Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Claire had asked Griffin to come meet her at the museum since she would be working until the Masquerade began. He had worked earlier in the day, having hauled many of the exhibits to other areas of the museum, which was part of the reason he had been let off early; he had been moving a LOT of stuff. He was glad he got home early, though. It had given him enough time to get himself ready for the big ball. He showered, groomed himself accordingly and got dressed. He was wearing a crisp black tux with a black bow tie. It was nothing special, really, but he looked dapper when he dressed up. The final touch was a simple black mask with a light black design swirling on top. It was elegant without being over the top. Griffin wasn't interested in standing out, just simply looking his best and enjoying himself.

He left his home in plenty enough time to stop at the florists to pick up the corsage he'd ordered for Claire. Of course it was a surprise. He had found out what color her dress was and got a white rose corsage, the flower dusted with a light, shimmering blue glitter and black satin ribbons to tie it on by. He was it would look dazzling with her dress. With her, really.

He made it back to the museum with plenty of time to spare. It was now a simple matter of tracking Claire down. He was about to call her when Frank caught him, greeting him awkwardly and immediately asking for help with a crisis. Griffin was more than happy to help, but Frank seemed a little unnerved for some reason, like he'd seen a ghost maybe. Griffin brushed it off. Maybe he was just in a rush to get out of there so he could get dressed and come back with the misses.

Fifteen minutes later Griffin was off, continuing his search for the lovely Miss McLeester. He finally found her alone in one of the corridors near Frank's office. "Hey." He greeted loud enough to hear. He knew it was her by her hair and he had to grin. She was a vision in blue and he admired her with a gentle smile. He'd traveled the world and never had he come across a woman as lovely as she.

His steps towards her were slow and deliberate. "You're breathtaking." He complimented softly. "For you.." He held up the small box with the corsage seeing that it matched perfectly. The blue glitter was light enough that it shimmered blue without being overpowering and it matched delightfully. He took it from its clear container and gently tied it around her wrist. "I've never been so excited to show off my date before.." He said with a soft, kind smile, teetering on teasing as he held his arm for her to take. "Are you ready?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Getting things ready for the annual masquerade party was nerve whacking. She'd had to work all day long and make sure everything was moved safely into their large storage area in the back of the museum and she'd nearly had a seizure when someone almost dropped a very expensive bowl but one of the other guys managed to catch it before it hit the ground. Talk about crazy reflexes! Even Claire wouldn't have been able to swoop in that fast and she gave the man a wary eye. Maybe she was just paranoid but she had a feeling that maybe he was a fellow Therian and she just hadn't noticed him before. But the thought didn't last long because she was off trying to make sure something else wasn't broken! Luckily Griffin had worked that day and he was probably the most careful person there. He cared about the exhibits even more than she did and there was no one more trustworthy to her in transporting them.

Half of the employees were allowed to leave early but Claire was just too busy to leave. With the caterers and decorators she hardly had enough time to text her sister and get her to bring her clothes to the museum so she could change. After a little persuasion in the form of shoes did Cheyenne finally agree. And two hours later Cheyenne finally showed up with her things. Then she had to find a place to change and as much as she wanted to just use the bathrooms she didn't need someone walking in on her in the middle of changing. She was weird like that. Even if they were women she just thought it was tacky and she didn't trust the bathroom floors so she didn't want to have her dress touching it and getting all germy. So she chose the best possible thing!

Frank's office. She knew Frank had said he was going to head home to shower, change and pick up his wife for the party. And she had a key to his office for emergencies so she went right in and made herself comfortable. She was in the mood for something different than her super straight hair so she'd borrowed Chey's curling iron and was able to pin it up to give her a short curly look! The makeup was next since she didn't want to get any on her dress and that was a piece of cake with the small mirror she had going with eye shadow that was a very light blue to match her dress. Everything was going swimmingly!

Until it wasn't.

She stripped out of her work clothes and stuffed them all into the bag her sister brought her stuff in and even slipped her bra off since she couldn't wear it with a strapless dress. Then as she stepped into the dress, her back to the door but her ass up in the air as she tried to move the fabric of the dress so she wouldn't step on it when she pulled it up the door opened up. Since she was bent over she looked between her legs and saw an upside down Frank! The mortified look on his face was what made her realize that there she was, bent over with her ruffled blue underwear clear as day for him to see on her pale rear end. She tried to hide but she forgot her dress was pooled around her feet and when she lifted her foot it caught on the fabric and she went stumbling and face planted the floor. She was so glad that Frank didn't say anything and ended up just shutting the door frantically. She even heard the lock click and she looked up but nobody was there. He'd used his key to lock it from the outside. If that didn't get her to rush and finish dressing nothing would!

