First Date

[skybluejeep]

Characters: Stiles and Rapunzel | Closed
Date: October 1
Location: Wood, and then Earth Sector
Situation: Stiles has asked Rapunzel out on something resembling a date. Asti and the rest of Keelai is about to keel over from shock.
Warnings/Rating: Probably none. Rapunzel's a Disney princess, after all. I think there are laws against that kind of thing.

***

Stiles knocks on the door to Rapunzel's suite for the second time in as many weeks. Only this time, he's there to ostensibly take her out to dinner. This is honestly the first time he's asked a girl out for dinner and had her say "YES" so it's a huge, world-shaking deal for him.

He's wearing his jeans, and a Keelai-style shirt in green, with a Mandarin collar. It doesn't suit him, but it's better than the same plaid shirt he's been wearing since he got here, right?

Oh god, please let this go well...

Comments

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel, given her time period and circumstances, wasn't all that familiar with the concepts of dates, but even still she thought going to dinner with someone was special in it's own way. Unless you counted her brief foray into the Snuggly Duckling, she had never been out to dinner with anyone. She was nervous, but the prospect of a new and interesting meal was exciting. Besides, she liked Stiles. More and more she was learning that her mother's idea of men was a little, well, skewed.

When she answered the door she was wearing a new dress she had made, though it was similar in style to her usual dress. She had picked green in the fabric choices, though pink was still very prevalent. Her hair, thanks to Julie was braided instead of hanging loose.

"Stiles, hello!" She smiled brightly at him.

[skybluejeep]

As she opened the door, his heart skipped a beat, and that was before he took in her look. That green dress suited her so beautifully, complimented her complexion and hair. All that gorgeous blonde hair. And his face lights up in a broad grin.

"Wow. You look beautiful."

It's out of his mouth before he can stop it, the compliment leaving him easily. Because it was true, she looked absolutely gorgeous.

[watcheslanterns]

She could feel her cheeks warm, and was sure that she was blushing. She kept smiling though. Straight compliments were still something she was getting used to whether she was aware of it or not.

"Thank you." She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. "You look very nice, too." The style of shirt was one she had seen around, and one she was interested in experimenting with.

[skybluejeep]

A grin is still lighting up his face as he holds his hand out to her.

Stiles has been hung up on Lydia Martin for so long. SO long. So when both Scott and Isaac encouraged him to find somebody else, to get over it, he'd been incredibly reluctant. Until he met Rapunzel. And then that reluctance had dissolved easily in her green eyes, teaching her how to use her gas oven. Ridiculous, but true.

"Thanks. Not really my style, but I can't exactly go to Urban Outfitters for new clothes here. Ready to go?"

[watcheslanterns]

She looked at his hand for a moment before doing anything. Was taking someone's hand a good thing to do? Mother was the only person she'd ever been close too, and with Eugene they'd only been close because of emergencies or her healing. She didn't want Stiles to worry though, or think she was strange, so she held out her own hand and took his.

"Yes." She nodded. "Um, this might be silly but...is that like a seamstress?"

[skybluejeep]

Knowing what he does about the fairy tale, he pauses, and then smiles.

"Sorta. I'd rather have a seamstress here anyway. But I can't ask you to make all my clothes."

Their hands clasped together, he gives her fingers a gentle squeeze, and gives her a smirk.

"We'll talk about that later. Dinner first. C'mon."

And after she locks up her suite, he starts leading her toward the Earth Sector, and his favorite street food.

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel gladly walks alongside him. It's easier getting around with someone who knows where they're going. It had been the same before. She would have been lost back home if Eugene hadn't been there to guide her. She knew she should get out and explore more on her own, but there was just so much. She didn't know where to start.

"So the place is somewhere near here?" she asked as she looked all around. She took in the sights and sounds of the sector.

[skybluejeep]

"It's about five minutes away from my suite," he answers with a grin. "I kinda like the food around my place, it's fresh and well-made."

As they stroll into Earth Sector, he points toward the neighborhood where his suite is.

"I live that way. Kind of. At least, once in a while. My friends and I all switch around in suites. It's fun that way, right? But I still come here to spend time on my own when I need it."

[watcheslanterns]

She follows his motion and commits the direction to memory. She might need to know how to get there for one reason or another.

"Are your friends ones that you made here? Or are they friends from your home?"

[skybluejeep]

"Friends from home, actually."

He's envisioning this introduction, where he introduces her to Scott, and the thought makes him smile.

"Scott's my best friend, and you'll love him. Isaac...is a good guy, when he wants to be. And Erica's a good girl. You have similar hair, now that I think about it, even if yours is longer. But yeah, we're all from the same town. It's honestly super comforting."

[watcheslanterns]

"It must be," Rapunzel agreed. She knew that she would feel a million times better if she had Pascal there with her. He'd been her friend for so long that it was strange being without him. Even her mother would be a welcomed sight, despite the fact that she was sure that she was very, very angry with her now.

"They sound nice. I'd like to meet them sometime."

