Blind Hearted

Rebecca must have only pointed at the pastries she chose, because he heard nothing but the amount needing to be paid. That was fine, though. Patrick would enjoy being surprised by the sweet treats in the box. He trusted her judgment and he had no food allergies that he was aware of, so this would be delightful.

The wallet was slipped back into his pocket before he said, "Thank you. I'm glad you got yourself something. You deserve it."

With a handsome smile, he followed the footsteps of people with his hearing, learning where they needed to head to next. As long as Rebecca spoke up to him once in a while, there would be no problem following her. "Lead the way," he said. "I can follow your voice."

It didn't feel right to not be able to hold her hand again... More opportunities would arise, though. She seemed to enjoy holding onto him and there were more places for them to visit!
 
Rebecca smiled happily as she started to jabber away on about nothing at all, talking about the library and her school. She took her items and the backed goods back to the car quickly so they wouldn't have to lug them around as they explored more. As soon as her hands were free she quickly grabbed his again and started to pull him along, still talking happily about the places they would visit.

Two blocks past the store was the library, a three story building that held a large number of books for any taste in literature. She wandered around with Patrick for awhile in there, locating the brail section and getting him a library card before looking around at books. She helped him pick out a few to start out with before they moved on to her school, Rebecca stored the books in her purse.

The community college was the second tallest building in down, only dwarfed by the old apartment complex that was seven stories high. It was a more modern looking building and there wasn't really alot to show Patrick other than a small court yard that was cut out of the side of the building for a small town gardern. It was mostly flowers that could handle being left along for weeks on end, things that didn't need much work, so that the elder could take part in caring for it if they wished. Rebecca walked around the court yard for awhile with Patrick before taking him over to the shops.

These shops where certainly the most entertaining, they were all family owned and all made their own things. There was a soap shop and pottery place, as well as a small store that carried small knick knacks. They spent the most time there since Patrick could explore a bit more with his hands than he could anywhere else. Rebecca also shopped for a bit and got a cute mug with a dog that looked like Rodger on it, making a bit of a show out of herself as she squealed in delight at her discovery.

Eventually dinner came around and Rebecca took Patrick to a nice cafe with outdoor seating, the evening turning out to be a bit nicer than the day had been. It was warm and only slightly breezy, making it perfect to take a seat and enjoy the air. Once they were sat at a small table Rebecca gave a sigh of relief, she hadn't been active like that in a long time, she couldn't even remember the last time she just wandered around and shopped wth someone! She looked at Patrick and smiled as she got comfortable in the chair, the chatter of other eaters filling the air.

"Gosh, I think this has been the most activity I've done in months! Oh, but it was so fun! I'm so going to use that mug I got as soon as I get home!" She said excitedly.
 
Patrick made a relieved sigh as he sat in the plush chair at the table. "Same for me, actually," he laughed, rubbing at his legs after leaning his white stick against the back of his chair. There was delightful chatter and tasty aromas in the air; he could tell this was a wonderful environment. They were going to dine outside, which he could only imagine to be a beautiful sight.

There was a disturbance in the air, though. Patrick could sense it, but he was certain that nobody else did. That was better off, to not cause any panic. He was being watched, possibly even stalked. Had he not been company to a wonderful woman, he'd send a threatening message in the direction of his foes. They were after his secrets, and out to commit dastardly deeds to the realm he once called home. Probably even this one!

Before he could get too wrapped up in these thoughts, he asked, "What are you going to order?" That would help him decide what he would order as well. He couldn't read the menu, though had an idea of what he would like to eat. Overhearing some orders on their way in, along with the scents, helped him to decide.

"I think I'll have the herb chicken and pasta."
 
Rebecca, who was a regualer customer at the cafe they were currently at, new exactly what she wanted for her dinner.

"I'm gonna have the fish and chips, I get it here all the time and it never gets old." She said as she sat back as a waitor came over.

He introduced himself and set down utensils and napkins as he asked what they would like to drink.

"I'll have an iced tea please." She said politely.

