Our Own After Party (Natalie)

[William Blake]

It had been an exceedingly good evening so far. Despite from the slip up with Anna earlier, both he and Ben unwittingly tag teaming to make her turn the colour of a traffic light, there hadn't been any hiccups or any trouble, not on their table anyway. He'd spent his time helping himself to food and talking with Natalie. She was so beautiful, especially tonight. The crew winning the award was just the cherry on top of the cake.

The ceremony came to a close and a swing band began to play. Good choice of music. Will had refrained from dancing... at all really, in the past. There was no point, because he felt it was slightly embarrassing, and girls hadn't been interested. But, seeing many of the other couples take to the floor, he had a sudden craving to get up there with Natalie. Maybe it would help to lay the ground work for something else he had in mind for later as well.

Rising to his feet, Will held out a hand to Natalie, taking on the role of the gentleman. "Ms. Fairholm," he addressed her, a smile upon his handsome face, "would you do me the honour of granting me this dance?" They hadn't done much past slow dancing before, so he wasn't sure how confident she was about it, but he would certainly do his best to lead her.

[Natalie Blake]

After they'd entered the actual dining hall, dinner itself sailed by smoothly, and Natalie found herself having a good time eating the strange, fancy foods and simply chatting with Will. It was nice to just spend time with him like this, when they didn't have work or anything getting in the way. It was like they'd gained an extra night of shore leave, almost.

Once all the awards had been handed out and the ceremony had drawn to an end, a band came out onto the stage and began to play and multiple couples immediately went out onto the floor to dance. Natalie had never learned how to properly dance, and it had never really mattered much before. But she hadn't known Will then.

Now not only was she going to have to prove prove what a klutz on the dance-floor she was, she was going to have to do it in heels. Oh what fun.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered a smile and took his hand. "All right, Mr Blake," she agreed, getting to her feet and letting him lead her out to join the others. Hopefully he knew what he was doing, or they'd be the most foolish looking couple on the floor, stumbling around like a couple of lunatics.

[William Blake]

Natalie was tentative, that was clear to see. So it boiled down to one of two options, either she could dance and she was nervous, maybe she thought she couldn't, OR, she couldn't/didn't know how to dance, but wasn't going to say anything about it. He'd be able to tell pretty quickly what the situation was, and whether to go easy on her or not. He didn't want them both tripping over and flying into a table or something. Now, that would be embarrassing.

Closing his fingers round hers, Will led her over to the dance floor, taking a breath. This was either going to go very well or horribly wrong. He hoped it would be the former. He pulled Natalie gently into hold, making sure her hands were in the right place. Then, he moved off slowly, doing the same steps as the other couples, but at about half the speed so he could get a feel for how this was going to go.

They seemed to be doing all right, and the more time that they went without falling over, the more confident Will got at leading. "Not too bad, huh?" he said, referring to her earlier apprehension at coming up here. They didn't look bad, that was for sure, maybe even good. As long as Will kept his concentration and watched for other couples, they'd be fine.

[Natalie Blake]

Putting all her trust in Will, Natalie let him pull her into his arms and start to dance. Just follow his steps, don't think too much about it, let the music carry you... That was all that kept running through her head, all that kept her feet moving, and after a little while she managed to tune out the chanting and do it instinctively.

"I guess not," she said in reply to his question, laughing a little, "It's actually kind of nice." Now all she had to do was focus on not stepping on his feet or tripping over her own, and maybe they'd make it through the evening without suffering injury.

Just her luck, as if that were some sort of cue, she only just managed to avoid crushing his toes by lurching her foot to the side, which caused her to stumble and fall into his chest. "Sorry," she said quickly, biting her lip to stop from giggling like a fool at her clumsiness and peering up at him through her eyelashes.

Even from the first time she'd met him, Natalie had thought that Will was attractive, and that fact hadn't changed any. But seeing him tonight just proved to everyone else how handsome he was. It wasn't just how he looked in a tux, it was simply the way he was carrying himself with an understated power that made it so blatantly obvious.

And, at least for the moment, he was solely hers to admire. She grinned a little at the thought, and on impulse leaned up to press her lips against his in a tender kiss. Kissing Will was far better than kissing any other man had been. Before it had always been something to enjoy for the moment and then forget about tomorrow. Sharing a kiss with Will was like a prelude to what could be, what might happen. And it was exhilarating.

