picks up and ends in a squeak. "Hot though, gorgeous."

"I'm still sorry about that." The disappearing act - though at least now it was evident why she disappeared, and the cause it was for. The mention of Kincaid brings a fond smile to her face - Brad as well, but she's seen him in the last 6 years. As Dirk withdraws his arm, she still walks close to him. It's chilly, after all.

"Dirk Dickson, I'm almost jealous," she remarks. Thailand - even with the problems that could arise - certainly seems like something much better than how she spent her time during the war. She walks alongside him, and while he has withdrawn his arm from her shoulders, she loops one of hers around his as they walk. "What happened?" she asks again, quieter this time.

"War," is Dirk's most simple answer. "I spent practically all of it trying to get back here."

He shivers, not because of the cold, there's a distant look in his eye. Like he's not actually looking at the apartment building they're walking toward but somewhere else entirely. "No one was flying directly to the States or anywhere near it. I hopped a boat to Cuba, then floated over to Cancun, then walked or found rides back home." Now, he passes an apologetic look to Robyn. "Sorry I wasn't here. You guys are my friends and I bailed on you when it got hard.

"Kristen would be so disappointed."

Robyn is silent for a long moment, before she leans a bit more into Dirk. "We all left behind something." She looks up at Dirk, shaking her head. "Left my fiance behind. Career. Life." She takes a deep breath. "Went through a lot to get back. You came back, when you were needed." Robyn is certainly good to have a roommate and a friend. "Kristen would be proud you did. You could've left forever. I almost did, too."

This feels weird, no way of getting around it. Not because of the fact that it's Dirk, but because this is not the person Robyn Quinn is used to being anymore - the reassuring one. Maybe she just can't help it.

"I'm sorry," Dirk says in a lower tone before bounding up the stairs to the front door of the building they share an apartment in. He unlocks it and holds it open for her, giving Robyn a sweeping bow before she passes through. "I will always open the door for a lady about to make me a pizza."

Then he lifts his head and blushes just a bit, "Well sometimes… if you see ten pounds of crazy in a five pound bag, gimme a head start, okay?"

"So am I." Her smile is a bit haunted as she keeps hold of Dirk, walking alongside him. "Try not to dwell on it. Either of us." As they reach their building, she disentagles herself from him, hands sliding into pockets instinctively as she follows after him. She smiles and returns his bow with a nod and a laugh, patting him on the shoulder.

"Might be too late for that, Dirk," she offers back as she passes by him and into the apartment. Now she has to follow through on the offer of making dinner.

"For crazy or love?" Dirk grins as he follows Robyn up the stairs. He'll let her open the next door for him, just because he's into equality like that. Their apartment is so much warmer than the outside, so his coat is quickly stripped and hung neatly on the hangar.

He beats Robyn into the kitchen and the chocolate covered cherries are deposited into fridge. Then a half empty bottle of wine is pulled out and he raises an eyebrow questioningly. Want some? "Between love and crazy, I don't think it's ever too late for either."

Robyn purses her lips at Dirk's question. Her eye flicks over to him as she holds the door. "Too late for a warning," she clarifies. There are some who would call her crazy, after all. "Never too late for crazy, too." She doesn't address the other half of the question. Love, well. Love is relative. She doesn't really think much about it. Not until recently.

But when the wine is offered to her, her expression softens. "Of course. I'll never turn down wine." She passes by him, making her way to the cabinets. One opened, two glasses set down, and then she keeps going to others. "Handmade or freezer?" is an important question. That affects the time commitment here.

"Weeellllllllllllllllllll…." Dirk drawls as he pours the wine. He slides one glass toward his roomie and lifts the other up in an air toast. "In there interest of time, we can go freezer… this time." He doesn't drink, not just yet. Not until Robyn picks up her glass.

"Now then, we have quite the selection to choose from… all six Star Wars movies, The Notebook, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days… I don't think either of us need the advice but they got a man on the moon, why not one on you, eh?" And Robyn is gifted one of Dirk's slyest smiles.

Clinking her glass against Dirk's, Robyn is quick to take a long sip of her wine. She's nodding in response to the movies, but Dirk makes his last comment, a long, thin smile forms across her face - there's the Dirk she's known so well. She takes another sip of the wine, closing the cabinets she had open, "Seen Star Wars more than I care to admit. Too early for somethin' like the Notebook."

She sets down her glass and starts towards the freezer - but suddenly diverts to Dirk, abruptly lifting up on her feet and placing a peck on his cheek. "Need a guy before I can take the advice," she offers with her own sly smile, before patting him on the cheek. She opens the freezer, retrieves a pizza, and sets it down on the counter. "And I need more wine."

“You’ll definitely be the first to know if I find one good enough.” The wine is already refilling her glass and the bottle placed empty on the counter. They can recycle or trade it later. Then he takes his glass and sweeps dramatically into the living room like a silver screen beauty queen.

