Posted: March 17, 2006
Title: Make Me Believe
Author: Sairalinde and Anorien
Type: RPS
Pairing: Craig/David
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: This did not happen, no money was made from this story, and we are not in any way implying anything about the characters mentioned within.
Beta: Sileya
Summary: What happens when one man who is terrified of falling in love meets the one man he can't say no to?

//Indicate thoughts

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Chapter 1

Taking another sip of his coffee, David glanced down at the books on the table in front of him and then back at the research documents. //I’m never gonna find this thing.// He had already spent longer than he had intended to looking for the book he needed. The museum had quite a collection of research books and various manuals, but he hadn’t been able to locate this one.

The library was halfway across town, and during morning rush hour he knew he’d never make it in time. Besides, he had always preferred the little bookstore because he could also get a good cup of coffee, and it was near both his bus stop and his apartment. Curiosity Shop had been part of his morning ritual for almost two years since moving to New York to work for the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a preservationist. Finally giving up hope on finding the book on his own, he approached the counter. The clerk smiled at him cheerfully, and he returned the smile.

“Can I help you sir?”

“Yeah, I’ve been looking, but I just can’t seem to find what I’m looking for. It’s a book by A.F. Janson, The History of Art,” he said, having memorized the title by now from his notes.

The clerk looked at him for a moment and turned to the computer terminal. “I don’t seem to be finding it, sir. Are you sure you have the author’s name correct?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. It’s a trade version, I may have to give up and go to the library for it,” David sighed.

“Hang on, lemme ask the owner. He might know some trick that I don’t on how to locate it in the system,” the clerk said, walking back to a small office in the corner of the room.

David leaned against the counter and toyed with the tassels on a display of bookmarks while he waited.

Craig leaned back in his chair and waved the clerk inside his office. Since buying the bookstore/coffee shop a few weeks ago, he felt that he’d barely left his office, let alone had time to actually read any of the books he now technically owned. He completed his order and hung up the phone, then looked up at the clerk with a smile. “Hey, Rita,” he said with a smile. “Sounds busy out front. Do you need some help?”

“Yes, actually I do. One of the customers is looking for a certain book, and I just can’t seem to find it in the system. He has all the information, but it must be out of print or something. He’s in here a lot, so I thought maybe you’d know a trick or two that I don’t to look it up for him?” Rita asked. She didn’t know Craig terribly well yet, but he knew more about the new computer system.

“No problem,” Craig said, standing up and stretching muscles that had tensed from sitting behind his desk for hours. Running a hand absentmindedly through his dark hair, he smiled and followed Rita out to the front desk, talking quietly to her about the new shipment he’d been expecting all morning.

Craig didn’t look up until he was standing behind counter, with less than a foot of smooth, worn wood separating him and the customer who must have requested help. He could only see the man’s profile and felt his heart skip a beat at the soft red hair and the barest hint of a smile as the man idly fiddled with the bookmarks. //God, I need to get out of my office more if you’re a regular!// His eyes widened at his own thoughts and he suppressed a sigh. //Get a grip, Parker. Be professional.//

Straightening his shoulders, he cleared his throat and smiled at the redhead. “Hello. I’m Craig…the new owner of the Curiosity Shop,” he said, offering his hand. “I understand you need some help finding a book?”

David looked up as someone cleared his throat and he realized he’d been completely lost in thought. As his eyes settled on the man who introduced himself as the new owner of the bookstore, his mouth went dry. //Good Lord, he’s got the most incredible smile I’ve ever seen.//

“Uh, hello,” he said offering his hand in return, “I’m David…I…I was just inquiring about a book. I need it for some research I’m doing, and I didn’t want to go across town to the library. I’d rather just buy it. Besides knowing me, I’ll need it again anyway.” When his hand connected with Craig’s, David felt a zing of electricity run up his arm, and he simply stared at the other man for a moment. He not only had an incredible smile, but his eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue that reminded him of the ocean.

Craig’s fingers automatically closed around the other man’s and his smile widened. It took him a moment to realize he was holding this stranger’s hand much longer than necessary for a handshake, and his face flushed a deep shade of pink as he let go. “I…um…yes…let me see what I can do here.” He began tapping at the computer keyboard, trying to compose himself as his mind raced. //Bloody hell…what’s wrong with me? The first handsome man….no, make that *gorgeous* man who talks to you, and you go stupid? NO. INVOLVEMENTS. Parker. You know that. New rules, new city, new life.// Looking blankly at the screen, his fingers continued to tap and he realized he had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for. “Ok…now….I’ve…um…got the screen up. What were you looking for again?”