She felt a little uneasy about being in a restaurant with Patrick. She didn't know if she should step in or leave Patrick to himself and let him figure things out. She had never hung out with someone who was blind like Patrick, all of her friends could easily do things on their own. She didn't want to crowd in on him though and make him feel like he couldn't handle anything, He was living on his own and doing fine! As they waited for their drinks she sat quietly, slightly conflicted on her role in what she had to do...
 
Patrick waited for the pause in between Rebecca's order and the waiter's noise of confirmation. The waiter seemed to notice he was blind, so he was patient, even smiling at the man, wishing he could notice.

"Sprite, please," he told the kind man, along with the order of the chicken and pasta. It was clear that he could handle this just fine, but never went out to eat by himself. With another person, he could be given a list of options to order. He already got so much help from her today though, so he kept to the small list of dishes he managed to gather with his other senses.

There was a silence between them now. While sitting there, he tried to think of something interesting to talk about. "Tomorrow, my blind dog will arrive," he told her, tapping a finger on the table. By 'blind dog', he meant the service dog that would help him get from place to place safely. He felt like telling her, to assure her that he would be alright and she didn't have to be too responsible for him. Not that he minded! Rebecca's company was preferred over anyone else, any time of the day.

"Perhaps, you'd like to walk with me again? Observe the progress that me and this dog make together? You can even bring Rodger. We'll make it a double doggy date." he spoke in a hopeful tone, his smile shy.
 
After Patrick made is order, Rebecca's slipped her's in quickly before the waiter left them to their silence. When he mentioend that he'd be getting his service dog she couldn't help but feel a little relieved, with the dog around she wouldn't be so worried about Patrick wandering around on his own, that thought made her a bit nervous. She giggled a bit at the mention of the double doggy date and nodded her head while she spoke.

"Of course! Rodger would love the company I'm certain. We could go to the park and maybe have a picnic some day if you have the time. I'll pack it and we can just hang out at the park for a day." She said, already marking it on her metal calander.

She was actually very interested in the service dog, curious about how it would handle and such. Also, if anything went wrong at least she could be there to help him on the way back. Another small silence passed ovwer them before Rebecca sould think of anything to say.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself...The town really isn't much but it works out in the end." She said as she looked around at the other people eating and talking.
 
He felt his heart jump with excitement when she agreed to his idea. It sounded like fun to him. Guide dogs weren't meant to be playful, but even a service animal should be able to enjoy itself at a park with other dogs. Patrick could feel confident sitting by Rebecca while is new, loyal companion enjoyed itself.

"I had a great day," he promised, taking a sip of his soda right after he heard it thunk onto the table. It was refreshing, after such a long day of exploring.

"A perfect day, needs a perfect night," he mused, then felt his cheeks redden afterward. He wanted to keep spending time with her, maybe even be intimate with her. They held hands, they were out and about with one another... Although she was just being helpful, he saw this as the way a couple spent time together. Perhaps, he would bring that up some other time, to not make their meal so awkward.

"Anyway, what I meant, is I was wondering if you'd want to watch a movie with me at my house? I mean... I won't watch, I'll listen. I have a good imagination..." he tried to stay without stammering, but failed.
 
Rebecca took a sip of her teas after it was set in front of her, saying a quick thank you to the waiter before looking back at Patrick. She was glad he was enjoying himself, it made her feel like she did the right thing by taking him out for a night on the town. When he asked about hanging out at his house afterward she couldn't help but smile.

"Of course! I have nothing better to do tonight." She said as she leaned on the table, her nails clicking on it quietly as she sat there.

She was more than happy to hang out at Patrick's place, her house was empty except for Rodger, but that dog usually slept the rest of the afternoon away. She couldn't help but think to what that might lead to though...Alone with a guy in a house, watching a moive together, it was only a matter of time before things would get more...touchy. At least, that was what she remembered her friends telling her. She shook the thought out of her head though, they had only just met and such, things wouldn't move that fast...even if she wanted them too.
 
"Awesome," he commented quietly, pleased to hear that she was willing to spend the night with him. When he finished one more drink from his soda, their food arrived. Patrick 'mmm'd' at the aroma of the meal he was brought, his throat having to swallow the saliva collecting in his mouth. It wasn't until then that he realized how hungry he was!