[William Blake]

Will smiled as she let out a laugh, becoming more comfortable with the dance. Great, that was exactly what he had been hoping. He guessed it was true, what people said about a good leading man. That made him feel even more confident about it, because Natalie was enjoying it. Dancing was nothing to really be afraid of, even if it was busting out doing the YMCA, as long as you're having fun, that's all that matters really.

He light out a slight 'oof' as she hit his chest, more out of surprise than anything else, she couldn't really cause any real damage to him by falling into him like that. "You're forgiven," he said with a smirk, looking down at her.

There was something in her eyes, a look that she was giving him, then a grin spread across her face. A let out a low chuckle, he knew what that look was. He'd seen it before, with more ferocity. Natalie's look was more subtle, enticing him in, intending to give him what he wanted, while she got what she wanted too.

Will met her lips, lingering for a moment, before she pulled away just a smidgen, he could still feel her breath on his lips. He untangled his arms from hers, brushing her hair away from her face as he stole another one, a little deeper this time - nothing too raunchy, as they had an audience after all.

[Natalie Blake]

At least Natalie was light enough that her falling into Will couldn't really hurt him, and she grinned--a little sheepishly--when he told her it was all right. "Well, that's good to know. Those of us with two left feet are very sensitive about our klutziness, you know," she joked lightly, trying not to look overly chagrined.

At least she didn't have long to be embarrassed, what with Will's mouth on hers effectively distracting her. No matter what, he was always able to kiss her senseless. But, since they weren't exactly alone she forced herself to pull away and offered him a smile instead. After stealing another couple of quick kisses, she pulled back a little to watch their feet again.

After nearly stepping on his feet at least another half-dozen times, Natalie decided firmly that she'd get off the floor as soon as this song ended. As nice as being this close to him was, she was disgracing herself terribly, both by moving oddly to avoid stepping on him and by giggling a little every time it happened. No doubt Will was finding it either comical or simply annoying.

When the song--finally--came to an end, she shook her head at him, smiling. "All right, I'm done," she laughed, "My luck has been tested more than enough for one night. It's time I get off the floor before my hopeless flailing injures someone, myself included."

[William Blake]

"I know, darling," he said with a smirk, "but believe me, people with two right feet feel exactly the same way." He grinned down at her. He'd already proved this evening that he had no problems dancing, and judging from the kiss which she laid on him, he figured that Natalie liked it, even if she was unsure about her own skills.

Her kisses were always so sweet, a hidden passion behind them, and he thoroughly enjoyed locked his lips with hers. He did get the hint when she pulled away though, this wasn't really the place for that. Returning her smile, they resumed their dance. Natalie was feeling more self conscious, that was easy to tell, because her head was almost permanently looking down at her feet, and she jumped slightly every time she barely messed, letting out a small, embarrassed laugh. It just made him chuckle.

When she said she was done, Will hesitated. Some part of him actually wanted to continue, but the other part chose to respect Natalie's wishes. "We don't want that now, do we?" he said with a slight smile. Pulling back from her, he kept a gentle hold on one of her hands, pressing a kiss to her soft skin, a hopefully romantic gesture that made peoples' heads turn.

"What do you want to do now?"

[Natalie Blake]

"True, but those of you with your feet in the right places don't usually display your clumsy nature quite so often as we do," Natalie pointed out, shaking her head a little in amusement. The two of them always seemed to go on and on like this, pointless yet entertaining banter keeping them talking for as long as they so chose to keep it up.

Will looked like he was going to object at first when she said that she wanted to stop dancing, and for a moment she wondered if he was going to keep her on the floor against her will. Gentleman that he was, however, he allowed her to stop moving her feet and made do with taking her hand to plant a kiss on it. A grin spread across her face at the idyllic gesture.

At his question Natalie glanced around the room a couple of times, thinking. There were several ideas bouncing around in her head, one of which was to see if he'd been serious about that "stick wielding" session they'd discussed a few days ago. It would more than a little awkward to ask here, though, with the possibility of someone listening in on them.

