The Sweetness of a Discovery [Gabe]

Alright. So… there he was. Vista Square. Not a district he was familiar with, but Fievel managed to find the location Gabriel advised him. A sugar factory or something. Now, he was starting to get anxious. Just a tiny bit, to be precise. He never ever had it in him to actually meet strangers in strange places, let it alone with romantic undertones. Yet, it felt something so unlikely, out of the ordinary Fievel opted to give it a chance to break free from his routine. Besides, he was an adult already. Adults do this kind of thing. The last time he experienced the thrill of intimacy, he was… still a dancer. He still had his leg.

The memories were painful. Not merely the memories of a long lost teenagery romance, but also the accident, the Divide, the sorrow and frustration… Things he shouldn’t really remember at this moment, and when Fievel realized this, he immediately sighed, sinking in self-disappointment. “Not the time”, he thought to himself before bending down to do up his boot’s lace. He wouldn’t want to stumble on something and put himself in awkward positions and situations.

It wouldn’t be long till Fievel heard the familiar voice, promptly standing up again. “Unexpected surprise”, eh? So Gabriel was going along with the excuse they met by chance. Alright, Fievel could follow that, the ironic antics evoking in him the sensation of giggling at how fake their excuse truly was. “Hello there”, he said with a smile. “I hope I have not kept you waiting for long? My apologies in advance if I did.”

Well, Fievel was definitely excited but not for the chocolate adventure per se. The whole setting for a first date was rather unusual to him, though he opted to not say anything regarding this. Is that what couples normally do in Endymion? Besides, what could even be considered normal nowadays?

“Hum… Maybe we can make one? That’s what you wanted for, we can go with that”, he said, glancing around. The decoration was not what he expected from a factory, but maybe that’s simply his memories from old movies reminiscing. Besides, he could easily go along with whatever decision Gabe made, limiting his actions to just a guest going with the host’s flow. “So… Do you work at a casino, right? I’m sorry to ask, but you gave me your card and… I was a bit confused. Never really been to a casino before.”

Striking sudden conversations could always be awkward, even if Fievel’s natural recoiled demeanor hid any embarrassment under the collected behavioral excuse. The smile was still there but not as genuine as the guy felt he was probably being a nuisance trying to make small talk and form an acquaintanceship before anything.

Not the best cook in the neighborhood, Fievel didn’t make a move to help Gabriel (out of pure insecurities of messing up anything due to lacking ability to do well in a kitchen). Rather, he was intrigued by a certain part of Gabe’s words. Precisely, the “in his care” part; Fievel blinked a few times, hardly keeping his face straight due to not being quite used to Gabriel’s antics and their true nature as to whether it was an innuendo or one of those moments he was easily mistaking the man’s words and intentions for something else.

“Huh? Sure? I’d love to”, he answered, smiling amidst his frown of surprise. They were already planning their second date? Or was it Gabriel just being friendly/confusing again? “You looked like a serious business man when I met you, now I know it’s true! That’s still… impressive. And you’re young too… I mean, how old are you?”

“Well then…compared to me you’re definitely an expert. I can’t really cook anything… But at least I know how to boil an egg!”, he smirked, the same humorous tone Gabe used to talk about his proficiency as a cook. Fievel admired those who knew how to cook at the same time he was glad his mother retired from her work and became a devoted, doting housewife to cook for the family.

“Huh? That’s not bad, not at all?”, Fievel inquired, a bit confused. Does he think he was old? Was it a middle 20’s crisis? Regardless, the fact Gabriel revealed said question was unusual made it slightly awkward on Fievel’s side, who was merely trying to keep up with an interesting conversation. After all, that was a date, right? They were supposed to get to know each other beyond names, no? “I apologize if asking was troublesome to you. I figured I could ask since you seem very mature, it’s natural people think you’re way older when in fact you’re my age… I’m 20, so we aren’t that far, if it helps.”

“Oh?”, Fievel blinked as he stared Gabriel cleaning the lens of his pair of glasses in a rather… unconventional manner. If his mother was here, she’d freak out and give him a lecture over the lack of hygiene and how germs are everywhere, much to Fievel’s dismay. However, she wasn’t and though the young man found Gabriel’s spontaneous initiative rather unclean and weird at first, he soon opened a smile and cracked a little laugh. The clumsy antics were just what Fievel needed to find himself more at ease with Gabe's company. “I-I’m not gonna lick your glasses, thank you! … but you can put a little bit here. Just a little bit”, he said, offering his index finger.