Ten minutes later she was kicking the bag into the corner of the office and then walking out making sure to lock the door behind her so nobody else could go into the office. Her face was flushed and she used her hand to fan herself off. "Why me?!" She said looking up at the ceiling as if she expected someone to give her an answer. At least it was a masquerade so she could hide her face from Frank if they managed to bump into each other during the ball. Cheyenne came by and ridiculed her choice of mask and how she needed to get a tan because her legs were going to blind people, but Claire just rolled her eyes and soon Chey ended up going off to mingle with whoever the hell she was there with that night. Claire couldn't keep track of Chey's dates since they were never the same.

She looked down at her outfit to make sure that she didn't do anything else embarrassing, like have her discarded bra stuck in the zipper of her dress or something. But her blue dress wasn't ruffled any more than it was suppose to be.

"Hey." She heard the familiar voice and turned her head to see Griffin heading her way and turned her body to face him with a big smile on her face. Man did he look good! Griffin was one of those people who looked good no matter what he was wearing but Griffin in a tux was... Claire wanted to just take him in Frank's office and lock the door. And that was so not a Claire thing to do! But he looked gorgeous and hot and everything in between wrapped in a bow tie!

"You're breathtaking." Claire wanted to just wave off his compliment the way she usually did but she actually felt flattered. "You're looking pretty dashing yourself," she said and she kicked her right foot up playfully while her body twisted almost like she was too nervous to stand still. "For you.." She saw the corsage that he brought and was glad she didn't overdo it with jewelry tonight. It was a sweet surprise and she grinned like a dope and held her hand out so he could place it on her wrist. "Griff you didn't have to do that but it's really sweet." Why was this man so freaking perfect?!

"I've never been so excited to show off my date before.. Are you ready?" She took his arm and leaned into him so she could bump his shoulder with hers playfully and nodded her head. "Are you kidding? I have the foxiest date here. You're my arm candy," she teased and even laughed at the thought of it before nodding. "I'm ready." Claire started walking with Griffin, almost forgetting about what happened in Frank's office less than twenty minutes ago.

Almost.

"Oh, can we steer clear of Frank tonight? I think I gave him a free show.." She mumbled the last part mostly because it was embarrassing. How had she been so dumb not to lock Frank's door?! Or maybe she did and she just didn't hear him unlock it. What was done was done though.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin was pleased that Claire seemed to like the corsage. He felt pleased with himself, which was rare for him. It wasn't often that Griffin felt like he ought to puff out his chest for a job well done. He was too humble for that, but in this case he wanted to pat himself on the back for doing something that pleased Claire. He enjoyed pleasing her. He enjoyed that smile she gave him. Claire had been the first girl to ever make him feel the way he did, and he was starting to realize his feelings were more than that of a friends.

"Are you kidding? I have the foxiest date here. You're my arm candy. I'm ready." He smiled down at her as he lead her towards where all the guests were congregating. "You're too kind." He teased lightheartedly, looking at her as they walked instead of ahead of him. The museum had been a second home for most of his life, and the past year he had the privilege of coming almost daily. He didn't need to watch where he was going to know where he was.

"Oh, can we steer clear of Frank tonight? I think I gave him a free show.." He eyes her curiously, unsure what she meant at first until it all clicked in and he gave a soft laugh seeing that she wasn't completely upset about it. Still, she had probably been mortified at the time, and she certainly still likely was to some degree. In his mind he could see her fumbling around if someone were to walk in on her. He had seen her less than elegant ways repeatedly since he'd met her, and he could only imagine the sort of "show" she had put on.

"Well, that certainly explains the way he was acting when I saw him earlier." Griffin explained and shook his head as he chuckled. "He was quite frazzled. I thought maybe an exhibit broke, but now I see it.." He shook his head. "Don't worry. We'll steer clear of Frank this evening." He promised.

The room was decorated beautifully. He'd seen it being put together earlier, but something about it being finished with people dressed up seemed to bring it all to life for the man. "You did a beautiful job organizing this, Claire." He complimented softly. Of course she wasn't the only one, but he knew she played a large part when it came to decorations. The girl had a knack for making things beautiful, herself included. She never failed to aid in making the museum look top notch for these sorts of events.

"Now that I have you to myself, I was hoping to maybe discuss a few things with you." He said softly, his eyes still pressed to her. He led her towards a corner where he might be able to have a moment with her, but before he could an older couple stopped them, the woman recognizing Claire's telltale hair. "Claire you did a wonderful job as always." She complimented and Griffin beamed down at his date. If his compliment hadn't sealed the deal, this certainly would. The woman chit chatted for a moment and then allowed to pair to continue their evening together.

"First, I was hoping to start this evening out on the right foot." He said, his tone semi bashful. "Would it be okay if we... if perhaps we talked about us for a moment?" He asked, once they were in a corner. His eyes pierced hers, unsure what she might say at his question. Would she stop him? Panic? Run away? Hopefully none of those things, and more hopefully not all three of them!

