Danika glanced at Shinichi before they entered the restaurant her father had chosen. He seemed to have gotten over the earlier outburst of nerves, and took her glance to mean that he should open the door for her. She internally scolded herself for being slightly hypocritical and entered first. When other people opened doors for her she suspected them of being condescending, but when her boyfriend did it, she felt smug.

She looked around the overdone interior a little doubtfully. The place was either a bit tacky or very expensive. The maitre'd approached and asked Shinichi cheerfully, "You have a reservation?"

Shinichi blinked at him and then replied nervously, "Um, maybe Belova?" He glanced between Danika and the maitre'd hopefully.

Danika nodded and told the maitre'd firmly, "We're meeting Dimitri Belova here.

The man's face cleared and he said briskly, "Oh, certainly, come this way."

Danika wasn't certain why she felt a little surprised that her father was already waiting for them at the table they were led to. She hadn't expected him to stand her up, and he'd always been fairly punctual, but she and Shinichi weren't late either.

Dimitri Belova leapt to his feet to greet them, and looked Shinichi over carefully before offering his hand. "Thanks for coming," he said a bit stiffly, as though this were a business meeting. As usual he avoided looking at Danika apart from the briefest glance.

--

Shinichi looked at Danika after her father released his hand. Her expression was carefully neutral. It surprised him because normally he felt like everything showed on her face. She responded to his glance by making the introductions.

As soon as they were all settled around the table with their drinks and their napkins in place, Danika's father asked a bit severely, "So what do you do for a living?"

Shinichi gulped. He hadn't had to meet many fathers and he was suddenly very aware that he and Danika had shown up in casual clothes, but her father was dressed in a neat business suit that didn't quite suit the rounded features he shared with his daughter.

"I sing?" Shinichi replied a bit nervously.

"Sing?" Dimitri Belova repeated incredulously. He turned a disapproving frown on his daughter, who met his gaze with sudden amusement.

"He's really good at it," she enthused. Her controlled expression was gone, and she was obviously taunting her father.

Shinichi had no idea what to say next, but it turned out he wasn't expected to say anything yet. Dimitri glanced at Shinichi and said disapprovingly, "Probably only the top ten percent, no I doubt it's even that high, maybe only the top one percent of performing artists actually make enough money to live comfortably."

Danika's expression looked a little dangerous to him as she replied sweetly, "Well, if it doesn't work out for him, maybe he can fall back on his photography skills."

She sounded completely serious and Shinichi stared at her in shock. She raised an eyebrow at him while her father stiffened and said bluntly, "Talents do not make a solid career plan."

"Photography?" Shinichi asked a little blankly. "I've never even taken any formal classes?"

Her father took that comment as an invitation to ask a little sharply, "Have you continued your education and gained any kind of degree?"

At the same time Danika blushed and told him, "Your pictures are pretty good though."

She gave her father a sharp glance at his overlapping words and drew in a deep breath, but Shinichi interrupted quickly and said, "I have. It was a bit rough and I only finished it last year, but I have finished my degree."

Danika looked surprised, which he found a little irritating, but her father only asked suspiciously, "In what? The performing arts?"

"Yes," Shinichi admitted. What else could he say.

Her father didn't scold him, he just covered his eyes. Danika laughed and said, "Papa, this discussion is pretty pointless."

Dimitri dropped his hand and glared at his daughter, but she continued a little sharply, "Aside from the fact that you're implying that I'd need him to support me, and that I wouldn't be able to support both of us if I needed to, he's really doing so well at his chosen career already that it's not an issue. And his dad insisted that he invest the bulk of his earlier profits so he probably won't have to worry about it later either."

Her father sat back and folded his arms. But he looked away from his daughter so he didn't see her face resume the carefully neutral expression it had held before. "I see," Dimitri said stiffly.

Shinichi looked at her worriedly, but she just gave a small shake of her head and the corner of her mouth curled up a little in a bitter smile.

Shinichi was struggling to think of some useful topic when their food was delivered. He was glad of the distraction, but hadn't even tasted the first bite when Danika chose to ask a little sharply and quite suddenly, "Why did you tell Shinichi that you're responsible for me not being able to walk? Did he misunderstand?" Her father flinched and looked away from them, but he didn't answer right away. "Papa!" Danika demanded.

Her father turned his face back to her, but he closed his eyes. Shinichi could see why Danika believed that her father could hardly bear to look at her, if he was always like this around her, but he didn't know how to help.

"Did I misunderstand?" he asked. He was sure he hadn't, but maybe her father really couldn't bear to explain it to her.

"No," Dimitri said miserably. He opened his eyes and looked Shinichi in the face. "I'm the one who chose the spinal bypass while she was still unconscious," he admitted painfully.

He was still avoiding her gaze but Danika glared at him. His posture and expression radiated guilt. "Papa! You idiot!" she exclaimed.

Shinichi gazed at her incredulously as she used the word she'd asked him not to. She blushed, but lifted her chin and declared, "I do mean that in the most insulting way!"

Even her father finally looked her in the face with a questioning gaze.

"You could have just asked me!" she insisted.

"What could you have said?" her father asked a little sharply. "You never got a choice, and if I'd waited maybe… if they could have tried…" he trailed off guiltily and looked like he was about to cry.

"I'd have said that I'd definitely rather have control of where and when I pee than being able to walk," she snapped. Her face went scarlet as they both stared at her, but she didn't back down. "They don't even have nerve transplants perfected to the point where they are really reliable yet now, and most of the early ones are only partially successful," she explained defensively.

Her father said despairingly, "But you might have been able to walk again, if I'd had them fly you out that night!"

Danika rolled her eyes. "You mean you could have almost guaranteed that I'd have taken at least some additional damage as the nerves started to die? You made the best choice, you made the same choice I'd have made. I am so angry with you right now!"

"Hah…" her father replied faintly and leaned on the table. He glanced around at all the other people in the restaurant who were surreptitiously staring.

Danika said dryly, "Let them stare. You're the one who insisted we come to a restaurant."

Shinichi whispered teasingly, "I bet he never expected you to shout that you'd rather control when you pee."

She blushed.