When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie....

[oranje_windmill]

Who: Willem and Kiku.
When: Thursday evening, June 16
Where: Vargas Pizzeria
What: A first date, which first goes wrong and then goes right.

Comments

[mystiklsushi]

Kiku was struck with the odd sensation that he was actually nervous to eat with Willem tonight. He spent a long while carefully chosing his outfit, debating on the formality of the occasion. He had finally settled on a nice shirt and slacks. No tie.

It wasn't as if Willem hadn't seen him in everything from pajamas to a maid dress, but the part of his brain that was wired to think like a teenage girl told him that the first date was an important one, even if they had been close friends for six years.

Now, as he neared the entrance to the Vargas Pizzeria, he spotted the familiar form of his date and tried to quell the nervous butterflies in his stomach. He looked very nice tonight. Kiku hoped he hadn't been waiting long.

"Good evening," he greeted simply.

Kiku sort of hoped Feliciano wasn't working tonight.

[mystiklsushi]

"I think that perhaps we are," he answered, claiming the beer. With a little flash of a smile he added, "Though if I did not know you better, Willem Van Peeters...I would say that you planned this from the beginning." He tapped the side of the glass. They had done enough casual drinking with one another to know that one beer was really nothing for either of them.

The gentle teasing was doing wonders for his nerves, as well. He could forget that this was supposed to be a romantic occasion and relax around the man who had been his closest friend for years.

[oranje_windmill]

At the remark Willem's eyes went bright with unspoken mirth.

"I'm glad you have such a high opinion of my morals," he responded. "Although I'd like to think I didn't have to get you drunk for that."

This was so much easier, so much more normal. It was like all the other meals they'd shared, and it reminded him of why he'd wanted to date Kiku in the first place.

Awesome legs aside, of course.

[mystiklsushi]

"Lucky for us both, I do know you better than that."

He took another sip, studying Willem with a quiet contemplation, which was only somewhat uninterrupted by the arrival of the waiter. Their order taken, Kiku decided to chance a question.

"What do you mean, exactly, by 'that'?"

[oranje_windmill]

Willem blinked in confusion.

"Anything more then kissing."

He started to add eventually sex, but luckily shut his mouth in time. Kiku could be so....embarrassed by even the mention of the act, and considering that they were finally back on even keel tonight he didn't want to make him uncomfortable again.

To fill the pause, he took a sip of tea.

"Not that I expect anything out of you tonight."

[mystiklsushi]

He colored visibly at the last remark. Though if he was questioned, he would blame it on the accumulation of acetaldehyde from the alcohol, due to his Japanese heritage. Of all the romantic topics they had covered, however briefly, he had always managed to steer conversations clear of sex.

But he supposed the time when it became a necessary topic to breach was fast approaching.

"It is...good too know that I won't be taken advantage of."

[oranje_windmill]

"I wouldn't," Willem replied, his voice more serious then it had been during their earlier teasing. "Not to anyone, but especially not to you."

There was a pause in conversation then, during which Willem decided it was time to get the conversation back onto safer topics.

"How are things at the cafe?"

[mystiklsushi]

The flush remained, and would likely be there a while.

"Things are business as usual. I am thinking about taking on a few new members of staff, to give myself a little more room for...free time, should I find myself needing it."

He paused, letting the silence grow comfortable again.

"What about yourself?"

[oranje_windmill]

Willem's lips turned upwards into a softer smile as the atmosphere turned comfortable again.

"Mostly work. I took in Marcello's cat, who like her owner seems to enjoy sleeping in the oddest places."

His smile turned a bit wistful for a moment at the mention of the missing young man. Then he shook it off as his smile turned more playful.

"I also painted the Dutch Lion on the town water tower and started dating my best friend. So it's hasn't been all bad."

[mystiklsushi]

"I thought the lion was your work," he chuckled. "I had been meaning to mention it to you that I had spotted it, but I was rather preoccupied at the time. Something silly, really, but I was fairly certain I had upset a friend."

He took a sip of beer, trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh...and it may be possible that I am being haunted by Japanese spirits."

[oranje_windmill]

A bit of pride and pleasure glowed warmly in the Dutchman's stomach.

"I'm happy to hear that you recognized my work. I was quite proud of it."

At the man's next statement he raised an eyebrow, but figured it was more easy banter and shrugged it off.

"Well at least they're culturally appropriate. Why you specifically though?"

[mystiklsushi]

"You'd have to ask Sindre. He seems to be of the opinion that I ought to be able to see them too."

Kiku chased an empty straw wrapper on the table with his finger.

"Though he was very right about other things that should have been easy to see lately."

[oranje_windmill]

Willem frowned a little a that, puzzled. He'd long since guessed that Sindre believed in magic, what with things he'd said about his job and random comments made on their Merlin nights. However, he'd never known the Norwegian to assign powers to another person. But Kiku didn't seem bothered by it, so the Dutchman decided to leave it alone.

"I'm glad he was," he replied, giving the other a soft smile. "And that he gave me a push as well."

[mystiklsushi]

"We both needed one."

He chased the paper a bit closer to Willem's side of the table, shyly brushing their fingers together as he retrieved the wrapper.

"I would hate to see where we would have ended up otherwise."

[oranje_windmill]

He wanted to turn his hand over, catch Kiku's hand in his own. But knowing his boyfriend as he did, he merely smiled and let the other man withdraw to his side of the table.

"We would have ended up here eventually, I think." he replied. "We would have been friends again, if nothing else. But we might have stayed away longer or confessed to less because we were afraid."

[mystiklsushi]

"I am very glad that we did not do that. I'm afraid that at this point, friendship alone would not be nearly enough."

He drew his hands into his lap.

"I may have become quite selfish where you are concerned."