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"Well, that certainly explains the way he was acting when I saw him earlier." Oh god! Claire would try to blend in with the walls if they ran into Frank that night. What if he told his wife?! Would he do that? She'd think that Claire was some crazy nympho fiend! The first time was intentional.. well, not stabbing him in the leg. But this time it was totally unintentional! Somehow she knew she wouldn't lose her job over this though and maybe on Monday she'd come in and apologize and give an explanation just to clear the air.

"You did a beautiful job organizing this, Claire." The decorations looked amazing! Even she was impressed thinking it topped last years' ball. Everyone did a great job at decorating and everything went without a hitch! Her eyes went over to the caterers and it reminded her of the last event when they stole the Avisaille exhibit. Frank was still trying to figure out what happened but nothing came up and the case had gone stale. She smiled and squeezed Griffin's arm gently, "It came out real nice, didn't it? You did a great job moving everything. I think if you weren't here today I would have had a stroke. Jorge nearly knocked over a few things." She laughed about it now though, just glad that it was all over and that it was time to just relax, dance and have a good time. Maybe she could even find Chey later and make her dance with her so they could talk about how hot their dates were. Just as long as she didn't make fun of her cat mask again!

"Now that I have you to myself, I was hoping to maybe discuss a few things with you." Her green eyes looked up to meet Griffin's with interest. She was almost the same height as him tonight with her heels. Claire liked being close to his height it just made her feel good to be able to look at him at eye level, and dancing was easier if they were the same height.

She let him guide her through the thickening crowd when Mrs. Everwood stopped them to compliment her on her hard work. She told her how everyone helped on it and they chatted for a bit, catching up on how Mrs. Everwood's sister was, if she was still as loony as ever and how her and her husband had taken dance lessons to be ready for the ball. After wishing them luck on the dance floor she was finally able to say goodbye and then the two of them were able to head to one of the quieter corners.

"First, I was hoping to start this evening out on the right foot." She nodded with her bright eyes watching his handsome face. "Would it be okay if we... if perhaps we talked about us for a moment?" The girl had been casual and relaxed when they got into the corner but now she froze up hoping she heard him correctly. What exactly.. did that mean? She didn't know what 'us' meant although she'd been meaning to ask him about that. Cheyenne had been nagging her to find out and Claire was very careful about making sure Chey and Griffin weren't in the same room together ever so that Chey couldn't just bluntly ask Griff and embarrass Claire to the point of no return.

She blinked a few times and gave a stiff shrug as if she were trying to be nonchalant but at the same time very nervous. Was he going to tell her that there was no 'us' and that they were just friends? Claire didn't want to just be friends with him! She threw her hands up nervously and shrugged again almost like that was the only motion she could do at the moment. "..okay? I mean.. yeah, sure, totally. W-what about us though?" He couldn't break up with her since they weren't even dating! And she had a feeling he wouldn't just leave her at the ball alone, he wasn't that kind of person. But it didn't mean she didn't worry about it all the same.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Her immediate reaction wasn't one he was expecting, but was at the same time. She tensed but shrugged her shoulders, as if unsure what to say to that. It wasn't much of an answer. Even her answer wasn't much of an answer. Maybe this was all a mistake.. Maybe she was dreading him asking.

"..okay? I mean.. yeah, sure, totally. W-what about us though?" He cleared his throat. Her nervousness rarely affected him, but today it was. He shifted uneasily moving his eyes to the floor for a moment before regaining his courage and pulling his arms away from her, taking her hands lightly in his and holding them down at their waists. He took a deep calming breath and looked back into her eyes.

"Claire I've known you for nearly a year." He started out gently. "You've become a dear friend to me, one I cherish very, very much and.. I don't often think of friends the way I think of you. It's just become increasingly clear that you and I.. it's just different. It's different than the way I feel when I'm with Flynn or Melanie.." He wasn't sure how to explain it the best way and his gaze lowered once more.

"I know I've always had a strange view on the way people came together. When it comes to dating and love and romance I'm just not up to par. I'm not naive enough to think I've got that all figured out. If anything it confuses me more than the seven wonders of the world, but one thing I've always known was when I found someone I'd like to be with I would simply know. I would want to discover new things with them, visit lands I have yet to see, experience life with another doing things that are better suited to be done in pairs."

Griffin could feel his heartbeat quicken as he spoke, looking back into her eyes. "In my mind it was always different. I suppose I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what I was looking for, but when you kissed me the pieces slowly began to click together. I wanted to spend more time with you, and not in the ways I had with Flynn or Melanie. I wanted to get to know all of you, and I wanted for you to know all of me. You know my deepest secret. You know me better than most people I come across...and that's special Claire. You're very special to me."