In the end she just shrugged a little and turned back to Will. "That depends. Was there something you had in mind?"

[William Blake]

Will smirked, letting out a small laugh, "touche, my dear. I surrender, before this conversation gets completely out of control." He was feeling overly gentlemanly tonight, and their conversations did have a tendency to spiral into silliness, if their previous one on the beach about crabs adopting her into their fold was anything to go by.

He led her off the dance floor, it wasn't particularly the place for a conversation, especially with all the other couples still spinning around them. He too, cast his mind back to their conversation, but she was lacking stick, unless she had it hidden somewhere underneath that dress - unlikely - and he doubted the women would pay much attention to his body, more the scars that marred his skin, so it wouldn't exactly have the intended effect.

Getting his trousers off somewhere else however, he was amenable...

"Well, I wouldn't mind getting this tie off," he said, mostly meaning just that, it felt too close around his neck, "so getting out of here is definitely an option." He glanced at his watch, "but it's too early to be going back to the ship." Will sighed slightly, casting his eye around the room. He had an idea. "I have an idea," he said, "stick with me, okay?"

Keeping a hold of her hand, he headed out of the hall, and over to the elevator. Once there, they got in and went up to the top floor - it was a long ride to wait, but he managed. At the top, he stepped out and over to the emergency exit. He jiggled and shimmied the bar until the door came loose and opened, without setting off the alarm, then he gestured for her to go on through before following her, leaving the door slightly open so they could get back in again.

It turned out he had brought them out onto the roof of the building. It was one of the tallest buildings in the city, and had an amazing view out across the city for miles, all the lights twinkling beneath them. "What do you think?"

[Natalie Blake]

"I don't know, I kind of like the tie," Natalie joked, though she reached up to loosen it a little while Will himself glanced down at his watch. After a momentary pause he suddenly took her hand and began leading her through the crowd, towards the doors.

She giggled every now and then when she stumbled due to the silly shoes she was wearing, but she somehow managed to keep a hold on his hand and keep up with him as he pulled her along behind him. She only just managed to hold back from asking where they were going, not wanting to ruin the surprise. Together they stepped into an elevator, and he pushed the button for the top floor.

When the elevator slid smoothly to a stop, Natalie followed Will out and over to an emergency exit. She threw him a questioning look when he began fiddling with the handle, but it was more amused than anything else. He managed to jiggle it open, and then he gestured for her to go through first. The moment she stepped onto the roof, her hand flew up to cover her mouth in awe.

The lights of the city twinkled down below, stretching on for what seemed like forever in a parade of different colours and intensities. Though she'd never been fond of heights--as in they scared the living bejesus out of her--so long as she didn't look directly down, it was an astounding view.

"Oh, Will," she breathed, tearing her wide, mesmerized eyes off the sparkling city in order to give him a radiant smile, "It's so beautiful up here!"

[William Blake]

"I'm glad you like it," Will said, turning on his heels to take another look at the view. His quick thinking had been very welcome in this situation, he seemed to have chosen the perfect place for them to go. "I have to say," he said, looking back at her as he continued, "the view is pretty spectacular." He didn't remove his gaze from her face, a smile creeping across his face. He meant her.

After a moment, he completely removed his tie, allowing the skin at his neck the chance to breathe for the first time all evening, and unbuttoned his jacket and waist coat, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. The only problem was that it was a little chilly up here, the hairs on Natalie's arms were standing up on end.

He took her hand, twirling her gently in to him, "seeing as there is no one up here to watch," he said. Leaning down, he carefully removed her shoes, placing them out of the way, then lifted her up, spinning her round once before setting her feet upon his, taking the lead with the dancing. This way, she didn't have to worry about falling over, she could just enjoy the ride.

Will smirked a little, as the lyrics of one of the more classical songs in his collection crossed him mind. Slowing down to a gentle sway, Will rested his head against hers and began to sing quietly. "It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear. She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair." He smiled. "And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?" And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight.""

He was a romantic; who knew?

[Natalie Blake]

"How could anyone not?" Natalie asked rhetorically in response to Will's comment. At his next remark, a slightly confused look crossed her face. That's what I just said, she was about to point out, but when she glanced at him his eyes were on her rather than the view, a smile tugging at his lips. She chose not to respond, simply hiding her own grin and looking out across the city again.

