Sugar, you [Emma]

There was a good reason the pair started getting ready for nice events hours before they actually had to be anywhere. Her beauty routine was long and regimented, he tended to get caught up in how many options he had and could figuratively get lost in his walkin closet. More than once she'd threatened to get rid of all of his clothes until he only had one or two options left, but it was always lightly teasing, and not a threat she'd ever follow up on. She secretly kind of loved how his mind got caught up in a thousand possibilities, and all the ideas that opened up to him. She didn't always understand how his brain worked...but she still loved it.

At the sound of her name her head popped out of the bathroom, hair in curlers, face slightly shiny from whatever concoction she was currently putting on it. She was still wrapped in a silk robe, the dress would be pretty much the last thing to go on.

She put her hands on her hips, glancing down at his boxers. "No. This isn't some sort of alt-type fashion show...you might get away with it there...here...we would both be laughed out of the place, and I won't have it." The comment was half kidding, half serious before she turned to his closet.

"Hmm. I'm wearing dark blue and silver...so I would suggest either the black Prada or the silver-ish Armani...if you wear the silver I'd wear the matching vest...the black...hmmm I'd have to see what you've got...either choice, I believe you have a tie that almost matches my dress you should wear..."

He considered possibilities in all of their forms. She tended to know exactly what she wanted, and didn't tend to take too much time considering all her other choices. Her expression softened as she turned back to him. "And either way, you look really good in either one."

He was glad that they seemed to just click into each other's quirks and habits, their mornings tended to run like a well oiled machine when he didn't throw a wrench in that getting stuck, but she took that in stride, she never complained beyond light teasing about his almost compulsive indecisiveness, and he never said a peep about how long it sometimes took her to completely get ready. He wouldn't have said a word even if she hated his habits, because he loved her, and watching the things she could accomplish was an art form all its own. There were times where he just liked to sit and watch her go through the process, appreciating every meticulous step.

He laughed when she half-joked at him, striking a confident pose, "oh yeah? I'd be the bell of the ball then, right?" He shook his head and followed her when she headed into his closet, taking in her suggestions with a thoughtful ear and nodding, "this is why I ask you about these things, Em." He chuckled, settling finally on the silver suit and vest she'd suggested before digging for the tie she'd pointed out that did in fact match the dress she was wearing. His cheeks flushed lightly at her parting comment and his expression became bashful, "flatterer." He chuckled, carrying the outfit out before finally getting himself dressed.

"I am the fashion expert after all!" She laughed as she looked over his shoes. "Since you're wearing a blue tie, I'd put black shoes with that." She pulled a pair down and handed them to him. "That should do it! Oh, except maybe some cufflinks. Blue or silver, please." She smiled, narrowing the decision down for him before he could ask.

The flattery comment made her laugh again and she shook her head. "I am not...journalistic integrity, darling. I speak only the truth...I would *never* tell you you looked good in something you didn't. It would go against everything I stand for and believe in." She winked at him playfully.

She came closer, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Now...have I missed anything?" She asked with a smile, knowing that if she had, she'd be back out here soon enough. "I just have to do my hair and my makeup...only a little longer, I promise." A little longer probably meant the better part of an hour though, he still had some time until he had to be ready to walk out the door.

He nodded, glad to take the shoes she'd pulled down for him, it was nice to have someone who just knew these things, since he could waffle over choices for hours otherwise, Emma kept him in line, kept his brain on the right track without completely trying to shut it off. He opened his mouth, about to ask about cuff-links before she seemed to read his mind, chuckling softly, "blue it is then!" He smiled as he flicked over the contents of his closet, picking them out before kicking the door shut behind them when they were both out.

"I would prefer honesty over white lies anyway." He smiled at her, "less embarrassing incidents that way, right?" She wasn't entirely playing, he knew she really could be one of the most brutally honest people that he knew, but he found it endearing. He liked hearing exactly what she thought about things, even when those things were turned on him. She'd saved him from a lot of faux pas brought on my his lack of social skills on several occasions. Some people hated that kind of honesty, but he valued it.

His eyes softened when she leaned to kiss him on the cheek and he chuckled softly, "hmm nothing that I can think of." He watched her head back to her own preparation with a fond smile, "take your time, the socialites will wait." He didn't know that for sure, but he knew he had a while, so he didn't rush getting himself entirely put together and ready, giving himself a once over, "not bad." He glanced to where she was getting ready, coming to lean int he doorway, "so. Big social fashion event. Who am I?" He always liked to figure out exactly what was expected of him from these events, content in his role even if it happened to be arm candy, he was just happy to go places with her, even if that meant merely smiling and nodding. The less talking the less chance for him to mess up, he supposed.

She took her time working on her face, her hair was still to come but her makeup was just about finished when he spoke to her again from the other room. He stepped around the corner and she turned to look at him, her eyes lighting up the way they did every time he had on something she particularly liked. SHe thought he was cute all the time but there were absolutely things that suited him more than others...and a nicely tailored suit was one of those things. And he was always so willing to go along with her suggestions and ideas for his outfit and it was quite fun.

"Not bad is an understatement." She nodded approvingly.

She stood up from the sink, starting to pull the curlers free, hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders.

"You are my handsome date for the evening! First part of the evening I'll be talking to people about their designs and such. You don't have to say much, just hang out, look cute, and don't do anything embarrassing." She teased with a smile.