Griffin lifted her hand and touched her knuckle to his lips gently. He kept them close to his lips as he continued. "I know this is going to sound foolish, but I've never dated. I've never had a desire to. It's simply something that just wasn't important to me because no one in my life seemed like the type of person I would want to spend my life with in that way, so there was no sense in calling someone my girlfriend. Until now.." His eyes searched hers. "I like you, Claire. I like you in that gooey heart melting way I've only read about in books. I understand it now.. and I have no idea if you feel the same or not, but... I want to do this dating thing with you. I want to spend every full moon cooped up in your apartment reading to you, or watching television until you've fallen asleep on my lap. I want to take you around the world and watch you light up as you discover new and exciting things." He chuckled softly, a tear in his eye. "I'm rambling." He said quietly, grinning at the ground. "Such a silly, long winded way to ask if you'd be my girlfriend..."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"Claire I've known you for nearly a year." Had it been that long?! It had.. time really did fly by. "You've become a dear friend to me, one I cherish very, very much and.. I don't often think of friends the way I think of you. It's just become increasingly clear that you and I.. it's just different. It's different than the way I feel when I'm with Flynn or Melanie.." Melanie? Did he mention a Melanie before? She knew Flynn and Griffin were pretty close but she figured whoever this Melanie person was they probably didn't hang out that much. There were times she'd call Griff up and he'd tell her that he was hanging out with Flynn that day and Claire even went and caught lunch with them a few times but other than Flynn Claire didn't know any of Griffin's other friends. But she figured he was just like her. She knew people but she didn't hang out with them.

He started to talk about dating, love and romance and how inexperienced he was at it. She had a feeling that the conversation wasn't going to take a wild turn to him telling her he didn't want to be anything more than friends at this point and she started to relax. Her hands even rested easier in his hands and she listened with a different kind of anxiousness now, wondering where he was going with this.

"In my mind it was always different. I suppose I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what I was looking for, but when you kissed me the pieces slowly began to click together. I wanted to spend more time with you, and not in the ways I had with Flynn or Melanie. I wanted to get to know all of you, and I wanted for you to know all of me. You know my deepest secret. You know me better than most people I come across...and that's special Claire. You're very special to me." Was she getting butterflies in her stomach?! Yep. Claire felt her cheeks warming up as she blushed and practically held her breath. What was breathing?! She didn't need to breathe! If she breathed she might miss something!

He kissed her knuckles and she could feel the goosebumps running up her arms. "I know this is going to sound foolish, but I've never dated. I've never had a desire to. It's simply something that just wasn't important to me because no one in my life seemed like the type of person I would want to spend my life with in that way, so there was no sense in calling someone my girlfriend. Until now.." Claire was going to pass out if he didn't get to it soon! She was swooning from the words, anticipating him asking her if they could make it official. She knew it was coming by this point and she found his long rantings to try to get to the point adorable! Claire was usually the one to rant and go off on tangents but every so often Griffin was known to do it as well. There was nobody more perfect than Griffin.

"I want to spend every full moon cooped up in your apartment reading to you, or watching television until you've fallen asleep on my lap." That was probably the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to Claire. It was something she'd only shared with Griffin because he was the only one that she trusted and wanted it with. She heard all the things that she wanted coming out of his mouth and all she wanted to do was grab him and give him a great big kiss right there! She could care less who was watching now. Her heart was melting at everything he was saying and by the time he was done someone was going to have to mop her up off the floor.

"Such a silly, long winded way to ask if you'd be my girlfriend..." Claire gave a soft chuckle and pulled her hands away gently because she needed them to talk. Claire was one of those people that needed to move their hands when speaking or she couldn't articulate a sentence properly. "You know it's kind of funny.." she was smiling to the point where it felt like her muscles were frozen that way because when she tried to stop smiling she couldn't do it. "..I was going to ask you where we stood tonight. But when you said you wanted to talk about us I thought you were going to say you wanted to just be friends. I mean, we kind of always were friends but we've kissed a few times and we've been kind of toeing the line for a while now.."

Claire had to stop talking and take a deep breath or else she was going to go off and ramble more than Griffin did. Only her rantings usually went off topic but always found their way back. "Yes. I would love to be your girlfriend." Men didn't ask women to be their girlfriends anymore. It was nice to know there were real gentlemen out there in the world still and Griffin was a true gentleman. "Are you kidding? I've been dying to be your girlfriend! Now I can do this and not over think it." Claire wrapped her arms around Griffin's neck and pressed herself up against him as she kissed him. There was so many feelings she had bottled up for this man that she forgot all about the masquerade for a hot minute. When she did finally pull away she had to laugh. Claire's happy emotions came out through laughter and she was definitely happy! "Well that was nice!"

