Complete Private Dates Are Always Awkward, Aren't They?

[Harveste]

She smiled a bit when he explained his reaction to her. "Ah, that's fine- I'm not really used to it either. I haven't exactly dated much in the last four years." She struggled, but managed to keep her eyes on him and not on the floor. She was relieved- she hadn't ruined things yet. Yet being the operative term to her. She was an optimist, but there was still a piece of her that expected to always fail.

"Is that so? I don't go out very often to theaters, so I don't know when it's particularly crowded... I'm glad we got it like this though." She looked around for a moment, noticing there were a lot of couples. The last time she'd been to a movie like this, it was with a friend. This time, it was with a date- and that made it more special than usual.

As she sat with her tea by her side, she watched the trailer fairly silently. She looked at Brian when he leaned closer to talk to her. She leaned in a bit as well, hoping he'd hear her better that way.

"T-That sounds nice," She said, smiling up at him. She was a little shy feeling, but she was happy he was thinking about a potential future where they went out again. "It looks like a lot of fun."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

It was a relief for Brian that he wasn't the only one having a rusty time in terms of going for a date. If anything, it made him feel like he was being silly for being so preoccupied with everything. But perhaps it was good to be a bit cautious, otherwise, he could do something stupid and ruin the whole mood for both of them. Brian was told several times he was more of a friend than a boyfriend material after all.

"Not fond of theaters?" Brian asked, curious about Jaluna's tastes and figuring that he probably should know a bit more about her.

"What else do you usually like to do? Like... I know you told me you-" He opened quotes. "Live under a rock" He closed quotes with a quiet chuckle.

"But what do you usually like to do, or would like to do?" He wondered. thinking that maybe it could give them more things to do in the future. Something that he slowly realized he was thinking about too much. Perhaps he was taking this date too seriously.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

"I just don't really like crowds, and whenever I go, it's usually very crowded." She tried to remember the last time she actually went to a theater. It was many years ago, with her friend. There were almost no seats leftover, a kid kept kicking her chair, all that fun stuff. "I usually just watch shows at home where it's easier to control things like the viewing party and the volume."

He then asked the things she usually liked doing, and it stunned her. What did she like to do? "Well, um... I mostly read, play games, take random classes online, and things like that. I've started trying to bake a bit too recently, since I love sweets."

That reminded her, she had those cookies in her bag. She'd kept them out most of her car rides, but had finally put them away just before meeting up with him. "I-I actually brought some cookies today. I thought we could share them later. They're nothing special, but..."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Brian took mental notes of everything Jaluna told him. She didn't like crowds, so theaters on busy days were a bad idea, and beaches were probably also off the list unless it was to an island or something- That was a bit too fancy to think about though, maybe for a much later future... Or honestly, Terrasphere itself was a good spot to date, even if they were using their avatars rather than their real bodies.

"Oh, so you bake?" Brian grinned. "I actually like baking a bit too, maybe we should bake something together someday." He wondered how she was at that, especially considering the nice smell of cookies she had with her, something that was soon mentioned.

"Sure, we can eat them at the park if you want? That's a lot of food for a day, but my stomach always has extra space for food, haha-" He admitted, not really feeling timid about admitting he was a glutton.

Soon, the trailers seemed to reach their end, and the movie was just about to start. Brian peeked at the screen, leaning a bit away to rest the head on his chair.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

The idea of baking with someone else was always nice- she was a bit timid in the kitchen, though notably with the stove, so having someone to cook with would probably make her feel more at ease if anything. "That sounds fun," she told him eagerly. New hobbies, new people- Jaluna was doing a lot since Terrasphere had disappeared, and it seemed she was getting used to that, even if she still was primarily a homebody. Now that it was back, she was cutting back time spent in the real world substantially- so doing something like this, with someone who knew the world she'd seen in secret, made her incredibly happy.

"At the park sounds lovely," She soon told him. His gluttonous comment made her giggle as she confessed, "I sometimes believe that line you see in shoujo manga sometimes. 'There's a separate stomach for desserts', I think it was?"

