Damian Time!

Damian wasn't really sure how it all happened.  One afternoon his mother was talking about what a shame it was that Marcy, the genie woman that his father had found, was shut in the house all of the time and that it would be really nice for her to get a chance to get out and explore the town a bit.  If only she had someone to act as a guide during these adventures.  But of course she was sooo busy with the garden and the horses, his father had sooo many chores around the house to take care of, and Layna had sooo much schoolwork...  She turned her gaze to Damian, and she looked so surprised when she mentioned that maybe he could be the one to show Marcy around a bit.  You know, just to get a feel for the place.

Damian didn't really know Marcy very well, despite how long they had been sharing a room.  She seemed pretty quiet, and had never approached him, but she always seemed to be smiling when he saw her.  In fact, he really appreciated how cheerful she made a room, especially after Boinky had been particularly nasty to him.  He didn't really know if she was actually interested in seeing more of the town, especially with him, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to ignore his mother.  Thankfully, she really seemed excited at the idea of getting out of the house. 

She still seemed really excited once they actually got to the hangout.  Damian started to wonder how long she had been stuck in that lamp; he couldn't imagine what it was about the place that made her so happy.

Then she noticed the photo booths.  Of course she had seen the photos his father had brought home, and Damian had a hard time refusing her request for pictures of her own.

After taking some goofy pictures together they decided to get something to eat in the lounge area.  Damian wasn't really sure how to proceed, though, and took his food to a separate table.

After they finished eating they headed upstairs to play some pool, perhaps feeling a little awkward after their meal.

But trying hard to play it cool...

By the time they finished with the pool table the sun had long since gone over the horizon, and the place was getting ready to close.  On their way out the door Damian got a wild idea for something new he wanted to try, and they rushed down the street, Marcy wondering what he had planned.  Without really thinking it through he climbed the gate at the local swimming pool, shimmied out of his clothes, and jumped into the chilly water.  It wasn't until he turned around and saw Marcy in the water behind him that he realized exactly what it was he had done.

Oh, don't look so miserable, this was your idea...

The sky was lightening quickly, so to spare Damian further embarrassment they hastily climbed out of the pool and back into their clothes.  Dressed and giggling awkwardly, they made their way over to the swing-set and each took a seat.  They both started to relax and feel a little more at ease with the gentle swaying of the swings.

By the time they got up from the swings Damian found that he was feeling much more comfortable around Marcy; he normally felt so out of place with other sims, but she didn't look at him like he was about to grow a second head.  It was already morning and they were both exhausted from the lack of sleep so they made their way back to the car and headed home.  They went straight to their beds once they got there, but Damian was finding it difficult to fall asleep.

When he climbed down from his bunk a while later he felt strangely content, and even Boinky's mean taunts couldn't phase him.

He had decided that he liked spending time with Marcy, and hoped that she would want to go out and see more of the town with him.  This time they opted for a slightly more formal affair, and headed down to Flux to try out the dance floor.  Surprisingly, they had the place to themselves, which worked to their advantage seeing as neither of them had any dancing experience.

Eventually they were shooed out the door by a tired and rather bored-looking bouncer.  Damian tried to keep his head this time and refrained from making a mad dash to the nearest pool.  It was a clear, cloudless night, and Marcy dropped down to the grass to gaze up at the stars.  Not really knowing what else to do, Damian sank down next to her, but she jumped a little bit when his hand brushed against hers.

After sitting in silence for a while just watching the stars Damian stood up to get in the car and head back home, but was taken by surprise when Marcy reached out and kissed him.

Damian had never kissed a girl before, but as he looked down at her blushing face he realized that there was nothing in the world he wanted more at that very moment.

It was already morning by the time they got home again.  It wasn't exactly a private moment but seeing Marcy smile made it so much easier to ignore Boinky's rude snorts of derision.

Damian couldn't believe that all this time she had been right under his nose.  He had been searching so desperately for someone who wouldn't mock or tease him, but he never imagined that someone to be an actual living, breathing sim.  And he certainly hadn't expected anything more than just a casual camaraderie, someone to talk to.  Now he could see a future with someone else in it, and he wanted to see her smile every day.

All of the time spent at his inventing bench had sparked a real interest in how things were put together and what made them work, and he enjoyed it all the more now that he was no longer obsessed with creating some kind of alternate life form.  And Boinky's criticisms became rarer and rarer, until Damian didn't even notice the doll's negative presence anymore.