[skybluejeep]

Please. Please please. Never let your mother be here on the turtle. Please. Stiles would prefer to keep his internal organs intact, thanks.

"I'll introduce you guys sometime. I think they'd like you."

The background was shifting subtly, from the forests of Wood to the crackling, magical Fire. They had to pass through Fire to get to Earth, after all, and it was a nice walk. Just the right length to chat about things.

"So...um. What's your home like? I mean, back home, not here on the turtle?"

[watcheslanterns]

To be fair, Rapunzel is completely oblivious to any stabbing tendencies her mother may or may not have.

With her free hand Rapunzel played with the tail of her braid. Talking about home was...complicated. Letting people know about her unusual upbringing already seemed to get her enough odd looks and pitied expressions.

"Home was...beautiful. There was a forest all around where I lived. In the summer it was so green and bright and the flowers were all sorts of colors. I'd plant some by my window every year so that I could see them blooming up close."

Date Number 2

[skybluejeep]

Saturday night. Stiles shows up on her doorstep with a big canvas bag of groceries. Stew meat and veggies and even a bottle of mild wine which he'd bought from the Brazen Turtle. Teenagers could drink this purple wine all night and get only the mildest of buzzes, after all. Bryn knew what she was doing.

He raps three times on Rapunzel's door, glancing over his shoulder at Scott's suite. Heh. Such a crazy coincidence...

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel had spent a good portion of the day cleaning her suite and prepping the kitchen for dinner that night. She had already rolled out a pie crust and had it setting in a tin, awaiting a filling and top. Around the kitchen there were pots, pans, knives, and other assorted ware she would need to make their meal.

After set up she had gone to clean up, washing the flour off of her hands, and even her face. After her talk with Korra, she had been wondering non-stop about this "date" she now had with Stiles, and had found it impossible to stop. She should try to clear things up between them, but she was looking forward to just having a good time that night.

She answered the door and gave him one of her brightest smiles.

"Stiles! You're right on time."

[skybluejeep]

"Punctuality is my middle name. Well...no, it's not actually, but you get the idea."

He grins back at her, just as brightly, and holds up the bags of goodies. He was also looking forward to having a good time tonight. Even if his expectations were slightly different than hers. Not too much. Just slightly.

"Where should I put everything?"

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel stepped aside from the doorway to let Stiles in. "If you could bring them right to the kitchen that would be perfect. The stew can take a while so I want to get that started right away."

It was her first time cooking for anyone but herself and her mother, but Rapunzel was confident enough in her cooking abilities that she wasn't too worried about it. Besides, other things were too busy weighing on her mind.

[skybluejeep]

Doing as directed, he unpacks the beef, veggies and drinks from the bag, arranging them on her kitchen counters.

"Thanks for cooking," he says with a charming grin. "I mean, I could try to cook for you in return but I can barely manage a grilled cheese. I eat out a lot."

[watcheslanterns]

"I don't mind," she told him honestly. "I was always cooking and baking back home."

Rapunzel, whose hair was down at home, was careful to maneuver around the kitchen as she went through to things Stiles had brought with him. Her hair, for the most part, was actually outside of the kitchen space.

"Do you think you could do some cutting for me though? It will help things go faster."

[skybluejeep]

And he is very careful of it, conscious of where he puts his feet. He kinda has to, if he doesn't then he turns into a little bit of a spazz. And that could be very bad.

"Of course! It's not gonna be totally perfect, but I'll do my best."

[watcheslanterns]

"That's fine. It doesn't have to be perfect." She beamed at him as she handed the carrots, onions, and peppers over to him. Carefully, she slid a knife and cutting board across the table so he could start. She meanwhile, began cutting the beef into smaller pieces for the stew.

"Did you have a good day today?"

[skybluejeep]

Okay, Stilinski. Careful with the knife now. If you cut yourself and bleed all over Rapunzel's kitchen, you're officially a total loser. So it's a very careful Stiles that picks up the knife and starts working at the onion. It's certainly not fast, but it's deliberate.

"Yeah! I had an earlier shift today at work, I switched so I could come over tonight. How about you? Anything fun and exciting?"

[watcheslanterns]

"I think I may be starting a job?" She sounded unsure and it came out more of a question than a sentence. "There's a shop that designs and makes clothes for people here, in styles like their homes. The owner asked if I wanted to come work there."

She was still nervous about starting a job; having to work in close proximity with other people, but the idea was exciting at the same time. Making clothes, especially as a comfort to people who were strangers to this place, was appealing. And Rapunzel didn't want to live off of other people's charity forever.

[skybluejeep]

"Hey!"

He stops what he's doing for a second and turns to her fully, a giant grin on his face.

"That's awesome! Congrats. You're gonna do a great job, I know it."

Knife back down on the board, and he crosses to her to give her a congratulatory hug.

[watcheslanterns]

She stiffens slightly as Stiles first hugs her, but relaxes quickly. She took a moment to appreciate just how different a hug from a boy was from hugging her mother.

"Oh, um, thank you." Her voice came out more flustered than she would have liked. "I'm really looking forward to it."