Patrick felt around the table for his silverware, unwrapping the cloth napkin from the set. The napkin was set onto his lap before he stabbed a piece of the chicken with his fork. He requested it be cut into pieces, so that he wouldn't spend too much time trying to slice it up himself, or ask Rebecca to do so for him. Really, there was no shame in it. He's had some accidents with knives and his fingers in the past. There were even visible scars along some of them.

"This is really good," he said after making a swallow of the pasta and chicken. This would take no time at all for him to finish. "How's your fish?"
 
Rebecca smiled as her food was set down in front of her, the smell of it making her mouth water hungrily. She grabbed her napkin and set it in her lap before digging into her meal, using her fork to pull off a piece of the deep fried fish and pop it into her mouth. She 'mmm'd' to herself as she continued to rip apart to pile of fried fish, easily able to finish it by herself.

"It's great! I haven't had it in awhile so it tastes really good!" She said before taking a sip of her tea.

Usually when she ate out she would finish her food as soon as possible and leave, getting it done in the shortest amount of time possible. However, she felt the need to slow down and enjoy it, she did after all have some wonderful company to talk to so why not? She chewed and swallowed quietly as she tried to think of something to talk about. Unfortunately, with her food in front of her it was hard to multitask.
 
Patrick was quiet while he ate, which he felt was necessary. It was difficult to juggle having a meal and holding a conversation. From the sound of it, she was famished as well. The entire plate of pasta and chicken was delicious. It felt nice to reward his taste buds with this, after a while of not having a good, warm meal.

In time, the plate was completely empty. Patrick made certain of that! The very last bite of chicken was swirled around on the plate to gather some of the residue of sauce from his noodles. It was, decidedly, the best bite he had of his meal.

After dabbing his lips with the napkin, a belch caught in his throat, which he kept from escaping his lips in order to be polite. An apologetic smile still appeared on his face as he set the napkin down, in case she still might have heard that rumbling. He was ready to head home, whenever she was. While he waited, he pondered on what movie to put in tonight. His collection wasn't very large... 'Maybe she has some DVDs that she likes.'
 
Rebecca had also cleared her plate, there was not a trace of food left to be found. She wiped her face clean with her napkin and took a long sip of her tea before letting out a pleased 'ahh'. The check came to their table as soon as they were done and the plates were cleared, leaving them with their drinks and each other. Rebecca then grabbed her purse and started to pull out her wallet.

"Alright, well I'm ready to go when you are, just tell me and I'll go pay the check." She said as she started to flipp through her cash and get the right amount of money out.

She was rather excited to get back and watch a movie at his place, the idea almost seemed to complete this wonderful day. She honestly didn't care abut which movie they would watch, she'd probably fall asleep half way through. She was never able to keep her eyes open very long for any movie, such things were more of a lullaby to her than actual entertainment.
 
Patrick wanted to stop her from paying for this meal, but he had no way of knowing the cost. There was no way she was going to tell it to him, either. A mental promise was made to Rebecca, that he would treat her to a dinner she wouldn't have to pay a single penny for. Letting this wonderful night go without him thanking her in an equally as fair way would make him guilty.

While she paid, he adjusted himself to get ready to leave. His stick was in hand and he was standing sturdily, his stomach happily full with a quality meal. When he got home, he'd have to devour another cookie, or one of the pastries he bought today. No good dinner was complete without a good dessert to top it off!

"Ready," he answered, walking around the table to where she was.
 
Rebecca quickly paid and grabbed her things before taking Patricks hand and leading him out. She walked hand in hand with him all the way to the car, chatting about random things to pass the time until they got there. It was dark now as they entered the parking lot. Rebecca quickly unlocked the car and opened the door for Patrick before getting her stuff put in the back and getting into the drivers seat. After she climbed in and buckled up she started up the car and headed back home.

"I'll drive to you house Patrick and just park there until I have to go, then I'll just dive it back instead of walking alone at night." She said as she kept her eyes on the road.

She was a little excited to get back to his place and hang for a while longer, it would be so much more fun than sitting alone at home, even if they were just watching a movie.
 
