Lombardi's Pizza

[matchstick]

"Okay!" Matchstick quickly lit a match and showed it to Piper, then he closed his palm and wiped his mouth excitedly, then put both of his hands behind his back "Which hand is the match in?"

[Fighter Mallory]

*NEW DAY* (RESERVED FOR DAVEY)

Fighter had decided that Lombardi's was probably the best place for them to go because the odds of them being seen were fewer than if they had gone to Stu's. Glancing around the restaurant, Fight noticed a table in the back that was pretty secluded so she headed toward that one. After sitting down she glanced up at Davey. "I hope this is okay, I thought it would be more private than Stu's."

She didn't think Davey really cared but she didn't want him to be offended by her need for privacy. They'd both agreed that they're friends wouldn't understand but she hoped he didn't think she was taking it too far. "So have you ever been here before?" Fighter had never really ventured this far into the Bronx let alone eaten here before. Although you could never go wrong with a slice of pizza in her opinion.

[David Jacobs]

"Private is good," David said, dropping down into a chair across from Fighter and shooting her a lopsided smile before dropping his voice. "I like private when it's with you." He knew that privacy had it's reasons when it came to them, practical reasons at that. But the truth was, David liked being alone with Fighter and in that way their enforced secrecy was a sort of blessing.

"I came here once with Les," David said, leaning back in his chair and looking over at Fighter. "We were passing through the Bronx on an errand for Jack and Les was just so hungry he thought he was going to die," David made a face as he imitated his little brother's dramatics. "So I brought him here, mostly to shut him up, but it was a lucky thing...the food's real good." A waitress appeared and they ordered drinks and some pizza before she left and they were alone once again, silence comfortably stretching out between them.

"You think we will ever be able to tell our friends?" He didn't say about what, he didn't elaborate further. The reality of their situation was always hanging above them and while he was perfectly happy to continue on as they were, he wondered if their would be a day that his relationship with Fight and how he really felt about her wouldn't be judged.

[Fighter Mallory]

A slight smile played at the corner of Fighters lips at his words, she was glad he understood why privacy was so important. Especially between them, but then again she was sure he had his own reasons similar to her own for keeping her to himself as she was doing with him. She enjoyed their time together and the fact that she didn't have to share him with anyone else was incredibly appealing.

Fighter laughed slightly, "Kids always think they need to eat or they're gonna die. It seems a lot of things are like that with them." When she had still lived with her uncle she'd taken for granted the fact that someone was around to keep her belly full and when she'd lost him she'd suffered more nights of going hungry than she cared to dwell on. Now it was common for her stomach to never be quite full unless it was full of booze.

Shrugging slightly she glanced around, "I'm sure we will tell them eventually." She just wasn't sure she wanted to deal with those conversations anytime soon.

[David Jacobs]

"Everything is so...dramatic when you're young," David mused, considering that Les's crisis on a regular basis ranged anywhere from not being able to find a sock to the pape he'd set down and lost while walking the streets. "And then you get older and realize that only about half of what you thought was important back then really matters." He shrugged, knowing that so many kids that he knew dealt with things far beyond their ages. It shouldn't be that way...but it was and there wasn't much that David could really do about it.

David watched Fight's eyes as they darted around the restaurant as she responded to his question and he frowned, resisting the urge to reach across the table and take her hand. "I didn't mean we needed to tell them anytime soon I was just...you know...I was just curious if you would ever...want too."

[Fighter Mallory]

"Yes it certainly is," A laugh fell from her lips when she thought about all the things she would do to and say to her uncle when she was younger. Smiling, she relaxed more at his next words and nodded her head in agreement. "As long as I'm fed and have a place to sleep I'm content." And had the money to drink when she felt the need to.

Biting her lip lightly she nodded her head, "I don't think I could keep it a secret forever even if I wanted to." And she honestly didn't. She was already getting annoyed with having to go out of her way just to spend quality time with him. Soon enough she'd tell her friends and they could either deal with it or kiss her ass.

[David Jacobs]

"It's both easier and harder to enjoy the simple things when you're older," David commented, thinking about how much they had been asked to shoulder recently. How much just a simple meal like this with Fight's smile and radiant eyes were enough to scrape away the rest of the world and send butterflies flapping in his stomach. The thought caused him to smile and look away from her for a moment, embarrassed a little at the sentiment.

David could admit that as much as he enjoyed their stolen moments together, there was a part of him that was ready for the farce to be over. For the hiding and evading to be gone, so that maybe he could walk down the street holding Fight's hand and not be worried what her friends or his own might think. And then it struck him that he really didn't care, all that mattered was what she thought, what they thought...the two of them. "Is it weird that I kind of can't wait to see their faces?"

[Fighter Mallory]

Fighter nodded her head to his comment, her own thoughts drifting to what had happened to bring them together. She brushed those thoughts away quickly though because she dwelled on them enough when she wasn't around David, she didn't them overwhelming her mind when she was with him to. "I guess that's why I took to Gwennie, she reminds me of how I used to be and I want her to be able to hold on to that for as long as possible..." Fighter trailed off, glancing away, she knew what her friends thought of her friendship with Gwennie and although she usually didn't care, she also usually didn't explain why she was so attached to the girl.

A wide grin spread across her face as she thought of what his friends reactions would be. She knew what her friends reactions would be for the most part or at least she assumed she was at least partly correct. She figured his friends would be dumbfounded, at least the ones that knew her and her reputation. "I'm actually looking forward to your friends reactions. Make sure I'm around when you tell them," She finished with a wink.