There, their combined libraries of DVD’s are listed until Dirk squeals loudly. “OooOoooOoo~! Robyn we have every John Hughes here!! What is more perf-“ He’s cut off as something pings against the window. “Perf-“ cut off again as something else hits the window. Then there’s a sharp little squeal that doesn’t sound like the sharp little squeal from before, because it’s not happy. Dirk is running to the fridge.

“Quick, I need those disgusting chocolates!”

The wordless look Robyn gives Dirk is a mix of curiosity and mild displeasure - not aimed at him, but still. With a sigh, she pulls open the fridge door just as he gets there, taking a moment to drink her glass of wine before closing it once he's retrieved the candies from inside. "Sixteen Candles," she offers as her choice of movie - The Breakfast Club isn't a suitable choice to start out with, no matter how much she likes Ally Sheedy.

"Someone outside, trying to get your attention?" Robyn starts rather blithely, picking up the empty bottle of wine just to see if there's anything left inside. Disappointed, she looks back up to Dirk. "Say Anything sounds more appropriate."

Dirk races from the kitchen after slamming the door to the fridge closed. In the front entry, he digs through his jacket to get the sympathy bear. "Nothing to worry about Robyn~" he sing songs on his way through to the living room again.

She can hear the window slide open and then out the window go the chocolates and the bear. "Leave me alone!!" is yelled out, Robyn can tell from Dirk's high frantic pitch that it like isn't wanted company. And the window slams shut again. The string is pulled, the blinds slide closed so whomever is outside can't see in and more importantly Robyn can't see them.

Calmer and a bit more collected now, he picks up the suggested movie and looks it over. "I don't know why you bought this. It's so depressing," he quips, as though the scene before didn't happen at all. "Are you sure you don't want to do something like Pretty in Pink? I mean… a girl's sixteenth birthday is on the line with this one. Did I ever tell you about my sweet sixteen?"

"I…" Robyn watches the display that occurs with both worry and curiosity, he head tilting tightly askew as she watches Dirk take the bear and the chocolates and heave them out the window. Frowning, she turns dials on the stove and slides in the pizza, momentarily glad they have a gas oven in the event there's a brownout while the food is cooking.

She turns back to him with a worried expression. "Don't need to worry about much," she replies as she crosses the distance over to him. "But I do. If something's wrong, you can tell me." With that said, she looks over to where they keep the DVDs. "Pretty in Pink is always wonderful." She gives a soft chuckle as she pats him on the arm. "Sixteen Candles is my favourite. But, I love that one too."

A look back to the window. A frown."You didn't. I'm scared." Jokingly of course.

“You shouldn’t be scared,” Dirks says as he slides the DVD into the player and flops on the sofa. He settles into the perfect man-pose in front of the television: leaned back, remote in hand, feet up on the coffee table and crossed at the ankles. His arm is even stretched out across the back of the couch.

“I went to a private school and my birthday just happened to coincide with a dance that was being put on. So of course I was going to take the opportunity to rack up a few charges on the old man’s credit card.” He glances over at Robyn and raises his eyebrows, “I mean, wouldn’t you?” Then he points the remote at the television and thumbs a few buttons, turning it and the movie on. “I bought myself a car… and a date.”

Robyn quirks an eyebrow at Dirk, her smile fading a bit as she makes her way over to the couch. "Certainly. I mean…" She didn't really do school dances. They were awkward. "Mum paid for more than her f-" When Dirk gets to exactly what he bought, she stop mid thought, eye wide as looks at him.

"Did not." That's her retort. That's it. She plops down on the couch next to him, her mind drifting back to the teddy bear for a moment. Honestly, she's more interested in this story now than the movie. "Did you?" This is Dirk. "You did. Oh wow." Even her accent seems to fall away a little in her surprise.

“What?” Dirk replies, looking almost hurt by the denial. As the movie opens he nods to Robyn, looking quite serious. “For real, I did. I mean, I was turning sixteen and going to an all boys school. I wasn’t as worldly back then as I am now.” Nevermind having the wherewithal to use the old man’s credit card to buy himself a birthday present. He turns back to watch the movie and loses his place in the story for a moment. “Look at that Molly Ringwald… isn’t she something? Man, she is like a wet dream.”

cough

“I mean, she’s a very lovely woman,” he’s looking a little sheepish, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Anyway where was I… Oh yeah… car and a date… So there was this dance, right? And I really wanted to make an impression on the other guys at school because I was pretty much the last one to turn in my vee card.” He clears his throat again, this time removing his arm from the back of the sofa and placing his fist to his mouth. “The ad said escort… so I called the number and made all the arrangements… hired the limo to pick her up, yadda yadda..”

Now Dirk’s feeling a little hot under the collar so he stretches the neck out a bit to let some air in and twists his head from side to side uncomfortably. “And she gets into the car, and I give her this corsage and she had no idea what to do with it. Like, she was expecting something else.”

He turns to Robyn with a deadpan look on his face and says. “When the ad said escort, I thought they just took you places…”


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