"That sounds like a good idea," he told her. Walking alone at night could be scary. He'd walk her home, but letting your life be in the hands of a blind man probably wasn't reassuring. Nonetheless, he'd put all his power into protecting her. Just because he couldn't see didn't mean he couldn't put up a fight!

While walking to his house, one of his hands fished out his house key. Using his other hand, he located the doorknob to help find the lock above it. With less difficulty than last time, he inserted the key, turned it, and smiled when he heard the lock click. The door was pushed open and he stepped aside, "After you."

When he got in his dark home, the key was set on the table outside of the door that had frames sitting on it. Although he couldn't see the pictures, he could tell what they contained whenever he ran his hand along the frames' designs. With the help of his mother, he memorized what each one was and knew who all was in the photographs.

"I don't think I left any lights on, so if it's too dark for you, find a lamp or something."
 
After locking her car, grabbing his desserts and hopping into his house quickly she started to search for a light switch on the wall. It took a bit but she found one and flicked it on, aluminating the hall they were standing in. She smiled a bit as she set her purse down on the table by teh door before she made her way into his kitchen.

"I'm going to put the desserts in your fridge okay? They'll keep there long than they would on the counter." She said as she opened the fridge door and slipped the box in neatly.She then went back to him and stood at his side. "So, what are we going to watch?" She asked curious about what kind of movies he might have, being blind and all...
 
While she put the pastries in the fridge, he slipped his shoes off and set his guide stick against the arm of the couch. "Thank you," he told her, agreeing that they would last longer in a cooler storage.

Patrick felt her come back beside him, asking about movies. He pointed in the direction of his television, which had DVDs stored in a compartment of the TV stand beneath it. He had the location of this memorized by now, so he knew he was correct in showing where it was.

"I've got some Disney movies my Mother insisted I keep, and some romance films, some history movies... All of them let have good enough stories that let me visualize what's going on," he explained, smiling. He then went to take his seat on the couch, sighing with relief as he did so. "Pick whatever you'd like."
 
Rebecca shuffled over to the TV and shuffled through the DVD's quietly until she noticed he had her favorite disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. She gave a happy giggle before slipping it into the DVD player and getting it going, turn on the TV before heading back tot he couch. She sat down and kicked off her shoes quickly, setting them near the couch so they wouldn't be in Patrick's way.

"Okay, I hope you don't mind but I put in Beauty and the Beast." She said as she started to fumble with his remotes, figuring out which one did what.

She had taken a seat next to him and was rather close, almost leaning on him as she shuffled around and tried to figure out how to hit play on teh DVD menu.
 
"I don't mind at all," he replied. Beauty and the Beast happened to be one of his favourites, but he felt too embarrassed to admit that. Most men his age had different preferences of movies, but Patrick liked romance, history and some documentaries a lot better. There were actual stories being told, and emotions he could recognize. Plus, he simply liked to learn.

While listening for the move to begin, he blushed a slight, feeling her body touch his. It was very light, simply a lean, but it still made his heart jump. One of his arms laid over across his shoulders, his other hand reaching out to the pair of remotes she was fumbling with. He felt along each remote, his fingers brushing against her hand as he did so. "The DVD remote has a piece of Velcro on it. My Mother put it there so I can tell the difference between the two<," he explained, smiling when he felt his thumb touch the prickly fabric.

"Ah, there we go. It's a lighter colour too, if I'm not mistaken. My sister would always tell me the colour of things... She often forgets I'm blind."
 
Rebecca blushed deeply as her heart jumped in her chest, not having expected the feel on his hands touching her's as she fumbled with the remote. When he showed her which remote was which she smiled a bit shyly and quickly got the DVD playing, the opening scene playing out. She giggled a bit and looked at him for a second as the movie played.

"Well, it could have been worse...she could have treated you differently instead of just like everyone else." She said, trying to point of the positive of the mistake his sister made.

She leaned back into the couch after setting teh remotes to the side, unintentionally cuddling into the arm he had put on her shoulders. She watched quietly, happy just to be sitting with someone that could actually respond, unlike her dog Rodger.