i keep on running toward the fire

And if you feel like night is falling
I wanna be the one you're calling

All of the care that George had put into concocting a perfect date and all of the worry he'd felt that it was too over the top melted away the moment he heard her laugh. He shared in her joy, offering a genuine smile and enjoying her quick kiss before lifting her hand to his lips. "You're worth it," he said simply, his honesty clear in his hazel eyes as he pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. It wouldn't matter if it was him or someone else - Hotaru was worth every bit of this, and more.

It was almost painful, the raw vulnerability that he felt, to put himself out there like this, to offer her a glimpse behind the confident, flirtatious mask that he wore. It warmed him as much as it scared him. He was a man who liked to have a plan, who liked to know where things were going, but something like this? It wasn't something that could be plotted out. It had to evolve naturally - or not. Some people thrived on the chase; George was not 'some people.' It was why he rarely dated.

Instead of divulging this, though, he turned the conversation back to something simple, something playful. "So, white wine. Does that make it your turn?" he asked, raising a brow at her. "Or did that question not count?"

'Cause I believe that you could lead the way

George