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin watched with slightly bated breath as Claire grinned and pulled her hands away. He could see in her eyes that she wasn't dismissing him, but her pulling away confused him. "You know it's kind of funny.." She started, her smile wide ad her hands moving animatedly as she spoke. His brows raised when she mentioned what she thought his intention was; to say they should be friends and a kind smile slid over his lips as he shook his head lightly from side to side. Of course he wouldn't want to be just friends with her. Not after the special moments they shared. Surely she had some idea how much she meant to him.

"Yes. I would love to be your girlfriend." She finally said and he beamed, his heart fluttering as if they had their own set of wings. He felt the feathers on his back bristle with excitement. "Are you kidding? I've been dying to be your girlfriend! Now I can do this and not over think it." She was on him in a way that Griffin wasn't accustomed to. Her forward gesture took him by surprise and for a moment he stood frozen, unsure what to do as she kissed him, her lithe body pressing into his as her arms laced around his neck. He did what felt natural, gliding his own arms gently around her torso and holding her there lightly, allowing his lips to move against hers. It came naturally. Griffin had kissed so few in his days, and never quite like he was kissing Claire now. It was exhilarating and nerve racking all at the same time and he found himself flying and falling at the same time, hardly believing what was happening.

It felt like an eternity had passed, but when she pulled away he was sad it was over. "Well that was nice!" He still held her close, their faces mere inches apart. "It certainly was." He agreed softly with a chuckle. He allowed his hands to trace up and down her back side, gazing at her and feeling content with the way she accepted it. She wasn't trying to run or make excuses.. she wasn't exasperated and looking like she was full of deep regret. "Do you have any idea how happy you've just made me?" He asked softly, "How happy you always make me?" He added. The masks were uncomfortable with the kiss earlier, but he leaned in anyway, stealing another taste of her lips. This was more gentle than their first of the evening, but he allowed his feelings to come forward into it. When he finally pulled away he swallowed hard, having the urge to do it over and over, but stifling that urge.

He wondered if this new venture together would change things at all. Would she be the same silly Claire she always was? would she ramble less? He hoped she would be less nervous with him, but he certainly didn't want the nervous rambling to end. He enjoyed it far too much. He pulled away slightly, his hands coming to her bare forearms and rubbing them gently, forgetting all about Mordecai's news. "Should we dance?" He asked, grinning once more.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

It was weird kissing with masks on and hers clinked against his making her laugh. "Do you have any idea how happy you've just made me? How happy you always make me?" She scrunched up her nose at him but her mask covered it so he couldn't see it. When he leaned in to kiss her again their masked were in the way again but they made it work and it was sweeter than her kiss had been. He was so sweet and gentle in everything he did that sometimes she was worried she was going to be too rough with him. She liked knowing she made him happy.

"Should we dance?" Claire? Dance? That was a disaster waiting to happen but she figured what the hell, right? They were dating now and that meant it was time to celebrate! She felt like a giddy little schoolgirl and a part of her wanted to just run off and find her sister so she could gush about it! But Griffin would probably think she was a nutter for running off or that she might have changed her mind, so maybe it would just be best to wait until she bumped into Chey later on.

"Yes. We should dance!" His hands were moving up and down her forearms and she slipped her arms away and grabbed hold of his hand with hers and practically skipped her way to where everyone was dancing. The place was crowded but it wasn't to the point that it was claustrophobic. She didn't want to go too far into the crowd because knowing her she'd trip into someone and everyone would go down like dominoes. Nope! She stayed near the outskirts and then turned her body to Griffin.. to her boyfriend. It had a nice ring to it.

"I don't think I've actually seen you dance. Or.. did we dance at the last event? I don't remember. I was too busy thinking about what prison would be like with my cellmate Bubba." She teased but kept her voice down so that the conversation stayed between them.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"Yes. We should dance!" The enthusiasm in her voice elated him and he allowed her to take his hand and pull him towards the outskirts of the dance floor he'd helped set up earlier. The music had slowed down a little and he slid his hand to her waist, pulling her body close to his as he started to sweep her around slowly, his other hand clasped in hers gently.

"I don't think I've actually seen you dance. Or.. did we dance at the last event? I don't remember. I was too busy thinking about what prison would be like with my cellmate Bubba." He gave a light chuckle and shook his head. "If memory serves me we were all a little too preoccupied to dance that night. I believe we ran off to the exhibits." He reminded softly, his eyes searching hers. "And that's when you changed everything." He teased gently with a soft chuckle, calm as ever. He spun around with her, comfortable with her in his arms like this, trying not to let her allow her feet to tangle below her. "I'm glad we succeeded in our endeavor during the last event here. I would hate for you to be spending tonight with Bubba instead of me." He placed the hand he was holding on his shoulder so he could hold her hips with both hands, sliding them around close to her back. It felt almost natural to be dancing with her.

