Nate pushed the door open letting the wind howl outside. He slipped into the club pulling someone behind him, hand in hand with her, with a broad grin on his face showing his pearly whites. He brought her inside with him, leading her to the bar, settling down on one of the barstools, looking over the drinks stacked behind. He whispered into her ear once she caught up with him, _{“Kitten? Would you get me a drink?”}

Katie followed a step behind Nathaniel, her fingers curled between his as he led her to the bar. She wore a radiant smile, her public collar pulled snug enough to hug the center of her neck, the bar hanging down the center of her throat to rest on her decolletage. She tilted to his whisper in her ear and squeezed his hand. _{“Yes, Master. What would you like?”} She asked before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, letting go of his hand and slipping behind the bar. She wasn't a bartender like many of the others seemed to be, she was just a simple coffee connoisseur, but she'd give it her best shot! At the very least, she'd learn to make His drink.

Nate turned his head back to the drinks behind the bar trying to find what he was looking for. It wasn't long before he found his target. “Whiskey” He pointed to the bottle of Jack Daniels at the back. “Jack Daniels with ice.” He turned to place his hand on her shoulder before she moved away to do as he told her. _{“You'll do fine.”}

Katie turned to follow his pointing, taking down the bottle of Jack. She grabbed a short glass and put in a few ice cubes, then filled it about halfway full with the liquor. She looked at her Master and smiled. “More?” She asked softly, gesturing to the glass.

Nate shook his head. “No, that's good. Thank you Kitten.” He picked up the glass and took a drink from it, wrinkles forming on his forehead as he tasted it, then placing it back on the coaster in front of him. He smiled down at her, happy she could do as he requested. “Absolutely fine. _{Like you Kitten”}

Katie smiled brightly at him, flashing a hint of pearly whites at him. It was a step for her, smiling like this, in public. 'Public Katie' was still a thing she was trying to learn to let go of. “Is there anything else You would like while I am back here, Master?” She asked quietly, then reached over and plucked a maraschino from the garnish tray, her tongue working over the stem in her mouth.

Nate could tell how hard it was for her to smile in public. He smiled back, trying to make her feel less uneasy in her smile. “No, a drink and your company is fine.” He turned to look at the piano he'd seen her at when he first met her. He wondered what she would choose to play for him if he should ask. “Play for me, Kitten?” He watched her place the cherry against her lips and toy with it, a glint in his eye as he drank some more of his whisky.

Katie flicked her gaze around without moving her head as she pushed her glasses up on her nose, tucking the stem in her cheek. “Any particular song, Sir?” She asked as she ran through the library in her brain of songs she already knew. _{“May You sit with me?”} She murmured, then discreetly retrieved the stem from her mouth, pressing it into his palm as she took his hand, the stem hidden from view….but he'd feel the knot pressed to his skin.

Nate tilted his head to figure out what song he wanted her to play. He didn't know what she could play but he did think she would be able to pull something up on her tablet. She had been using it when he first saw her playing. _{“I don't know. Surprise me.”} He nodded, his head drawn down to his hand where she pressed the knotted stem into his palm. It made him grin in response, picking up his drink and walking to the seat in front of the piano, waiting for her to follow.

Katie thought as she followed him to the piano bench. She smoothed her skirt under her and sat. The song she chose…she knew by heart though she hadn't played it in a year, a little more than a year honestly. She took a deep breath and her fingers slipped beneath her long brown hair to touch lightly against her neck, and then her fingers hovered over the keys a moment. One note. Two. Her eyes closed and music began to softly fill the air. It was a popular song, she knew…but to her, it meant so much to her.

Nate settled onto the piano bench and pressed his body against hers like the first time he spoke to her. Her breath and her touch under her hair showed him that she was nervous when she started to play. He watched her fingers as the played over the ivories, listening to the music. He didn't recognise it, but from the way she felt against him, he could tell how much it meant to her. _{“Pretty.”} He let her continue playing.

Katie leaned lightly into him, swaying as her fingers dance, eyelashes fluttering slightly against her skin as the song drew to a close, a few trips of fingers along the keys and she was moving into another song that had deep meaning to her. _{“This one….was her favorite.”} [/sub] She whispered underneath the notes, a slight smile on her lips. It was the first time she could reference her….and smile while doing it.

Nate lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, cautious to avoid causing any problems to her playing. She had spoken of this woman who had left an impact in her life then been cruelly ripped away from her. This was the first time she'd spoken in public, and she wasn't afraid. She was smiling. He let his arm rest across her shoulders, letting her know he was near and just letting her play to her heart's content.

Katie laid her head on his shoulders as her fingers flew, and then began to slow as she segued into another piece. This time, her voice joined in, humming at first, then slowly starting to sing, her voice quiet enough that none would hear save for her Master.

Nate reached across with his free hand to slide his fingers over her hair. She changed the song she was playing and it was something he recognised. This one meant something to him and he felt it was intentional. He had helped her get over her broken past and in the process, she had helped him get over his broken heart. She was still working on him and he was still working on her, but that would be a long process they would work on together, forever. Her words in his ear meant more to him than she would know.

_{Light will guide you home…and ignite your bones, and I will try…to fix you…“} She breathed out the last notes, then smiled. She was particularly fond of this band, and so she moved into another that most people knew, singing along as well. It could be paradise. It was paradise, being in His world, having Him hold her heart and know she held His as well.

Nate recognised this one too. Coldplay, he liked them. He started to hum along as she played, quietly. He was still reserved, unsure of his place with her, so he would stop and start every so often. He felt he managed well enough when dancing in the coffee shop with her, but this was something different. There were people around, people who might recognise him from his job as a firefighter. He was too self conscious and worried, so it was broken. A little like he was.

Katie lifted her head and gave him a radiant, beaming grin as he began to sing a little. _{“Just us. You and I. That's how I'm playing.”} She whispered. Because He had asked her to play. One more from the same band as she began to sing to that one. _{“Come up to meet you…”} Her mind flew ahead in the lyrics even as her fingers and voice kept pace and she looked at him with a soft smile, her cheeks turning pink.

Nate started to get chills with this one. Even knew the words as they came into his mind. He wasn't a singer, he never sang. But he started just for her. He was quiet, reserved, and he missed the beginning as he figured out what he should be doing. _{“Tell. Ummm. Tell you I set you apart.} Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions.” As he grew more confident, he got louder. “Oh let's go back to the start, _{running in circles, coming up…”} He drifted off as he wasn't sure, then back again once he was. _{“Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard.”} He continued, not quite managing to go regain that confidence in his singing, but he was confident in her. He couldn't see her cheeks, but he could feel how she felt next to him.