For just a few seconds, she leaned sideways to rest her head on him, then straightened her back and rested it on the chair. She kept her hands to herself, her fingers intertwined with one another as her hands laid flat in her lap. The movie was starting, so it was time to stay quiet. Still, she stole a glance at Brian and smiled, before focusing on the screen before her, watching the picture with curious eyes.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno laughed at the reference to shoujo manga, nodding along. "Hell, it has been a time since the last time I've read one. But yeah, it is right, there is always a separate stomach for those-" What Brian forgot to include was that both his meal stomach and his dessert stomach were metaphorical black holes that simply devoured everything in their path.

When she leaned against him, Brian smiled as he softly caressed her head, now feeling more comfortable at being affectionate with his date.

Something that took more time than he should.

As the movie started, a quietness grew between them in a way that felt a bit wrong. Brian was starting to like their conversation, but the truth was that they couldn't talk much aside from a few funny scenes where brought laughter from those watching, giving a glimpse of a chance for them to exchange a word or another.

The movie went on, and in a wholesome scene, Brian was so focused that he reached for the now half empty popcorn bag without seeing, touching a soft hand instead, making he nearly pull away instinctively.

He swallowed what he had on his mouth, side glancing at Jaluna and taking her hand gently instead.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

She smiled when she felt his hand on her head, touching it gently when she'd leaned on him. It was somehow soothing, being so close to someone. Sure, it was probably closer than she should be getting with someone who was a stranger just days before, but she couldn't help the bubbly feeling it gave her. It was nice.

With the movie came the quieting of the room, as the loudspeakers on either side of the room played the movie's audio track with abundant volume and clarity. It was hard to really keep up the conversation, but every so often, they could exchange a word or two. And, every so often, she'd steal a glance at him, watching him watch the movie. They were just quick glances, but glances nonetheless.

She'd always liked watching people. Almost as much as she enjoyed the movies.

As she was taking a sip from her tea and putting it down, she felt the warmth of skin on her hand, making her blush again- a feeling she was all too familiar with, but hadn't been doing for most of the movie. Glancing at him a little longer than before, she smiled and wrapped her fingers around his for a moment, using her opposite hand to take a kernel of popcorn to put in her mouth.

With her hand continuing to hold onto his, she turned her focus back to the movie. He'd technically started it- so it was fine for her to continue, right?

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Brian glanced back at Jaluna, feeling the warmth of their hands causing his heart to speed up for a moment. Yet, he didn't feel nervous. In fact, he felt the most comfortable now. His eyes met with hers for a bit before he averted to look at the screen, with the hold on her hand lingering as he used his thumb to gently caress the back of her hand.

He tilted his body slightly to her, perhaps to give her room to rest on him if she wished as the movie went on, going through funny scenes, wholesome scenes, and all of the sorts.

Eventually, the movie's plot built up, along with the character development, and slowly welcomed a more serene mood.

The romantic climax slowly approached, with the two main characters meeting at the top of a hill, with the moon shining and bathing their faces as they exchanged a gaze that made the next scene the most predictable.

A confession, and then the exchange of a theatrical kiss, just as it was expected from a movie of that kind.

Brian's hand squeezed Jaluna's softly, side glancing her for a moment.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

A soft giggle left her lips as she leaned against him when he'd tilted to give her the space to do so. There was something soothing about the warmth she felt, both in her hand and her side that laid against his. When she noticed his thumb gently running along the back of her hand, she smiled. "This is nice," she said in a soft whisper.

When the movie picked up the pace, with various scenes flashing past her eyes, the romantic climax still seemed to surprise her, her cheeks tinted a bit deeper red from watching the kiss. She knew it was normal in these movies, but it had always still had an affect on her.

When she felt a soft squeeze on her hand, she tightened her grip on his very slightly. Turning to look at him, she couldn't help herself and moved to kiss his cheek again. She was flushed, but her smile lit her face up quite nicely. She turned to look at the movie again, but continued to dart her eyes between the movie and the man next to her, wondering how he'd react to the gesture.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

A smile covered his lips when he heard she enjoying the approach. He could almost close his eyes and just enjoy their warm moment. Though he still wanted to watch the movie, after all seeing it all the way through was still part of his dating plan, one that he was almost forgetting now that he was actually enjoying his time with her.

With the climax scene building up and happening, Brian noticed her redness, and when she followed with a kiss on his cheeks, he felt his face warming up.