[David Jacobs]

"You've done good by her," David said softly, thinking of the connection he'd sensed between Fighter and Gwennie, even as they were battling outside of the warehouse. Fighter's determination to get to her young friend had been one of the things that had drawn David to her in the first place, he supposed. He admired that about her, that despite everything that Fighter had been through - and David was certain he didn't even know the half of it but considered himself lucky that he knew some of it - she still found time for the little girl.

If David was honest, he had no idea how his friends would react. He figured shock would play into it somehow, he wasn't someone akin to keeping secrets, especially ones about spending time with a girl from Brooklyn. Not just spending time, David corrected himself as he looked over at her grin and felt himself falling a little more into her eyes. "Their faces will be a sight, no doubt. Not sure they'd believe me, even if you were standing right there."

[Fighter Mallory]

Fighter fairly glowed on the inside at his words, it wasn't often someone noticed let alone commented about what she did for her friend. Then again she didn't do it for the praise and she supposed coming from someone else she might not take it the same way. To her, though, everything David said in regards to her was something of a compliment. She smiled and pushed a curl back off her face.

"I can think of something that would convince them," Fighter said with a small smirk. She didn't particularly care for kissing or even really touching in public, but something about David brought out a different side of her. He made her feel carefree and something else she couldn't quite pute her finger on.

[David Jacobs]

David followed the movement of her hand with his eyes, watched the way one of her curls twisted around her fingers and suddenly had the urge to run his fingers through the surprisingly silky strands himself. But that level intimacy, no matter their discussion of the nature of their relationship, was best kept to the quiet shadowy corners and moments that they found to be utterly alone. The ones that he treasured.

He arched his eyebrow at her suggestion, possibilities racing through his mind as he tried to picture Jack, Race and Kid Blink digesting him kissing Fighter Mallory from Brooklyn and knowing what to do with it. It was almost enough to make him laugh...and have him suggesting practice round right then and there in Lombardi's. He settled instead for a little wink and smile, because Fighter made him feel bold where he should be embarrassed. "Now that would be something to see. Though I'm not sure I'd be focused much on their reactions if that were the case..."

[Fighter Mallory]

Fighters smirk turned into a smile that she rarely bestowed on anyone besides David. He seemed to be the person who could draw it out quickly and quite frequently. That was one of the reasons she loved being around him because he made her happier then she'd been in a long time. "Well that's good to know, I'd prefer your attention on me then."

Fighter wished she could spend more time with David then she was able to and she wished the time that they did get together didn't seem quite as short as it always did. That was one of the things that was growing tiresome, at least when people knew that they were more than just mild acquaintances they wouldn't question the time she'd spend away from Brooklyn. She knew David couldn't spend the night in Brooklyn because of his family but she could easily spend the night at the Manhattan Lodging House as long as there was an open bed and if not she was sure she'd find somewhere closer to sleep.

[David Jacobs]

"You're much prettier to look at," David said, almost without realizing it, this thoughts form words in a compliment before he could stop them but decided he didn't mind. Because it was the truth, he'd much rather be looking at Fighter than anyone else ever and as far as he was concerned there was no shame in that. So instead he boldly reached across the table and let his fingers brush against her hand, if only for a moment. "Especially when you smile."

David knew there was a lot that he didn't know about Fighter. He knew that he'd only really begun to scratch the surface of who she was, but he knew with certainty that he felt things for her. He was a little scared to explore exactly what he felt, to give name to the butterflies that took flight in his stomach when she looked at him or the way he thought about kissing her lips in the long moments they were apart. In an absurd twist of fate, David thought he might be a little thankful for what happened at the warehouse, if only because it had brought him to her.

[Fighter Mallory]

Fighter felt the back of her neck heat up at his words and was glad she didn't blush where he could see. It had been a long time since a boy had made her blush, but she found it wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling. She thought that might have something to do with her growing feelings toward Davey. He wasn't like the other men in her life and his compliments were more genuine and heartfelt than other compliments she'd received. Her smile widened at his next words and she ducked her head for a moment, looking at him from beneath her lashes. "Thanks..." She trailed off unsure of how to handle all of the compliments.

"You know you're pretty easy on the eyes too," She winked at him and took a sip of water. "I especially love you're smile, you seem as serious as me a lot of the time so it's nice to see you smile so much." Fighter couldn't put into words the way she felt when she was with him. She just knew that it felt like she had a huge weight lifted off of her shoulders and she enjoyed just listening to his voice.

[David Jacobs]

David dropped his eyes away from her at the compliment, feeling his palms getting a little sweaty at the knowledge that perhaps she liked looking at him just as much as he liked looking at her. "Good thing you're around to give me something to smile about then," David managed, looking back up at her with the tips of his ears turning pink.

Damn if Jack could see him now. David couldn't decide if his friend would hit him upside the head or stand their gaping at the sight of him seated across the table from one of Brooklyn's fiercest gals. A gal who could be soft when you gave her a chance, whose hair looked almost golden when the light was just right and whose eyes always danced with mischief, even when it was the furthest thing from her mind. David knew there was something special about Fight, about what they had come to mean to one another and to hell what anyone thought of that.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" David asked finally, finding his words again as he smiled at her a little. He didn't know if she'd have the time for it, or if she'd want to risk the trip into Manhattan, but he wanted to show her his favorite place in New York - the harbor.