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

[skybluejeep]

"And I really do promise that this isn't a cheesy pick-up line to get you back to my place."

He winked at her again, because he did feel the need to at least reassure her. Not that she was probably thinking it, she was so innocent and naive about certain things.

[watcheslanterns]

She was so far from thinking it. Why would someone need a line to get you into a room in the first place? Her confusion shows on her face, but she's quietly considering all of her mother's warnings. Maybe it had something to do with that? But Stiles seemed to nice for any of her mother's warnings. She'd looked: he didn't even have point teeth!

"I didn't think it was," she told him. "I've heard a few cheesy lines before. Yours wasn't cheesy at all." She smiles, teasingly.

[skybluejeep]

"Yeah? Cuz I can do cheesy if it'd help. I am the king of cheese. Let's see, there's the old tried-and-true 'If I told you you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?' line. Which always makes me laugh because oh my god who talks like that, right?"

He grinned back, just as their food finally arrived. Two large plates heaped high with noodles, vegetables, everything. It wasn't exactly the Americanized Pad Thai he was used to back in Beacon Hills. But it was still really delicious.

[watcheslanterns]

She laughed, because given the right moment she had a feeling maybe Eugene might say something like that. Maybe not to her anymore, but to someone.

"I think you're better off without any lines."

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she marveled at the plate set before her. It was unlike any food she had ever seen but it looked and smelled amazing. She could hardly wait to dig in and taste it.

[skybluejeep]

He snorted at that again, and picked up his chopsticks, waving them at her dramatically.

"You know what? You're right. From now on, I'm just gonna stick to my natural charm."

Snickering, he dug into his dinner. Ah, perfection as always. A little "MMM!" sound escaped him, around his full mouth. He really did enjoy this place.

[watcheslanterns]

She eyed her own chopsticks warily before watching Stiles use his own to eat his meal. Carefully, she attempted to mimic the way he was holding them to pick up some of the noodles, but they simply slipped through the sticks. The poor girl needs some help.

Or a fork.

"Oh, um...how do these work, exactly?"

[skybluejeep]

He glanced up, his mouth still full of noodles, and then coughed a little bit as he giggled. She was just too cute to be real sometimes. Swallowing, he stood up and scooted his chair closer to hers.

"Here, I'll show you."

He put his hand over hers, handing her the chopsticks and positioning them correctly between her thumb and fingers.

"Okay. So imagine they're scissors. You wanna grip the food between them like this...not too hard! That'll just make your grip slip."

[watcheslanterns]

Putting her full concentration on the chopsticks and how Stiles was instructing her, she carefully pinched a couple of noodles with the sticks and pulled them upwards towards her mouth. They slipped a bit, but she was generally successful and was able to have her first taste.

"Oh!" Her face lit up. "Mmm! This is so good!"

[skybluejeep]

"Yeah?"

He let her hand go, but he was watching her with stars in his eyes. Maybe his friends were right. Maybe all he really needed was a chance to get away from Lydia Martin to see what else was out there for him. Because Rapunzel? Was fun, smart, willing to learn, willing to try new things. And she didn't think he was a freak of nature. She apparently liked being around him!

Go figure.

"I'm glad you like it."

There was a small, soft smile on his face, as he sat back. But he didn't move his chair around just yet, either.

[watcheslanterns]

"Yes!"

She smiled before attempting another grab with her chopsticks. She did better this time, grabbing some of the vegetables along with the noodles. Once she got a basic handle on the motion she dove into the dish, loving each bite more than the last.

"I've never had anything like it!"

[skybluejeep]

He continued to watch her eat for a moment, finding her enthusiasm for new things to be so endearing.

Then he finally moved back to his side of the table, still grinning like a total dork.

"Cool. Would you want to eat here again?"

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel nodded as she set her chopsticks down for a moment. "I would! There must be so many different places to try, too." Suddenly she was inspired to try as much new cuisine as she possibly could.

She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice. "Do you think it would be possible to thank the cook. It seems a little rude not to, especially when it tastes so good."

[skybluejeep]

"We can spend the next however long discovering whatever food you want."

