Date or not A Date? [[Alcide]]

[Kimberly Hollingsworth]

Kimberly was nervously soothing her blonde hair. She managed to brush it into submission and it was now framing her face. She had not had the time to wash it so it would just have to do.

She had debated over what to wear and had finally decided on white jeans with a yellow tube top. Something that looked good on her but wasn't overly done. She wasn't wearing earrings or shoes either, trying to keep it natural.

She hadn't been sure what kind of food Alcide liked so she had settled on making a quick vegetable and steak wok. She hoped he would like it and wouldn't think she was trying too hard.

The mess in the living room had been sorted out and the place looked almost tidy. Now, all she had to do was to wait for him to arrive. She looked at her clock and sat down on the couch with the latest People Magazine.

[Alcide Herveaux]

Alcide had hurriedly arrived in his Ram. He wanted to see her, but at the same time, he also wanted to get it over with. Having the burden of having to tell her was just too much. He had mulled it over in his mind on the way over to Kimberly's home about how it should be done. The poor gal didn't even know that he was a werewolf, and now he was going to drop the bomb that he couldn't really date her? Or have anything to do with her?

This was turning out to be bad. Why couldn't anything go right for him? It didn't seem fair! Alcide lived a normal life, he tried to get along with the right people, he treated women appropriately. What more could karma need in order for him to redeem the happy life he had once had?

Alcide arrived and got out of his truck. Since it was still summer, and he had worked during the day, Alcide was dressed in a sleeveless black button up collared shirt and a pair of blue work jeans that had seen better days. He might have looked a little ratty, but he made sure he smelled good.

The big man trudged his way to Kimberly's apartment, where he knocked three times on her door. He didn't know where to put his hands so he shoved the meaty monsters into his pockets, waiting for her to answer.

[Kimberly Hollingsworth]

Kimberly was sure her stomach was up in knots waiting for Alcide to arrive. She had read the People magazine cover to cover and was getting antsy and more nervous by the minute. Just when she was sure he was not coming, she heard a knock on the door.

With a quick glance into the mirror to see that everything was still presetable, she raced to the door and opened it with a sunny smiled plastered on her face.

"Hi. Welcome. Come in," She said, feeling awkward for some reason. As if she had somehow lost the ability to behave normally around this man. He's just a man, she tried reminding herself as her eyes were peeled to his from.

"So glad you could make it. I made some dinner, if you are hungry," Kimberly said, pointing towards the kitched where the smell of steak and vetatable wok was coming from.

[Alcide Herveaux]

All the feelings he had for Kimberly that had slightly dispersed suddenly flared back to life the moment he set eyes on her. Oh crap. This was going to be a lot harder than what he expected. She welcomed him in, and he moved past her and into her apartment. He was overcome by the girlish interior of the apartment, it didn't make him gag by any means, he had made over an all pink house for a Louisiana celebrity at one point in his life, and this paled in comparison. But it was certainly more than what he was used to.

"Yeah, I'd like some dinner if you don't mind too much," Alcide genuinely smiled as his stomach growled with anticipation, though he was anxious to tell her the sad news, he couldn't outweigh his natural needs for eating.

He recognized the aroma as steak in a heartbeat. There was nothing quite like a Louisiana steak, it reminded him of the little animals he got to hunt in the woods during the full moon. Alcide wondered for a second if Kimberly enjoyed any wild exploits being a witch. He still hadn't gotten around to talking to Kyle about witches... Perhaps he'd ask her himself?

Alcide removed his shoes, just as a courtesy, and not much of his giant height dropped. He still hovered above nearly everybody, and the only person that plainly met his height was Eric the vampire. Alcide had a pleasant semblance despite the terrible knowledge he was hiding from her. He had to ask himself if it was sick to eat her food and fix her things and then drop her like a bad habit...

If it was his choice and Debbie wasn't in the picture, he'd grab her hand and coax her into dating him, no matter what. But here was this invisible brick wall in the form of an angry lynx, a brick wall that Kimberly didn't even know existed yet!

The gentleman rubbed his broad hands together and looked at her, "so what have you been up to lately?"