He focused his eyes on the movie initially, but soon he found himself glancing back at her, mustering some courage and tugging her hand closer, gently kissing it and turning to look at her, lingering his eyes on her for a moment before leaning in to briefly touch her lips with his own, in a soft peck that was the most he mustered courage for at the moment.

Leaning slightly away, he averted his eyes toward the movie, even if he continued to face her, feeling an embarrassment crawling in his chest.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

She was sure she was scarlet once she felt a warmth on her lips, as brief as it was. But then, he turned his eyes towards the movie, which on the one hand relieved her, but on the other hand made her a little nervous and even a bit pouty. It had felt nice, and she hadn't wanted to lose that feeling so quickly.

While his eyes weren't looking at her, she decided to be bold. Adjusting herself in her seat, she made it so she was essentially on her knees, helping her get to his lips with her own, lingering a bit longer than he had. Pulling away, she cast her eyes down shyly and smiled. She didn't see his reaction either, but she'd gotten what she wanted in that moment.

Her heart was racing to the point it almost hurt, yet she was over the moon. When had she last wanted to kiss someone, let alone gone for it? The girl couldn't even remember anymore. The butterflies in her stomach confirmed she'd done the right thing asking him out that day. And, with any luck, this was only the first and not the last time she'd see him. At the moment, that certainly was her thought.

She'd probably have to apologize later, though. She felt guilty not asking, but the timing had just seemed perfect.

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

When she decided to linger on the kiss a bit more, Brian was surprised but tried to react accordingly, allowing it to keep going until she was satisfied with it. His heart raced just as much as his face burned, taking a moment to try and breath, but finding it hard to do it completely.

He tried to not react too abruptly, not wanting to look pathetic in front of her. It did seem like she had enjoyed so he didn't want to lose face, trying to focus back on the movie while having a timid smile.

At that point, he could barely pay attention to the screen anymore, using it more as a distraction than anything else.

For him, the movie was blurry, the sounds from it were muffled, and judging by the way it was going, soon the movie was going to reach an end, with one last scene before the 'curtains' were closed with credits starting to roll down.

"O-Oh... It already ended-" He said, muttering under his breath. Time seemed to fly after everything.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

When the movie ended, she was in a mental panic remembering what she'd done. She covered her face with her hands, spouting an abrupt, "I'm so sorry!"

Her heart had been racing faster than a motorbike on the highway since she kissed him. Her face was still red as a tomato. "I-It just felt really nice so I was a little upset it hadn't lasted longer so without thinking I, I..." She felt a rush of anxiety filling her veins. She moved her hands to grab one of his, pulling it to her chest and holding it tightly. "Please forgive me."

She was preparing her mind for the worst- that he would leave her right then and there, unable to accept her apology and reckless behavior. She hadn't been able to help herself, and she knew it probably made him uncomfortable. Digging into her bag, she pulled out a pouch of homemade cookies. "Please at least take this as an apology..."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

When she suddenly apologized, Brian blinked surprised, turning to look at her and watching her somewhat freaking out, suddenly spilling all the beans of feelings that he didn't expect, making his face goes nearly completely red, just as his avatar would be. Damn it, so even in real life, it could happen?

"I--" She wanted more of that? If he knew-

"No, actually... I am sorry. I should've read the mood better." He rubbed his neck with his free hand, looking at Jaluna with a vague guilty expression, then looking at the cookies she offered to him as some sort of apology, making him even more guilty before he shook his head, gained courage and reached for her cheek, gently caressing it.

"We are going to eat these in the park, remember?" Brian chuckled, unsure of what all of that was about, but sort of relieved once again seeing that he wasn't the only one nervous enough to overthink.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

She didn't understand his reaction at all. Was he not mad at her for it? She was mad at herself, after all. The pounding in her chest quieted down ever so slightly as she felt her eyes widen. So he wasn't going to leave her alone after that stunt? Wait- why was he apologizing again? Her head was spinning slightly as she let out a soft laugh.

"I'm so glad you don't hate me," She chimed, almost ready to cry from relief. She put the cookies away when he 'reminded' her about their plans for the park later, getting off her rump and picking up her cup from her iced tea. "Shall we get going then?"

Lifting the container from the popcorn they'd managed to finish (she was pretty sure she ate most of it, but she could never be sure), she combined the two empty, recyclable containers, then held out her free hand, smiling brightly again as the lights showed off her scarlet cheeks. "Lead the way~!"