"Do you like to dance?" He asked curiously, knowing she probably thought she was a bad dancer, or maybe she was afraid of dancing because she was clumsy. He hoped she wouldn't answer that way, so he chuckled and stopped her before she could potentially put herself down. "And I'm not asking if you're any good. From what I've seen so far you're fine, but.. is dancing something you enjoy?" He questioned, realizing he didn't know as much about her as he wanted to. He knew a lot about Claire. They had spent many evenings talking together both in their spare time and at work. Dancing had never come up. "Perhaps one day we could go see a ballet." He said optimistically before grinning brightly. "In Russia."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"If memory serves me we were all a little too preoccupied to dance that night. I believe we ran off to the exhibits. And that's when you changed everything." She hadn't thought about it but it was true.. that night in a panic she'd kissed Griffin in one of the other exhibitions. She'd also learned that he knew what the Avisailles were that night when they gave the poor bones a proper farewell by burning them. It had been a wild night. "I'm glad we succeeded in our endeavor during the last event here. I would hate for you to be spending tonight with Bubba instead of me." She tipped her head back as she laughed and two couples near them turned their heads but she was too happy to care! "I don't think Bubba would want to dance either." She teased and had to keep note of where her feet were at all times. She was known for stepping on feet and headbutting people by accident.

"It was pretty crazy." She agreed softly. "Do you like to dance?" That was a question with many answers! She was about to open her mouth and start a rant but he looked like he wasn't ready for her to answer and spoke, "And I'm not asking if you're any good. From what I've seen so far you're fine, but.. is dancing something you enjoy?" Did she like dancing? She liked dancing around her apartment in her pajamas with a wooden spoon that she sang to. Sometimes she even sang to Luna but her cat didn't much like it and would run and hide under the bed since Claire would try to pick her up and dance with her. "Perhaps one day we could go see a ballet. In Russia." Russia?! She'd never seen a ballet before but that would be pretty great!

"I do. Like to. Dance. Sometimes." She kept pausing like she was done talking but then another word would come up and she sounded like a tard by the end of it. "I mean if there's music I'll move around. And you've lucked out, bud. Usually I have two left feet and would be all over your feet." Claire explained and almost on cue she ended up lifting the same foot as he did and knocked knees with her date. ".. oh geeze talk about instant karma!" She said and looked down just hoping that he wasn't going to look at the same time that she did or they would knock heads.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

"I do. Like to. Dance. Sometimes." With the addition of each word he only grinned more. Claire was cute, and she was funny. Griffin wondered if she knew how cute and funny she was. He wondered if things would change now. He was sure they wouldn't and he had the urge to kiss her once more, enjoying this new found way of being intimate. He felt closer to her when they kissed, as if he was learning more and more about her, which was exactly what he wanted. Griffin thrived on new found knowledge. He loved learning with a passion and learning Claire was no different. She would simply become his newest passion.

"I mean if there's music I'll move around. And you've lucked out, bud. Usually I have two left feet and would be all over your feet." He chuckled and opened his mouth to say something, but it was as if her feet heard her and she ended up knocking her knees into him. He looked down and smacked his head with hers, making him pull a hand away and rub his head, laughing out loud.

"We're a mess." He teased and pressed his lips to the spot on her head where he'd clonked her with his. "I think you may have jinxed us." He teased lightly, pulling his face away and looking into her eyes, shaking his head a little. "No matter, bruised or not, I enjoy dancing with you. There's little I don't enjoy doing with you." He offered, still grinning with amusement from their little collision. "Are you alright?" He asked softly, knowing she likely was. No tears meant they were probably good. "You look alright.." His voice was kind, his touch gentle as always as he stroked her cheek and took her hips in his hands once more.

"Is dancing too dangerous or would you like to try again?" He asked, that mildly playful tone in his voice as he pulled her body close to his once more. "Because you were doing just fine until you began thinking about it."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

When the two of them bumped heads Claire palmed her forehead instinctively as she mouthed a silent Ow and took a step back. "We're a mess." It was true! She dropped her hand and he kissed the spot that was throbbing a little bit. She knew that it wouldn't hurt for long, "I think you may have jinxed us." She looked into his eyes and saw that he was amused more than anything about what had just happened. But she buried her face into his shoulder to hide her pink cheeks from the embarrassment. "I could just die right now of humiliation!" She mumbled into the fabric of his coat so it came out a little muffled but still loud enough that he could hear it. But she lifted her head back up when he asked if she was alright and felt his fingers graze her cheek and with that touch she started to relax.

