Standard disclaimer applies, I own nothing, etc.

For their anniversary Nate took her to the outdoor theater.

It was a free show or else they wouldn't have been able to go, but that also meant it was crowded. Leaving later than originally planned and not accounting for weekend freeway traffic had them over half an hour late and parking at the very back of the lot for lack of space, finally joining the crowd on the hillside just before intermission. Nate quickly picked an out-of-the-way spot with a decent view of the stage and she unrolled their blanket in the grass as placeholder music began playing from the park loudspeakers.

Distracted children sat fidgeting with their parents and others had dogs. Nearby was a matched set of terrier mutts and the couple to their immediate left had an old beagle, but there were no fights breaking out between them or any others, no unchecked barking, no off-leash runaways. The dogs all appeared well-behaved and quiet whereas the kids mostly preferred to noisily race one another to the top of the hill and roll back down the other side if they were given the freedom, getting envious looks from the ones who had been told to stay put. Directly in front of the area they had claimed sat a middle-aged group of men and women sharing a bottle of chardonnay, drinking from little plastic wine glasses. Beyond them at the bottom of the hill where grass abruptly dropped off and became concrete was the paid seating, much closer to the stage and covered in case of rain, and also actively patrolled by police officers to keep the freeloaders at bay.

So far their only expense for the evening was the gasoline getting here. Others around them had coolers or pizza boxes or fast food in a paper sack and likewise their own dinner had been brought in a backpack- sandwiches, crackers and cheese, fruit from the bowl at home, plus the six-pack of Bloody Hook. It was hard to find here in the States but Sully had acquired an entire case and given it to them as an anniversary gift knowing it was Nate's favorite. "What do I get?" Elena had teased him, only to feel guilty upon being presented with the blanket they were currently reclining on. It was hand-loomed Spanish wool dyed brown and blue, thick enough to have been intended as a saddle blanket but so soft it was perfect for long naps on the couch. She made a mental note to remind Nate about the pocket watch they were thinking of for his upcoming birthday.

The dance troupe was from some studio out of Shanghai, expressive and acrobatic as they twirled in a variety of beautiful colors and costumes, each routine ending with an expertly coordinated pose to make the group collectively appear as a blooming flower, a bird in flight, a shining sun. Some of the younger ones needed to work on their timing but as a whole their gymnastic ability was amazing, balancing in positions that looked impossible to hold for more than an instant and yet they remained for what seemed like minutes at a time, sometimes with the added weight of an equally-skilled partner. Here in the cheap seats they were too far back to make out facial expressions or some of the more detailed movements but the view was still good enough for Elena. She used to be one of those distracted children running up and down the hill, back when her dad would take her to the ballet and local theater productions similar to this in an attempt to instill culture in her at a young age. As an adult she didn't go for the fine arts nearly as much as he had hoped but enough of his influence had rubbed off that she could still appreciate it from time to time.

She liked that Nate could appreciate it as well. Most of the men she had known before him would have responded with varying degrees of disappointment or outright dismissal and either way refused to attend an event like tonight. It was nice that Nate was generally open-minded about these kinds of things; to be fair he was also capable of reading sixteenth-century Spanish as easily as other men read the sports section. He seemed to be enjoying himself as they watched a group of youth dancers spinning to a lively flute melody followed by a trio with paper parasols, then a man and a woman moving in sweet slow duet against the projected backdrop of a crescent moon. The real moon was taking cover behind a thick blanket of clouds tonight but the park was well-lit even without the excess spilling off the stage. Once the sandwiches were done they focused on snacks and the six-pack for the remainder of the show. Nate split an orange with her and the sweetness of the fruit was a nice compliment to the beer's bitter hops and distinct, earthy taste.

A light misty drizzle began to fall as the last set of dancers took the stage. Most impressive was a woman whose only partner was a veiled black-and-white fan, the gradual color gradient playing tricks on the eye as she spun and twirled with otherworldly grace and unbelievable precision, making the fan's trailing six-foot veil seem all at once like wisps of smoke and tongues of lashing fire. After the performers gave their final bows to an audience ovation she and Nate took their time folding the blanket and gathering their things so as to avoid fighting the bulk of the crowd on the way out, picking up the pace once they caught sight of the cops reminding all the stragglers that the park was now closed. As they walked the hillside path between the trees back to the parking lot the mist became a steady downward sprinkle.

