The cool day had nothing on the warmth of the affection between the married couple. Anyone who saw them might have thought they were newlyweds.
In a way they were. Noble had barely been back a month.
So Fort pulled out all the stops when it came to their date.
Their first stop was a lovely lunch at a place that Sarai had recommended highly to Fort. The low-lit tables were perfect for quiet conversation and the waiter was a friendly face.
"Hello, Larry!" Noble greeted the server before he could make his own introduction.
The waiter froze, looking between the two people with a horrified expression.
"Ah, I suppose I look a little different than when you have seen me before. I am a friend of Sarai."
The first time Noble had visited the establishment had been on the day she had found out about the dreadful prophecy from Emer. In her frustration with the world and the anniversary of Seb's death, Noble had accidentally wounded Sarai and the meal had been friendly compensation.
But Noble had been post-workout and spent most of the meal crying as she recounted much of her life story.
'I should hope I look a little different now that I'm a Master and spent hours trying to look nice.'
Rather than being offensive, his lack of recognition was flattering.
"You are a friend of Awakened…Master Sarai?" Larry repeated. "Wait! I know you from the news. You are Queen B—I mean Master Noble!"
The professor smiled. She was used to those names being used interchangeably now in public. Her story of triumph had been plastered all over the NQSC by the government propaganda machine.
It was a good change of pace from the gloom and doom that was becoming more common in the stories leaking from Antarctica.
Therefore Noble had become a minor celebrity alongside her persona Queen Bee.
"That's me," Noble motioned to her date, "and this is my husband Fort."
Noble felt the interest of those around her shift. 'So many nosey eavesdroppers!'
Larry adjusted the towel on his arm. "Welcome Master Noble and Mr. Fort. We are humbled that you have graced this establishment with your presence. Does this table meet your expectations or would you like a private room?
"We are fine right here," Noble assured him after sending her husband a questioning glance.
"Very good. What can I start you off with this afternoon?" Larry held out two menus to the patrons.
Fort glanced briefly at the synthetic paper. "Let's have one of everything," he said.
"Fort!" Noble blushed.
"What? I am good for the money." The gentleman winked.
"It's not that. It's just so…excessive." Noble chewed her lip.
On the one hand, she liked being spoiled, but on the other, she felt guilty about being wasteful with the NQSC's limited resources.
"Trust me," Fort told her, with a twinkle in his eye.
Noble felt her heart skip a beat. "Fine," she held up a single finger, "But just this once."
"You won't be disappointed." The handsome blond man winked.
Noble hummed softly. "With you, I never am." She turned to Larry and shrugged. "You heard the man."
"Everything on the menu," Larry confirmed, a small smile forming on his face. "You are definitely friends of Master Sarai."
Hurrying off to the kitchen, the eager server turned in the order with glistening eyes. The kitchen, which had been sleepy nearing the end of the lunch rush, roared to life.
Soon, food flowed out in a constant stream.
When the table filled, another one was set up beside it. Soon, it, too was full.
But the couple barely noticed beyond moving portions onto their own plates with serving spoons.
The world around them barely existed. The only thing that mattered in the moment was the next bit of conversation being lobbed across the table. Or who could make the other smile more. Or who had the best memory when it came to past dates they had been on.
"Oh no, I have a detailed journal of all the time we went out before we were married. You never once took me to the park on the north side until you proposed!"
"Yes, we went to that little bistro in the square, remember." Ford insisted.
"That was the same day!" The brunette rolled her eyes before covering them with her hand.
"Are you sure?" The Director pressed his lips together.
"Positive. I think you actually intended to propose then but then decided to wait so we walked around for a long time doing nothing." Noble teased.
"Are you saying I lost my nerve? That doesn't sound like me at all." Fort placed his hand on his heart, wounded.
"When it came to love, we were both a little innocent. But my memory doesn't fail me. It was the same day." Noble blew out her cheeks as Fort shook his head. "Do we need to go home so I can dig out my journals and show you?"
"Yes, please! I would love to know where you hide your old diaries. I've been aching to read some young adult drama lately." Fort said around a spoonful of dessert.
"My only drama was you, you goose! And they were journals, not diaries..." Noble narrowed her gaze at her husband.
Fort furrowed his brow as he swallowed. "What's the difference?"
"One makes me sound like a lovesick teen pouring out her heart to an inanimate object and the other is a logical recounting of events to be recalled later." Noble tilted her nose up indignantly, then her face softened. "I just didn't want to forget our time together, that's all."
"Very well, I concede. It happened as you said. Who am I to argue with such a meticulous researcher? How about we check out the park and see how it looks after all this time? You can have a new entry for your journal." Fort laid down his fork.
"Do we have time for that?" The Professor knew that her husband had made plans, and she hated to mess them up.
"We have however much time we want to do anything we want, my love. That is if you are ready to go."
"I'd love to," Noble looked at the enlarged table, her happy expression fading, "But I feel very bad about all the wasted food."
Fort didn't answer, merely held up his hand to catch Larry's attention. "Pack up the rest of the food to go, please. And I'll tip you extra if you can get it done in five minutes or less."
Larry's eyes lit up as he gave a modified salute. "Right away, sir!"
Barely three minutes later all the dishes were packed in individual containers and ready to be transported. Noble looked at the mountain of food.
"This is enough to feed our family for two weeks!" She sighed. "I cannot imagine how much that bill must be."
"And you'll just have to keep guessing," Fort signed the datapad and had it whisked away before Noble could see. "Come on. It's time for our next stop."
Fort gallantly held out his hand as Noble floated up from her seat.
"How in the world are you going to carry all of this?" The woman asked.
The Director's smile grew wider. "That's the best part. I'm not."