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WHO: Miles, Bel
WHERE: Downtown Nonah
WHEN: April 1st
WHAT: Miles and Bel have themselves a date~
WARNINGS: Maybe some kissing and stuff. Will edit if they get into dark conversation topics.

[ Miles know this is a one off - must be a one off, something more (or less?) than a one night stand, something far less than a romantic relationship. And he is happy with Kitty, as happy as he is ever going to be with someone who isn't Gregor, Bel included. But - he's greedily excited for all of this anyway. His own feelings have become tangled around the subject of Bel, and having the opportunity to act on them in a safe context is freeing. He's not the only one needing to work out some unrequited feelings, as paradoxical as that seems.

He sends Bel the address and a time: around seven PM on April Fool's, at a gorgeous vegetarian restaurant downtown. Hard to get into at this hour, he'd found out; he'd had to lean a bit on his status to get them a table. The place styles itself as a vintage place (though it all looks "vintage" to Miles anyway), with a gilded gold look inspired by the artwork of Gustav Klimt. It's all perhaps a bit too upscale, but if Miles is only going to do one date, he's going to do it right, dammit. Starting (but not ending) with a damn good dinner.

He's there at the table ahead of Bel. Cutting quite a nice figure in his dark brown suit laced with silver accents. The suit that Gregor had given him for his birthday last year; the irony of wearing it to a date with Bel because Gregor isn't here is not lost on him. But - for tonight, he's not going to ache over any of it. He's going to enjoy this moment as hard as he can. ]

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[ From the man who takes the same tea every morning? Practically freewheeling out into the unknown. Bel can't help but laugh, a short, delighted burst. ]

Of course. I can't say I'm entirely up on etiquette, I'll warn you. [ It's a lie, naturally. Bel's tastes run expensive. ]

That's all right. [ Said all in a rush. Miles is probably going to vibrate through most of this evening. ] We're imports anyway, so it's not as though we're expected to behave.

[ Though Miles is at least used to the pomp of a formal dinner, given how many he's sat through. A nice restaurant is just a variation on that theme. ]

We can do something less formal after, as well.

No... I don't mind being spoiled a little bit. [ A thumb and forefinger measure it out in the air. They pause, taking it all in again. ] .. You really did go all out, didn't you?

[ Miles bows artfully over the table. ]

I have to fit everything into one date, after all. Why not go all out?

To be honest, I wasn't sure you'd take it seriously.

[ And half didn't know what to do now that he did. They'd be chasing this for so long, what on Earth did they do with it now that they've caught it. ]

I should know not to guess at you, by now.

[ Miles just warms at that statement, not seeing that uncertainty. ]

You should. But that's part of what you like, right? Me surprising you?

Good Lord, I think I would have killed you by now if I didn't. I think that was Oser's allergy, actually.

[ Miles blinks over at them. ]

You think he'd have liked me otherwise?

[ They pause at that, giving it some actual thought. ]

... Possibly. That first leave of absence you did gave you no favors though. I knew you'd be back, though.

[ The waiter chooses this moment to come back with their wine; Miles sips at it before responding. ]

I didn't. In fact, I'd never intended to come back.

No?

[ He shakes his head apologetically. ]

I got into the service academy after that whole mess. And I'd intended to go straight to a promising career after that.

[ Bel taps a slender finger on their lips, eyes narrow, considering Miles in light of this new information. ]

No. You'd have been back. There's no where else that lets you operate like this and wont get you summarily tried and spaced.

[ Hmm. That's ... true. And if Kyril Island hadn't happened, he'd probably have managed similar somewhere else. ]

Or court martialed. Which is sort of what happened.

Really? Which of your commanding officers did you stow in a closet that time?

[ Gee, Bel. It's like you know him. ]

... Remember that crazy Barrayaran officer with Cavillo? Metzov?

Kind of a dull shine next to the nova of crazy that was Cavillo, really, but yes.

You just weren't seeing him in his element. He was my CO on Kyril Island. And he was going to make several of his men choose between cleaning up toxic waste with no protection and freezing to death in the cold.

[ They let out a low whistle.... and swallowed a remark generalizing Barrayar wisely. ]

How did you magic out of that one?

[ He makes a face. ]

Good old fashioned nepotism. I stripped naked and joined the men. He could have killed all of them, but not me. I was the Prime Minister's son, after all.

After that, Da hushed it up. I sat in ImpSec's basement for a few weeks in exile before being placed under Simon's jurisdiction.

So you took yourself hostage.

[ Miles nods at that. ]

Exactly. Nearly died anyway, but - well, what else could I do?

[ Stood by and watched certainly wasn't it. ]

... You know, I don't think there's as much difference between Vorkosigan and Naismith as Quinn talks it up. Not when you really get down to it.

He did come from somewhere. He's mostly just... me, out of my box.

Well, we all find our ways to survive where we don't exactly fit in. [ As - much like Quinn - Bel thinks the box is the false state, rather than the natural one.

The follow up they seemed about to engage in is cut short as the first course is set down unobtrusively in front of the two of them. Only then, they seem to remember the wine was set down. ]