It wasn't often that she got to enjoy a moment like this, were everything seemed perfect. The whole night was going so beautifully. The fact that she'd gotten to dress up was entertaining, and that she'd gotten to see Will in a tux was a definite plus. Dinner had been delicious, and the crew had actually won an award. And then, to top it all off, she got to spend the entire evening with Will. It was like something out a dream--a very, very good dream.

A slight breeze blew by and Natalie repressed a shiver as it tickled her bare back and played with her hair. The night itself was really quite nice, but high-up as they were the air had an odd tendency of getting cooler. Which, considering the fact that heat rose, had always confused her a little. But hey, she was an engineer, not a scientist.

Will took her hand again then, spinning her gently so she was directly in front of him, and she stifled a giggle when, much to her surprise, he bent down to take her shoes off for her. Once he'd straightened up he picked her up unexpectedly and spun her around. She let the laugh erupt from her lips this time, not able to stop it, and was beaming as he set her down on top of his own feet.

Dancing like this, where she didn't have to worry about mis-stepping or tripping over her own feet, was as pleasant as it was silly. It made her feel sort of goofy, like she was a little girl again, but that was fine. After all, it was only her and Will up there, so who really cared? Besides, this way she got to be in his arms again, and she certainly wasn't going to object to that.

When he began singing, Natalie bit her lip through her grin and closed her eyes for a moment so she could simply listen, relishing in the sound of his voice and the feel of his warm breath fluttering against her face as it carried out each word. She hadn't had much exposure to the romantic side of him before, but she found herself quite enjoying it.

[William Blake]

Natalie didn't quite get what he'd meant at first, but it soon became clear to her that he wasn't talking about the city, or the shining lights. To him, the actual view paled in comparison to her beauty, especially tonight. He'd have to personally thank whoever nominated the crew for this award, because it meant he got to see Natalie dressed up like this, looking so radiant - and he'd also found out about her tattoo. Again, so sexy.

Will couldn't help but chuckle as she giggled, not expecting his move, but obviously enjoying herself. He was just as happy to have her in his arms, he loved being this close to a woman, loved having the chance to be romantic. He hadn't realised he was one before because he'd never got the chance. His looks hadn't attracted the right sort of woman in the past, but Natalie was definitely the right sort of woman, the perfect woman to him.

Loved. He'd thought that word twice now without even really comprehending what it meant. He'd never been this close to anyone before, not in this way. Of course he loved Charlie and Jane like they were his own daughters, and he loved his friends, he supposed, but Natalie... this was something else. He loved this, he loved being with her, so did that mean...

Taking a breath, he paused before he began the next part of the song, because he had to be sure that if he was going to say the words, that he meant them.

"I feel wonderful tonight," he sang, his voice becoming quiet, "I feel wonderful because I see, the love light in your eyes." Pressing his lips to her forehead, he said, "and the wonder of it all, is that you just don't realize how much I love you."

[Natalie Blake]

It was almost imperceptible, but even with her eyes closed Natalie was able to pick up on Will's slight hesitation before he continued singing. At first she assumed that maybe he was just remembering the next words or something along those lines, but then when he continued his voice had softened.

He kissed her forehead after a moment and she raised her head slightly, more out of curiosity than anything else. Where had that come from? She was almost tempted to joke with him and tell him that he wanted to aim a little lower down, but he continued before she had the chance and so she stayed quiet.

It wasn't until the last three words fell from Will's lips that Natalie's eyes snapped open, wide and shocked. Within a millisecond, however, the shock had dissipated, replaced with nothing but an undisguised hope as her brown eyes searched his blue.

In her life, the only man she'd ever had say that they loved her before was her father. Beyond that, she'd never really gotten involved enough with someone to ever have the word "love" even cross her mind. She was used to a whirlwind of passion, and once that passed for there to be nothing left afterward.

But with Will, instead of rushing in, the two of them had built up to this. They'd gotten to know one another first, grown to care for each other. Love? They hadn't said as much about their relationship so far, but the more Natalie thought about it the more appropriate the word seemed. Trying not to grin too much, she leaned up to press her lips to his cheek.

"I love you too, Will."