"Then the second part we get front row seats and just watch the show take place. And there'll be snacks and drinks and such, it'll be fun!"

There had been a point where she'd have been worried about taking him to such an event, but he'd proved a quick study on high society, and honestly she loved going places with him, he always had some irreverent little quip just between the two of them, and she was pretty sure he enjoyed these things too, she imagined he'd have said no if he didn't. She fluffed out her hair, reaching for some silver hair pins, tucking some strands up and out of the way, leaving others trailing around her shoulders and neck.

He grinned and cut another pose for her this time, "yes. Once again your tastes are impeccable, Em. As if there was ever any doubt." He chuckled, straightening his tie and his suit and watching with that admiring interest as she finished getting ready herself, listening closely to her words as she explained what they would be doing tonight, "handsome arm candy. Got it." He grinned playfully, "for the better I'm sure, I don't know a damn thing about fashion..." But he was still eager to share it with her, he was always eager to attend things with her, to watch her light up as she got in her element and to see the fire in her eyes, it was amazing, and worth the occasional slip ups he was prone to having.

After a moment he came to stand beside her, enjoying how well their outfits really did got together, "they're going to be jealous of us, hm?" He chuckled and cast a glance her way, "me more so, because I get to show up with you, and they don't." He stuck his tongue out at that, a playful expression, he loved her no matter how made up or not she was, even though he didn't know if she believed him, he thought she was just as gorgeous fresh in the morning as she was now, he tried to tell her often, but not enough that it was obnoxious, and he hoped she could see in his eyes that he meant every word.

She tucked the last bits of hair into proper place. "Only, these are like fancy rich people fashions...so you have to act as though you don't really care, no matter how much you like something." She gave him an amused smile. "Just smile and nod and say things like 'ah yes, very nice color'..."

She turned back to him, giving him a quick peck on the lips, nothing lingering so as not to get lipstick all over both of them in the process.

"I don't care if they are jealous. I don't care about them...I get to come back home after with you again. And that's the best part." She hadn't known what to think of him at first, but now she couldn't imagine her life without him there. He made her happy in ways she didn't even know she could feel.

"Now..." She slipped off the robe and stepped into the blue dress that had been hanging up behind her. "Zip me up the back? I can't quite reach all the way to the top..." She pulled her hair aside and turned her back towards him to help her.

He nodded as she spoke, giving a grin, "Ah. Aloof and disinterested. Duly noted." He gave her a playful wink in response to her offered advice, glad for her guidance, he was often lost at social gatherings like this without her, and ended up saying something crass and pointed without really meaning to. He'd always been a bit prickly to strangers, but having her there tempered his sharp edges a bit, he was thankful for her presence.

His own face brightened, not just at her kiss, but at her words which touched him deeper than he realized. Realizing that this was a woman who had her pick of the litter, and realizing that she chose him out of everyone, it made him appreciate her all the more. He chuckled softly and nodded, "I'll drink to that." He gave her a fond smile, avoiding lifting a hand to give her an affectionate brush over her cheek, she wouldn't take kindly to him potentially mussing up what she'd done, he could respect that, "hmm crashing in bed after knowing I get to wake up with you is pretty nice too." He countered her sweet words with his own.

He nodded when she slipped out of her robe and into her dress, stepping closer to gently and carefully zip her dress up, "There. All done." He smirked and stole a kiss to the back of her neck, a fairly safe and make up free area, before she had a chance to lay her hair back down, chuckling softly, "think that's everything we need, right?" It was more a reassurance that he wasn't forgetting anything than him rushing her, for all his brilliance he could be an absent minded man, he always had to triple check that he had everything.

"Thank you, darling." She smiled over her shoulder as he zipped up the dress, stepping back to the sink for the final touches, a matching set of chunky silver necklace and bracelet that she fastened in place.

She turned back to him, sweeping him up and down once, circling around and looking behind to, reaching out a hand to smooth down a crease in the back of his jacket, the hand lingering affectionately there for a few more moments.

"My shoes and handbag are on the bed, then I'm ready to go. You are looking perfect!" She smiled before heading out of the bathroom and to the bedroom, taking just a few more moments to get the last two things. She came back out of the bedroom, heels clacking across the old fashioned tile floors to rejoin him.

"The car should be waiting for us downstairs...I believe we're ready!" They each had their own cars for their personal use, but events like this she tended to prefer the use of a driver, less things to deal with like parking and walking and the like. and one could get right to the mingling.

He nodded in response to her thanks, "anything for you, Em." He let her give him the once over to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything important, pleased with her approval. Not that he doubted he looked pretty alright, especially since she chose his clothes, and she always had the best eye for that sort of thing.

He eagerly followed her into the bedroom so she could grab the last two effects of her outfit, "well it's hard not to look perfect when I have an eye like yours putting me together!" He gave her an affectionate grin, following her out and into the main room as he went over a mental checklist in his head, nodding, "think so! Nothing is coming to mind that needs doing." He was glad for that, the less last minute details, the quicker they could get there, he was actually growing a little excited for this, "Shall we head out then?" He held a hand out to her.

It was still sometimes so strange reflecting on the things he had right now, things he'd never really seen for his future in the past, and it was hard not to get a little sentimental sometimes when his mind went down that path. He cleared his throat after a moment, "we might see Dianne there too, or it seems like the sort of place she'll be!" He was excited for that too, it was always nice to catch up with his friends.