David shook himself a bit, trying to clear his head for a moment. He’d never had a reaction like that from just a handshake and a smile. //I wonder if he’s single?// He felt his face flush slightly just from the thought and looked down. “I had asked about a book by A.F. Janson, The History of Art?” he said, looking back up and smiling at Craig. He tried to will his heart back to a normal pace, since he realized it seemed to have sped up the moment Craig had smiled at him.

“Janson…Janson…” Craig murmured, determinedly not looking across the counter at the other man’s stunning blue eyes. He typed quickly, trying several variations of the author’s name until finally he found the listing. “Looks like we have one copy,” he continued. “It had been keyed into the computer wrong. It’s a new system, and we’re still trying to work the bugs out. Let me grab that for you.” He quickly moved from behind the counter toward the back of the store.

No matter that the customer was handsome. No matter that he wasn’t wearing a ring. And no matter that he looked smart and funny and nice and had the most beautiful smile he’d had ever seen, Craig thought. He was *not* falling for anyone again as long as he lived. He hurried across the store, grabbed the book from its space high on a tall, out of the way bookshelf, and leaned back against the wall. //Calm the fuck down. Give him the book and ring up the purchase and say goodbye. End of story.// Taking a deep breath, he headed back up to the counter, a smile already naturally settling back on his face as he approached the other man.

David smiled in relief as Craig said he did have the book. He was glad to not have to fight his way across town to the library or to find it somewhere else. His eyes followed the dark-haired man as he walked away, watching the way he moved and very much liking what he saw.

David had always been relatively shy, but he found that he wanted to get to know this man better for some reason. As Craig returned smiling at him, David couldn’t help but return the smile. “Sorry to be so much trouble,” he said as Craig circled around the counter to ring up the book.

“No trouble at all.” Craig keyed in the ISBN code into the computer and, then, without a second thought, keyed in the ‘regular customer’ discount. //Well, Rita *had* said he’d been in here a lot. I’m just trying to get repeat business…// Repeating the final total to the other man, he carefully put the book in a bag with the store’s logo and added a few bookmarks for good measure. “Next time you’re in, tell the lady behind the coffee bar that your next cup’s on me, since you had to wait and everything…”

David smiled and pulled out his wallet to pay for the purchase. Handing Craig his credit card, he smiled. “Thanks, that would be either tonight on my way home from the museum or tomorrow on my way in,” he grinned. “I actually had heard that the store had a new owner, but I hadn’t really expected someone...//so gorgeous// so...young,” he said as he leaned over the receipt to sign it.

Craig couldn’t help but notice the name on the card, as his eyes were drawn to the letters almost against his will. David Wenham //Nice name. Gorgeous man. Regular customer. WalkawayrightnowParker, you git!// The sudden noise of the computer printing out a receipt almost made Craig jump, he was so lost in thought.

“I….um…yeah. I just bought it a few weeks ago. The previous owner retired and…well, books are a passion of mine. I just moved here from California and couldn’t resist stopping in when I saw this place. The owner was just putting a “for sale” sign in the window, so…it was kind of…karma, I guess. Or fate. Or whatever you call it, if you believe in that kind of stuff.” He wanted to ask the man which museum he worked at, but refrained, afraid that he’d simply turn up there one day, seeming like a lovesick puppy…which he wasn’t, he told himself. Because he was *not* planning on falling in love. And he would remind himself of that little fact every minute of every day if he had to.

David looked up and smiled as he handed Craig back the pen and the store copy of the receipt. “Actually, I do believe in that kind of stuff,” he grinned. “So, you just moved here not long ago? And...your significant other didn’t find it odd that you just up and bought a bookstore?” he asked. He knew he was fishing, but he couldn’t just come right out and ask Craig if he was single and if he’d go out with him that very night. Well...maybe he could? He found himself holding his breath as he waited to hear Craig’s answer, praying that he was single.

Craig shook his head and looked down at the counter for a moment. “No significant other,” he said softly as he forced himself to look back up at the other man and smile. “I officially dumped my last significant other about eight months ago, after finding him with my best friend in a hotel not five blocks from our home. Turns out they’d fallen in love and were waiting for the ‘right time’ to tell me. So that’s why I’m here….I wanted to get as far away as possible from them both…and New York’s about as far from California as one can get, don’t you think?”