His hands were moving down to her hips once more and she wrapped her own around his neck. The people who didn't know Claire probably thought the two of them were nuts or just acting immature. "Is dancing too dangerous or would you like to try again?" She pursed her lips and nodded meekly. "Because you were doing just fine until you began thinking about it."

"It's true! When I think about it that's when I get nervous and my legs turn into robotic jello. And yes, that totally makes sense!" She knew it didn't make sense but that was the best explanation she could give for the way she acted. And the more she tried not to think about what her legs were doing the more her brain decided that was exactly what she'd think of. She managed to nearly stumble and shut her eyes, gripping a handful of the collar of Griffin's jacket and trying to relax. Aside from that blunder she started to get back into the groove again and relaxed as she danced with him.

"What about you? Do you have like this hidden break dancing talent that you've never told me about? Can you spin on your head?" She teased with a big smile on her face and a playful shrug, her fingers interlocking behind his head. She wanted to hear about his dancing skills! "And Russia, huh? We're going to fly all around the world and see everything, aren't we?" She asked him with a big grin. She didn't really think that they'd go anywhere, at least not for a really long time. But the thought of it was really nice.

"You know what language I want to learn? German. Because I can't sound mean or angry but their language pretty much does it for them! It's like I could say 'how was your day' with a big smile and sound like a total jerk."

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

He didn't quite get what she mean but smiled and chuckled anyway. Her animated personality and silly words amusing him. "Robotic jello?" He questioned and shook his head, stopping when she stumbled on her feet and grabbed his collar. "Take a deep breath.. relax. Watch my eyes and stop thinking about your feet. They're not important." He instructed softly as they moved slowly on the outskirts of the floor.

"What about you?" He raised a brow and cocked his head to the side curiously. "Do you have like this hidden break dancing talent that you've never told me about? Can you spin on your head?" She teased with a big smile and he matched his reaction to hers. "No." He said with a genuine laugh. "Not yet, anyway." He teased back, though he had no intention of ever learning to break dance. He found it to be fun to watch and an interesting art form, but not something he was entirely interested in learning to do himself.

"And Russia, huh?" He gave a light nod. "We're going to fly all around the world and see everything, aren't we?" He grinned and nodded again. "If you'll allow me to take you." He said but he feared his words were lost as she went on about learning German. "..Because I can't sound mean or angry but their language pretty much does it for them! It's like I could say 'how was your day' with a big smile and sound like a total jerk."

It was Griffin's turn to let out the loud laugh and he bit his lip to stop himself as a couple of people looked their way. "Oh, Claire.." He couldn't stop himself as he leaned in, kissing her again. He was completely smitten! He shook his head, "It's a rough language, but I assure you they don't always sound like total jerks. We'll go there.. I'd like to take you." He assured, his eyes hopeful. "I would love nothing more than to travel all of Europe with you. We could travel through France, Switzerland and Germany and then take a flight over to Russia. Any country you want to see... we could backpack or take the Eurail..." He bit his bottom lip and found himself growing far too excited as he got ahead of himself. He realized what he was doing and took a breath, calming him down. "When I went, it was alone. I made many friends along the way, some I keep in touch with still, but it was at times lonely. I always wanted to go back with someone.. I've been thinking quite a bit about taking you, if that was what you wanted. I know it's not so simple.. planning and taking off of work, but.. I would fly out with you first thing in the morning if I could." He offered a little bashfully.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

When Griffin laughed it was one of those moments when she couldn't help but laugh herself. He was usually quiet when he laughed so it was like a rare moment to her and she couldn't help but feel like she'd just won an award or something! And when they got a few looks it only made her laugh more. They were having a good time and there was no shame in that. "Oh, Claire.." She liked when he said her name and when he kissed her it was an even better bonus and the grin was back.

"It's a rough language, but I assure you they don't always sound like total jerks. We'll go there.. I'd like to take you. I would love nothing more than to travel all of Europe with you. We could travel through France, Switzerland and Germany and then take a flight over to Russia. Any country you want to see... we could backpack or take the Eurail..." The one thing that Claire always worried about when she thought of backpacking through Europe was how it could be dangerous if you went off the trails. She'd seen enough horror movies where people were taken! Then again, they also couldn't turn into a cheetah and just run away.

"When I went, it was alone. I made many friends along the way, some I keep in touch with still, but it was at times lonely. I always wanted to go back with someone.. I've been thinking quite a bit about taking you, if that was what you wanted. I know it's not so simple.. planning and taking off of work, but.. I would fly out with you first thing in the morning if I could."

He was serious wasn't he?! Claire would run away to the Jupiter if Griffin asked her to! "I've always wanted to go there. See the world. But I bet it does get lonely going alone. I mean, I wanted to go right out of school but it was one of those things where if I went alone I'd probably end up in a Hostel movie or something and could you imagine backpacking through Europe with Cheyenne? That wasn't going to happen." She rolled her eyes at the thought of that. Her sister would have shacked up with half of Europe by the third day and Claire would have ended up alone anyways.