Was she going to be honest? If she was honest, maybe, well... maybe not... he'd be honest with her. Maybe he'd just put it out there right away... But that would just ruin her night. He pressed the issue into the back of his brain as he eagerly awaited her response.

[Kimberly Hollingsworth]

"Yeah, I'd like some dinner if you don't mind too much,"

"Well I made it to be eaten. I absolutely love cooking but since I don't really have anyone to cook to, I relish these moments. I know it's silly but had I not have a passion for nursing, I would be a great Italian chef," Kimberly laughed and welcomed the man into her humble residence. She was well aware that she was a study in contradictions; a witch who enjoyed cooking, washing clothes, ironing and generally a lot of the household chores.

Alcide appeared tense for a moment and Kimberly could sense hesitanse from him. It must be something to do with that woman she and Belle had run into at Fangtasia. She was wondering should she bring it up or not but decided that it would probably be the best to tell him before Debbie would get a chance to twist the meeting into something more.

"so what have you been up to lately?"

"I've been pretty busy trying to get my healthcare clinic running. It's been a nightmare so far, finally the building itself is done but now I need to start hiring staff and then eventually seeing patients." Kimberly started, suprised at how she could not bring up Debbie in this casual conversation. She needed to thought.

"Look, I was in Fangtasia the other night and this woman came up to me screaming and calling me a wh*re and she was apparently your girlfriend. Her name was Debbie and she made some pretty big threats," Kimberly started, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her for not telling him about the comfrontation sooner.

"Also, I don't want you hearing it from her but I'm a witch," Kimberly admitted, not looking at him in the eyes.

"I hope you don't hate me for not telling you honestly what I am before. I have never told anyone before," Kimberly said, suddenly for some reason fighting back tears. She was determined to not cry and not make a fool out of herself in front of him.

[Alcide Herveaux]

The way Kimberly indulged herself into her conversations was extremely alluring. She didn't seem to hold back, at least on most things that were important to her. He casually smiled at her and nodded, showing that he understood. Kimberly talked about how she was opening a clinic--wow, another thing they had in common--and he wanted to know more about it. He knew she had it in her to talk more about her clinic, but she stopped and started onto something completely different.

"Look, I was in Fangtasia the other night and this woman came up to me screaming and calling me a wh*re and she was apparently your girlfriend. Her name was Debbie and she made some pretty big threats,"

The color from Alcide's bronzed face turned many shades lighter. Debbie. Debbie had already gotten to her, before he could listen anymore, his searching green eyes looked at the visible skin parts of her body to see if Debbie had hurt her. He didn't see anything right away, and she did mention that Debbie threatened Kimberly.

All of this was coming too fast and then with a whack she spilled that she was a witch, well, he already knew that much. But what could he say besides clarifying that yes, they sorta kinda were dating but yet weren't? It would be a typical male thing to do to say that they 'weren't' dating anymore, and it would ultimately either lead to Kimberly's death or a terrible heart break.

Alcide pressed his two fingers to the top of his temples. Now he knew how Summer Morgan felt when Colonel Flood blurted that he knew her father. He felt ill and overcome with sweatiness. Alcide didn't wait for her to ask him to sit, he needed to have a seat. He plopped down with a thud on her kitchen chair and leaned forward with his head in his hands. If he was a lesser man, he'd be crying, but Alcide wasn't a lesser man.

"Kimberly, I--... I am so sorry you had to hear it from Debbie," Alcide mumbled from beneath his palms, "I guess she is my girlfriend."

It pained him to have to utter the word 'girlfriend', but there was no way around it. Even if they weren't dating, Kimberly would be hurt if Alcide tried anything more with the beautiful witch. So what happened now? He managed to lift his face and look at Kimberly for answers.

"If you want me gone now, so be it... just know that it's for the better... Kimberly," he shook his head, his eyes fluttering mercilessly, fighting back all the emotions he held back for weeks, "she's crazy."

He didn't even bother telling her that he knew she was a witch; that wasn't what was important. He just wanted to know what Kimberly thought of him now that the truth was out.