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Why would I hate you?" Brian blinked, now genuinely surprised and confused at the statement. But at least he could feel happy that she seemed relieved and now finally secure (or at least partially) about the fact he wasn't just going and leaving her for little to no reason. With a faint smile, he nodded.

"Yeah, we shall." He said, waiting for her to put everything away before gently taking her hand, interweaving their fingers and softly tugging her along in the path outside.

As they moved out, Brian knew exactly where to bring her to eat, and he glanced at her. "I hope your stomach still has plenty of space. I will tell you that where we will eat, you won't find any tastier food." He said, grinning.

"Is there anything in particular that you like to have for a meal? I mean, one that you like to eat, but usually can't." He asked, already plotting something in his mind.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Laughing nervously, the woman responded, "...A lot of people can't put up with how direct I am. That goes for my thoughts and actions. I can be pretty, um, blunt, and well... You saw what happens when I want to do something. I often forget to ask beforehand..." She felt incredibly lucky right now. Brian didn't seem mad at her for kissing him out of the blue!

Feeling him intertwine their fingers was a bit of a surprise- a nice one, though. She was more than happy as she followed him along the path. A soft giggle left her as he told her about how tasty the food was going to be.

"I'm looking forward to it!" She chimed, but then was asked something she couldn't think of an answer to. "I don't really cook much besides baking. I've been trying to do more of it at home, but my repertoire is pretty limited so... The answer could be any number of things." Not aware he was plotting something, she added, "I was going to ask you for your input on what was particularly good where we're going when we got there, actually. Sometimes, when I'm hungry like now, I don't know what to eat at all."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"If anything, you are the most straightforward person that I have met." Brian chuckled. And he had met a handful of people that were eccentric in many ways, but well, none of them suddenly did or asked stuff in the same way Jaluna did. He didn't mind though, they were on a date and they had to enjoy their time, not stress about this sort of thing.

"Not much of a cook huh? It is fine, as long as you can still get yourself a healthy meal every day. Not everyone needs to be a chef." He grinned, starting to become even more comfortable with the date, guiding her on the sidewalk, keeping their hands entangled in a gentle but firm way.

"Hmmm... The restaurant we are going to is very variable. The bad part is that if you want to eat sushi, for example, it won't have the same mood as eating in a proper Japanese restaurant, but it is still tasty. There are other things too, like risotto, I personally think it is great. And the steak is really good too, they don't fail at buying good quality meat either." He said, presenting some options.

@Harveste

 

[Harveste]

Smiling softly, she kept close to Brian and took his words as a compliment. "Honesty is the best policy, after all!"

She laughed nervously, wondering how 'healthy' her meals generally were. Sure, she did eat a decent amount of vegetables now compared to when she was younger, but she still ate a lot of processed food too. She was still working on cutting out the TV dinners.

"Wow, that's quite a selection!" Her jaw had slightly dropped in surprise by the variety Brian described. "I've had hospital sushi before- and yes, that's a thing- so the exact feeling doesn't really bother me. Well, the air, I mean. For me what matters is the company I'm in and the food itself... Oh!"

She suddenly remembered something he'd probably find interesting and important. "My sense of taste is a little... different. I was born unable to smell, so..." She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear with her free hand, glancing up at him. "That's actually what got me into the game in the first place. I wanted to experience smell."

@Hanno Futaba

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Honesty is always good." Brian nodded eagerly, not being much of a person to hold back his feelings either, though in all honestly, Jaluna got the trophy at that, being so quick to put her words and feelings out of her mouth, it was impressive to see someone of her integrity. Brian felt lucky to befriend someone like her... And even luckier to be on a date with her.

At the mention of hospital sushi, he rose his eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit dangerous? Raw food in a hospital, I mean." Not that every sushi was raw, especially when people made all sorts of variants.

A faint smile crossed his lips, agreeing with her thought. "Yeah. This is why I'm sure this dinner will be great." He said, this time taking the initiative of wrapping his arm around her to get her closer, kissing her head and rubbing her arm gently.

When Jaluna revealed she was unable to smell, Brian blinked surprised. "Wait really?" He asked, tilting his head.

"I think you are the first person I've met that can't smell then... Uh, isn't that dangerous?" Brian frowned slightly, turning to the street where their destination would be.

@Harveste