The Five

The River Walk

On the River Walk Erik and Felicity finally had a chance to take a breath. Looking at one another they chuckled at the absurdity of the conversation they’d just had. Really she had about 45 minutes left on her break but she wasn’t about to spend them sitting with them. Chicago was breathtaking in the early fall. The weather was mostly clear, temperature was pleasant, and the flowers were still in bloom. You could hear the leaves in the wind no matter how many people were speaking.

After a longer silence than Felicity realized she looked over at Erik. He was enjoying the change in atmosphere and the comfort he felt walking with her and he too didn't notice how much time had passed.

“You don’t actually have to come. It will be a bunch of law clerks and assistants destressing from the day and I’m sure there’s things wildly more entertaining you could be doing”.

"Exactly. I can finally have a chance to meet all the people you rave about... that I haven't met before". He smirked a bit and made sure she saw it.

"Yes. The ones you haven't met before are much more, well much less. More agreeable and less intense".

Erik let out a laugh. He usually didn't play games with people he didn't like, and he really didn't like Kelly, but he knew Felicity. She wouldn't have shown it but she would have been upset if he'd said what he was really thinking.

As much as he cherished his time with Felicity he despised his time with Kelly, short as it had been. All Felicity could talk about was how proud she was of other people, and how exciting the things she learned about were. There was never a dull moment between them and sometimes, ever so slightly, he could feel this static charge from her. Not a painful one but this exciting electrical pulse, almost as if her energy charged up the space between them. With Kelly he could feel, almost see, the thick, draining haze she carried around her. He felt the charge go away the second Kelly had walked up.

He stopped walking and turned to face Felicity. Wanting to reach out but stopping himself.

“I really do want to come out with you. We haven't had a chance to spend unstructured time together. But I do have one condition” Erik coyly said.

“Oh?” Felicity puzzled, lifted up an eyebrow, “and what would that condition be?” Her heart happened to give a little flutter at that moment and she internally shook it off. She felt silly noticing the spark of excitement she'd always felt talking to him this time. This time it was different. She never, up until this moment, thought about him in a romantic way. Refusing to acknowledge it, deep down there was a sense it may have been what she was hoping for. She deeply cared about and for Erik but was so caught up in their emotional connection she’d subconsciously ignored the romantic one Erik thought about constantly.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner after”. 

He was so incredibly direct Felicity had to stop for a second. She wanted to quiet the flutter in her heart  and something else she could feel. Something she couldn’t put her finger on. It was like a gentle wave on the shore. It was strong but not insisting. And like the tide, ebbing a flowing, it tried to pull her back in, closer to Erik.

Pulling herself together, after realizing a little to much time had passed, she decided to be direct too, if a little more excited.

“I’d love to go to dinner with you. You're right we haven't had free time together and it would be nice to let loose a little but are you sure going out drinking first is a good idea?”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. The food will taste better and it'll help us sober up”, Erik said with a wide, glowing, sincere grin on his face.

“Alright I’ll take you up on your offer. If you want to meet us at the bar it's on Clark and Hubbard”.

Felicity realized they'd been blocking most of the walk way when someone bumped her out of the way. She shot a sorry out, as was her way, but they continued walking, muttering the whole time.

Erik on the other hand was pissed. People were rude and had it been him he wouldn't have had such a big reaction but it was Felicity. As his eyes glowered he thought about throwing him into the River, or into the mirrored wall the man was passing under the bridge. Just as he took a step he was brought back to reality.

"Erik. We should be heading back. I didn't realize how far we had walked and I want to get back to the office in time".

"You're right," he said looking at his watch, "I wouldn't want you to be late". The smile had returned to his face hearing her say his name.

"So I'll meet you at the bar and I'll handle the reservation".

"Oh, yes. You probably know better places to eat than me" she'd forgotten what they were talking about when the man hit her.

“Alright it’s a date then”, Erik said. There was a slight shock from Felicity at the choice of word but quickly she shook it away. They went back to talking the way they always had during these precious break times until she was back at her office. Waving goodbye she headed in. Erik linger for a bit outside, wanting to be near her for a little longer.