black magic woman ; ikaris

𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚

"Hey, River. You joining us for after work drinks tonight?"

As the children were settled down for their afternoon nap, River and Winter were sitting at their shared desk, taking a moment to bask in the quiet before getting some work done.

"Oh, wish I could, but I've got a date tonight," River replied, reaching for her bag to pull out her laptop.

"Oh my god, a date? Like, like a real actual date?" Winter asked, leaning in a bit closer. River nodded with a chuckle, opening up her laptop and putting the pad of her finger to the ID button.

"Yes, a real actual date. Going to dinner tonight with a guy I met a few days ago," she said, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Winter prop her chin up in the palm of her hand, nodding for her friend to continue.

"Well? What does he look like? Where are you going? I need details," she said, lowering her voice as a few of the children stirred.

"Uh, he's only a little taller than me, maybe like an inch? And he's got these really pretty blue eyes, oh and this little streak of silver in his hair, right in the front, it's kinda cute. Oh! And he's solid. Like, chest, torso, solid," River said, smiling a bit.

"Silver in his hair? He's an older guy?" Winter wiggled her eyebrows, and River had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Oh, he's a bit older, yeah. You wouldn't know by looking at him, though."

"Ooh. But where's he taking you? I gotta know," Winter said, practically bouncing in her seat.

"I don't know. He's just picking me up. But I'll text you all the details so you know where I am, okay?"

"Okay, sounds good. You have an outfit planned?"

"I have something in mind. He said to dress nice, and I have that one nice black dress that I bought a few months ago."

"... You wore that to a funeral, Riv. No no, we're going shopping real quick after work. Just looking at you, I have a vision."

***

Ikaris stood in front of the mirror in his room, adjusting the collar of his jacket with a small smile. So far, it had been a decent day for the Eternal. He'd gone out and purchased a new outfit for that night, and neither Dane nor Sersi bothered him. Of course he knew they didn't entirely care about his daily goings on, and this time, it was perfect. He didn't exactly want Dane to know he was taking his little sister out for dinner. As he dabbed on a bit of cologne, he glanced down at the clock on his bedside table, the time reading 6:53. Looking back at himself in the mirror, he nodded once at himself, adjusted his cuffs, and grabbed his wallet and phone from the dresser. He slid them into the front pockets of his pants before leaving the room. He shut the door behind him, but before he could make it to the front door, Dane gave a single wave from the kitchen.

"And where's Mr. Fancy going?" he asked.

"Out. Figure that's the fastest way to get me out of your house, isn't it?" he replied, reaching for the doorknob.

"All right then. If you're not back by 11:30, you'll be locked out, remember that," he said, and Ikaris rolled his eyes as he left. If all went in his favor, he would have a different bed to sleep in that night.

As he walked up the path to River's front door, he found himself wondering how these siblings could afford to have their own homes. Dane worked at a museum, and River... well, he didn't know what she did. He would have to ask over dinner. He knocked on the door twice, then tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat, looking around for a moment before the door opened.