"We should go one day. I mean if I could take the time off work and get a passport in time then I'd say let's go tomorrow morning! Because getting away would be pretty rad. But I don't think you can get a passport overnight and as much as I'm sure Frank doesn't want to see me for like, ever again, that would be hard." She knew he was only saying he'd take her first thing in the morning if he could and he knew all about how there were so many things you had to do before you could just take off like that. They both had lives there and it wasn't like they could just leave everything behind and go tour the world. But wouldn't that be something. Not to mention she needed money.

Claire kept her eyes on Griffin's bright blue hues and felt like she could just get lost in them. They were so dreamy and she just wanted to melt the way they made her weak in the knees. But he was right, if she just kept her eyes on his then she didn't worry about what her feet were doing and she didn't have any more mistakes while they danced. Her head was filled with all those old hopes and dreams she'd had and the thought of going and seeing them all with him just seemed to make them even more magical and within reach. Maybe they should make a plan to go? Maybe if she applied for a passport they could go in a few months?

Trying to come up with plans in her head brought up another topic that she'd wanted to talk to him about. She'd heard that the leaders had been discussing letting their secret known to the humans of Scriptor Bay. Of course their leader, Tabitha, was a stubborn moose who refused to let the Therians step out. But it was said that the Gargoyles and Avisailles were planning on stepping out into the light so to speak. When she'd heard this news she immediately worried about what this might mean. At the time she didn't know what her and Griffin were but if he ended up being one of those who came forward then where would that leave them? She figured it wouldn't happen for a long time. Leaders always spoke of changes they wanted to make but nobody ever saw the results of this change for months and sometimes years.

Slowly she wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and drew herself closer to him so that she could rest her chin on his shoulder comfortably. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to chance having anyone else hear so she wanted to make sure it didn't reach anyone's ear but his. "So the leaders had a meeting. Have you heard?" She didn't know how to ask him about it so she tried to go with seeing if he heard about it first. "You know, about the whole coming out party they're planning?"

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin couldn't wipe the smile off his face as she spoke. "Hostels aren't that dangerous when you've done your research." He offered. Of course there were many that were, but there were reputable ones in safe areas where it was rare something would go awry. Knowing Claire, though, she would be the one to have something happen. She was just that kind of person. "And no, I couldn't imagine traveling with your sister." He chuckled. Cheyenne, was a wild young lady, one he wasn't necessarily fond of, but he didn't dislike the girl. She was just more than Griffin could handle. Claire, on the other hand, could manage her sister quite well. He would imagine traveling with the blond would be fun for his girlfriend. Cheyenne might be able to show Claire a good time, one that Griffin himself would be unable to do. Their ideas of excitement seemed to be very different.

"We should go one day. I mean if I could take the time off work and get a passport in time then I'd say let's go tomorrow morning! Because getting away would be pretty rad. But I don't think you can get a passport overnight and as much as I'm sure Frank doesn't want to see me for like, ever again, that would be hard." Again he couldn't stifle his laugh. He hadn't seen Frank all evening, and wondered if maybe he didn't bother coming back? No, Frank would be here. He was probably just hiding out somewhere. "You have an interesting history with Frank." He teased gently. "Why don't we make plans?" He suggested as they danced. "We'll do our research, plan the best route and make sure our itinerary includes everything you'd like to see, and we'll go from there. We'll order tickets, your passport, make reservations need be, take time off work.. we'll do it in segments. A trip this year, maybe next year as well..." He licked his lips and pulled her a little closer. "We'll make it work, one way or another." He offered, feeling more than excited about the thought of planning a trip with her. They could even go through his journals some.

Griffin found he enjoyed the way Claire felt wrapped around him. He had always been comfortable with touch and being close with others, but the feel of Claire on him was comforting and reassuring. His arms crossed around her back as she rested her chin on his shoulder, leaning his head gently against hers as she spoke once more, enjoying how relaxed she felt in his arms. "So the leaders had a meeting. Have you heard?" He'd nearly forgot that he'd wanted to discuss this topic with her. He gave a light nod as she continued. "You know, about the whole coming out party they're planning?" "I've heard." He said softly and heaved a heavy sigh. Griffin was still so unsure about it all.

"I'm still unsure how I feel about it." He offered softly, his words intended only for her ears. "It's so risky.. but I'm confident that Mordecai wouldn't put us in danger. If he feels we would be I'm sure he would drop his plans immediately." He turned his face slightly to nuzzle his nose into Claire's soft, red hair. "You'll be safe, though." He offered, knowing there was risk involved for himself when this all came out. "And it won't be for some time that we're revealed."