Elena normally drove when they took her truck but it made him feel like he was fulfilling some kind of old-school manly expectation to be the one behind the wheel on a date so she had let him have the keys tonight. Ever the gentleman, he unlocked and opened the passenger door for her before going around to the other side and getting wet in the process. It took a little while to get out of the packed parking lot but finally they were on the road and headed for the freeway. The rain came down in earnest on the way home, wipers thumping a steady cadence against a spray of water distorted by the reflection of taillights. Elena closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the song on the radio. She put a hand on Nate's as his rested on the gearshift and smiled when he gave hers a squeeze in return.

The rain was done by the time they got home. After they had made love and cleaned up after and brushed their teeth and were lying together under the covers they heard the hiss of wind and water against the bedroom window as it started up again. "Did you have fun tonight, babe?" Nate asked over the distant rumble of thunder, and there was a sadness in his voice that she didn't like. "Sorry we couldn't afford to go someplace better."

"Oh, Nate- of course I had fun," she assured him. "We don't need to spend a ton of money to have a good time." His overly chivalrous nature meant he worried about money more than she did. Their bills would be less of a cause for concern if her recent work proved impressive enough to land a regular contract; she was hopefully holding out for National Geographic despite several lesser offers.

He conceded with a sigh that tickled the back of her ear. Elena rolled to face him and from behind his head the soft blue glow of the charge indicator on his phone made him look even sadder than he sounded. "I know. I'm not complaining, the dance thing was actually pretty cool— that lady doing all the crazy slow-motion shit with the fan at the end? That was awesome. I just wish we coulda skipped the sandwiches for a fancy restaurant, or any restaurant, really. You deserve something nice on our anniversary for once."

Two years ago was their first wedding anniversary, spent trying to escape a labyrinth of underground tombs after getting themselves sealed in and left for dead. They had joked about that being some kind of omen for their marriage as they searched for a way out, trying to make light of a situation where death was a choice between suffocation and hypothermia. The year after that the volcano on the neighboring island had erupted suddenly, although that could be blamed on the terrifying unpredictability of nature and their own special brand of bad luck rather than anything purposefully sinister. But they had lived to tell the tale as always and she did not look back on either memory with regret.

Nate huffed another exasperated breath out his nose and fell back on a joke like he always did when he was uncomfortable, adding, "We didn't almost die this time, so I guess there's that," but she was already talking over him.

"I do have something nice. I have the best husband anyone could ask for, someone who takes care of me and respects me and always shows me a good time, no matter where we are. Or how much is in the bank." She kissed him, and felt him grin against her lips when she added teasingly, "Someone who loves me almost as much as I do him."

"Not possible," he chided around a yawn, and the sex must have been good because he seemed way too tired to play their usual silly game of no, I love you more. "C'mon, I'm for real. Next time let's go all out if we can." His words were slowed by impending sleep but at least the melancholy tone was gone and in its place a hopeful lilt, like he was already planning out a full itinerary for a year from now. "Do something we gotta dress up for… dinner and a show, or maybe a play? Something, I dunno. Something special."

Her first instinct was to wrinkle her nose at the thought of having to walk in heels since tonight had been so comfortable in sneakers and a faded flannel. But he was receptive to the outdoor theater for her so if going out on the town together made him happy she wasn't about to argue. It was kind of fun to dress up once in a while. Besides, Nate wore a tux like he'd been poured into a mold and baked to perfection, carrying himself with a James Bond-esque smoothness that made her weak in the knees whenever the occasion called for a jacket and tie. "Whatever you want, hon. Anything's special so long as we're in it together."

He smiled, then snorted back a laugh. "That was cute."

"Oh, shut up. It didn't sound that goofy in my head." She swatted away his teasing fingers. The resulting tickle fight escalated into playful wrestling and then another round beneath the sheets, and by the time she stepped out of the shower again Nate was fast asleep, snoring almost as loud as the storm outside. Elena crawled in beside him and dreamed they were exploring dusty forgotten places together, both of them dressed and pressed in crisp new formal wear.