Senior Standoff | RETIRED VERSION

Season 4 - Episode 2 | NOT REVISED

All I had been told was to dress pretty. Which, Asher added, was my default. And, even if it made me grin, it also made me spend far too long contemplating what to wear. None of the dresses I tried on felt right. Liv ended up lending me a purple dress, which was a little snug considering she was a bit thinner than I was. At least it looked better than anything in my closet. The scrutinizing eye I used to look over myself in the mirror had mostly approved.

But it did the trick. Asher let out a long, low whistle when I opened the door, eyes wide and running over every part of me. I was surprised by how much he had cleaned up. Instead of his usual leather and jeans, he was wearing a pale orange dress shirt with a black tie loosely looped around his neck. Still wore his boots, but they were tucked under the black dress pants.

Footsteps padded down the stairs, creaking on the loud step near the bottom. My eyes flicked back over my shoulder. Ky was dressed in his pajamas. He looked up at us for a second, turned the corner, and disappeared into the kitchen. No emotion had registered on his face. Not a sound had left his mouth.

"Ouch," Asher said quietly.

"Used to it," I said and sighed. Maybe it wasn't easy, but the sting had worn away.

Asher grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. Cold air enveloped my bare legs, pulling up goosebumps. Fortunately, it wasn't freezing. Getting into the cab of the car, the temperature rose significantly. I loved the heat. I'd always preferred hot to cold.

"Okay, so, we're going to be outside," Asher said. He turned the key and sparked the ignition. "I brought plenty of blankets to keep warm. Hopefully it won't be too bad, or we'll be stuck in the car."

In the back seat was a pile of blankets. Asher's favorite band filled the air, along with the air currents from the heater. I sat back. The car climbed hills through neighborhoods and strip malls, all the way up into the stars. Asher sang along to the heavy rock music. His hands slapped a beat on the steering wheel. He parked the car at the top of a mountain with a lookout over the whole city. I'd hiked up here once or twice with Ky and Liv.

Asher politely opened my door for me. He set a blanket out along the hood of his car, and covered us with another two. We sat back against the windshield. The glass was cold, but quickly warmed as I curled up under his arm.

From here, the whole city was a painting of colorful lights and roads snaking between. Headlights crawled along between buildings. The dark sky posed as a perfect background, fading into a sparkling display of stars. I followed Asher's finger between different constellations, right to the brightest star in the sky, which turned out to be Venus.

"Happy Valentine's Day," Asher whispered, his breath warm against my ear. His lips leaving a gentle kiss against my cheek. My mouth curled into a small smile as I squeezed his hand. I'd never experienced a moment more flawless. A date that I could have dreamed up more perfectly.

Before too long, Asher disappeared in his car and returned with a dinner that Finn had helped him with. His brother, a cook at a local restaurant, had helped him make pasta, salad, dinner rolls, and had snuck in a little pink wine. Not enough to get us drunk, but enough to enjoy.

"I'm not sure I'm much of a wine guy," Asher admitted after taking a sip from his glass. "I think I prefer a bottle of beer."

"Yeah, I can't do beer," I said. The wine was sweet and fruity, the flavor of the alcohol barely present. It wouldn't be hard for me to get drunk from this. I would be able to keep drinking it for hours.

"That's why it's not beer. This is supposed to be for you," Asher said.

"Hey, it should be for you, too," I said.