He starts working on his food once again, and nods at her last question.

"Yeahf," he says before swallowing. "I'm sure he'd love it. It's a husband-wife team. At least, I think they're married? It's kinda hard to tell with Kedan sometimes."

[watcheslanterns]

"I haven't really talked with many of the Kedan," she admitted. "At least not since I was first brought here." She'd heard about them from others, but she was still trying to figure out how to interact with other human beings, let alone anyone else.

"Do you know many of them?"

[skybluejeep]

"Not...really?"

He feels a little guilty about it, honestly. These are people they're living with, or at least sharing a turtle with.

"It's hard, sometimes. I mean, they're not exactly thrilled we're here, most of 'em. These two, they're polite to me, they feed me, I've never had a single problem. But...you know how you can tell when somebody's forcing a smile? Or that somebody isn't quite sincere? It's kinda like that."

[watcheslanterns]

Oh, so you've met her mother then? Rapunzel can't helping thinking of her as Stiles describes it. She shakes her head of the thought before glancing towards the kitchen.

"I think I can picture it. Still, I think thanking them would be a good thing to do."

[skybluejeep]

"Oh! I thank 'em all the time, I'm not saying you shouldn't. Just brace yourself for a polite smile and not much else."

As we've established, please let's never have Stiles meet Gothel. It would end very badly for the poor kid, and then the werewolves would have to get involved, and people might end up buried under spirals of wolfsbane and we're just not going there.

"Here, do you want anything to drink? They make a very nice green tea."

[watcheslanterns]

She turned back and looked at him curiously. "Green tea? Is it actually green?"

[skybluejeep]

"It refers to the leaves, not the color. Well, it's sorta green. You'll see, hold on."

So. Damn. Cute. Stop being so cute Rapunzel.

He slipped out of his seat, and went to fetch two cups of steaming hot tea from the earthen kettle near the cooking area. Apparently it was free along with the meal. And when he returned, he slid the little cup across to her. It had no handle, and was a deep, rich red clay, obviously spun on a wheel.

"Sip slowly, it's hot."

[watcheslanterns]

Rapunzel was incredibly grateful to have met someone like Stiles who was willing to teach her about the apparently enormous amount of things she didn't know. She was surprised, and happy that he hadn't grown impatient with her questions or lack of knowledge.

When he set the cup in front of her she first admired the craftsmanship of it. Having made a few cups of her own, it was nice to see one made by someone else. She then leaned over the cup, tucking any loose hair behind her ears. She looked at the steaming liquid and breathed in the scent. It was unlike anyone she'd smelled before, but was soothing just the same.

Slowly she lifted the cup in her hands and took a sip. She sighed contently as the single sip began to warm her.

"It's lovely."

[skybluejeep]

Well, to be absolutely fair, Stiles is best friends with Scott McCall. Who is, while not exactly a stupid guy, definitely has his ditz moments. So he's kinda used to being a font of information.

"Best food on the turtle, I'm telling ya. At least until somebody opens a pizza place."

[watcheslanterns]

That was the second time he's mentioned this pizza thing...

"Pizza is a kind of food?"

[skybluejeep]

"Pizza is the food of the gods. You poor thing, living a life without pizza!"

A resolution formed in his mind; figure out how to bake a pizza for her. Somehow. There's got to be something about how it's done somewhere in Keelai.

"Okay basically? Big circle of dough. Tomato sauce. Cheese. Various meat toppings, vegetables on occasion, never fruit. Fruit on a pizza is an abomination. Bake it in an oven till the dough is cooked and the cheese melts. Slice it into wedges. Love life."

[watcheslanterns]

Well, Rapunzel liked pizza. She loved cheese, and the right vegetables were always good in her book. Color her intrigued.

"That sounds good!" She paused. "But no one here makes it...?"

[skybluejeep]

"Not that I've found yet. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places."

He shrugged a bit, and made a little face.

"Hell, I can't find anybody to make me my plaid shirts that I like. Mandarin collars aren't my thing, I feel like they're only worn by guys who have 'majordomo' on their business cards."