David was shocked that Craig spoke so openly about his past. His smile slipped away and he shook his head. “I am sorry, Craig. That...I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories for you,” he said softly. Looking back up at the other man, he couldn’t imagine how anyone would want to hurt anyone so...beautiful. “And no, I don’t suppose you can get much further and still stay in the U.S. anyway,” he grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “So...you are new in town...do you...umm,” David stammered a bit. //Just ASK him.// “I was wondering...would, well if you’d like to maybe have dinner with me sometime...or...just coffee? I mean, since you are new here, I’d be glad to maybe show you around or something?” David had the most irresistible urge to smack himself in the forehead. //Yeah…he’s just going to jump right on that invitation.//

//No. Sorry. Can’t do it. I’m not getting attached to anyone. Nope. Not even a fling. I’m living alone, and it’s going to stay that way. I’m not dating again. Ever.// “Sure,” Craig beamed, then looked around the store in astonishment, wondering who in the hell answered for him, when he was *obviously* going to say no. “I…um…I mean. Yes…I would appreciate someone showing me around a bit, and…um…dinner or…or coffee would be nice.” He bit his tongue before he could say anything else, seriously wondering if he’d become possessed in the last two minutes or had simply been exposed to some mysterious mind-altering drug that had filtered through the air-conditioning system. “I umm…I stay pretty busy. I don’t get out much, as you can imagine, so I’m still pretty lost around here. I live upstairs and…haven’t really explored the city yet.” //Shut the *fuck* up, and say no. Tell him you can’t. You don’t want to. You’re too busy…You’re too scared…shit. Make something up. You’re *not* going out with him. Absolutely, positively, NOT going to do it. NO NO NO NO NO.// “So…you name the time and place.”

David was actually quite surprised that Craig said yes to his less-than-stellar invitation. “Really?” Clearing his throat he almost laughed at himself, “I mean...yeah, I um, tonight? Or...or tomorrow night’s good, too?” he stammered slightly and shook his head. Closing his eyes he felt his face burning. “And contrary to this display just now, I *have* asked people out on a date before,” he said with a laugh.

Craig laughed too, finding David’s blush and his stammering endearing. He looked across the store at Billy, his new assistant manager, and decided that tonight would be a good night to leave him in charge. Just dinner, someone to talk to…just making a friend. That’s not dating exactly, so that’s not breaking the rules. “Tonight sounds…good.” He smiled as he tried to hide his own blush. //I’ll just tell him how things are. That we can be friends. Or…or even sleep together, but I’m *not* falling in love. I’ll tell him that first thing, so there won’t be any misunderstandings later on.//

David nodded, “Tonight it is then, I guess...I’ll meet you here? There any particular place you’ve been wanting to go to?” he asked, unsure what Craig might like. He found that he wanted to make the other man happy in any way he could. He enjoyed Craig’s smile and silently promised himself that he would try his best to make sure he saw it often.

Shaking his head, Craig couldn’t keep the smile from his face. “No…I’m all yours,” he said. “I’ll leave the store in my assistant manager’s capable hands and leave the plans up to you, David.” The name fell easily from his tongue, and he couldn’t help the fact that his grin got even wider, even though he knew he must look like an idiot. “I’ll be ready at…what time did you have in mind?”

David swallowed hard when Craig said ‘I’m all yours’, and smiled. “How about seven? Or...is that too late?” he asked, a little unsure of himself. He wanted to have time to get home from the museum and shower so he wouldn’t turn up smelling like dust and the chemicals he used to clean the paintings.

“Seven’s good,” Craig nodded, suddenly feeling his stomach tying up in knots. “I…I guess I’ll see you then.” //He won’t come back. He’s just toying with you. God, Parker, you know no one takes you seriously…are you really stupid enough to think he’s different than all the others? He’s probably already wishing he hadn’t asked you now!// “I…if…if you can’t make it for any reason, I’ll understand, and…umm…you can still get that cup of coffee anytime you like.”

David’s eyebrows drew together for a moment, and he shook his head. “I’ll be here, knowing me, I’ll probably be a little early,” he said, smiling. Glancing at the large clock on the wall, he sighed. “But if I don’t go now I’m going to miss my bus. Thanks for finding this for me,” he said, holding up the bag containing the book. “And I guess I’ll see you at seven.” He had trouble dragging his eyes away from Craig’s, and instead of turning for the door, he walked backwards a bit. Finally, he turned and walked out the door, rushing to the bus stop, unable to stop smiling.

Craig leaned over the counter, willing himself to look away from the retreating man, but completely unable to. The smile on his face was genuine…one of the first real smiles he’d known in months, and he was reluctant to let it go. When Billy came up beside him a few moments later, he shook himself out of his daze and wandered back to his office. He told himself not to get his hopes up, that David wouldn’t come back, or Billy wouldn’t be able to work, or…or something. He was a little shocked when Billy said he’d be glad to work that night and spent the rest of the day convincing himself that *something* would come up, and the date wouldn’t happen, or, that as soon as David knew that Craig wasn’t interested in anything serious, he’d just leave. That might be for the best, Craig thought, determined to tell David the truth if he actually showed up that night, because there was no way in *hell* he would allow himself to fall in love again.

*****