17792/Date Night!

Date Night!
Date of Scene:	27 April 2024
Location:	Kenka - Japanese Restaurant
Synopsis:	Wally and Caitlin go on their first date together. They're both very awkward and very adorable.
Cast of Characters:	Wally West, Caitlin Fairchild

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Wally West has posed:
Date night had finally arrived.

Wally was still on cloud nine after he and Caitlin finally chose to give each other an honest try. It felt....really nice to be in a relationship. But, he had to rack his brain over where to take her. They had agreed on dinner in the late evening, but....Wally doesn't go to dinner too often. SO! After doing a HELL of a lot of google searching and having a surprisingly fantastic time on Yelp, Wally managed to find a Japanese Steakhouse called 'Kenka'.

At the center of the restaurant lies a large, communal table, inviting guests to sit elbow-to-elbow with strangers and engage in lively conversation over shared plates. As patrons laugh and clink glasses, the sounds of classic rock and pop hits from the 80s and 90s fill the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. While at the front of the restaurant? Wally wears a business casual outfit: a black dinner jacket and a red polo shirt underneath it paired with nice jeans and shoes. His hair was properly done for once and his face was clean shaven - a fresh thing, by the looks of it. He stands waiting for Caitlin, for once /quite/ on time - also quite surprisingly considering that literally fifteen minutes ago he was stopping Captain Boomerang and his cronies from robbing the bank.

He can only hope that she's not secretly waiting behind him or something. God, that'd be embarassing.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
The date scene is a very new thing for Caitlin Fairchild. And Caitlin can get a little neurotic about new things. So in an interesting case of role reversal, SHE'S the one who's late. The woman who prides herself on her punctuality is instead a whopping five minutes late. Her shortish bob of red hair has been fluffed out and sprayed to give it a little more body. Her research on dates says you're supposed to wear a "little black dress", and that takes on a whole new meaning when you're Caitlin, on whom all dresses are little. The slinky black dress is dangerously short on her, and when one takes that, plus her insanely long legs, plus the heels that she was also informed you're supposed to wear...she's pushing 6'8" right now, and feeling terribly, terribly awkward in the short-short dress. She walks up to Wally there, heels clicking, as she approaches.

"...hi." she says, feeling very awkward. She's all knees and elbows and isn't sure where to put her hands or anything else.

Wally West has posed:
Wally takes a moment to check his watch. "I wonder if I'm at all late...." Only for Wally to look up, seeing Caitlin in that dangerously short dress as she wmakes her approach. To everyone else? Caitlin is another gorgeous woman. To Wally? It's like she's moving in slow motion. He's not looking at anything else but her eyes - she looked absolutely

"Beautiful."

Wally says with complete and total wonder in his eyes. "I mean, I'm definitely tiny compared to you now-" he jokes regarding her heels, but he looks up at her, a warmth in his eyes that surpasses anything that might suggest judgment to how she looks. He has to get up on his toes a little bit, but he tries to give her a soft, brief kiss on the lips if she allows. "Hey." He reaches for her hands. "Seriously, I have to talk to your hair stylist, I think she could hook me up." He winks.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin is awkward, and nervous, and excited, all at the same time. She leans in to kiss him, and says, with just a little bit of a nervous tremor in her voice "I wouldn't have worn them, but everything I looked at said that if you're going out to a nice place on a date, you're supposed to wear heels." Of course, none of that advice was written for 6'5" amazonian redheads, but hey. "It's just hairspray and a good blowdryer. Besides, your hair is shorter than mine."

Okay, maybe she missed the humor; she's nervous. It's her first real date. "So, this place smells really delicious. Are you a fan of Japanese food?" There are already wheels turning in the back of her head of learning how to prepare it if he is, not that she'd ever say that right away.

Wally West has posed:
Wally's cheeks flush pink after that kiss. It may have been a quick, innocent thing, but Wally looked as though it was the most important act of the night. He hears the nervous tremor in her voice and his hand lifts to cup her cheek, if she would allow. "Hey, this is a first for me too. Honestly, it was either I wear this or I try to find a straight up tux, but I felt like a tux was a bit much." Wally can't help but laugh, a laugh that grows a bit more heartfelt when she misses his joke about the hair.

"Hey. Trust me, you look amazing. If anything, /I/ look weird."

He snickers a bit before he reaches for her hand, trying to walk with her towards one of the hibachi grills. His hand reaches for a chair to pull it out for Caitlin so she might take her seat. "I love Japanese food. Though, I'm a bit of a cop out, I love all food. But, for some reason, Japanese food has always been near and dear to me. How about you? I hope this works okay? The menu is pretty extensive, lots of options for about all varieties."

He really, really hopes she likes Japanese food.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Yeah, women seem to have this weird mix of almost-but-not-quite-formal." Caitlin admits, as she still looks awkward. She takes Wally's hand, letting him take her over to the table. She sits in the proffered chair, before looking over to the grill. "So what are your favorite dishes?" She's a little bit in research mode now, using that to help distract her from the nervousness.

Wally West has posed:
"Well, almost-but-not-quite-formal is a great look on you." Wally admits to her with a smile, the warmth of her hand in his palm giving him goosebumps as he guides her to her seat, the scent of her perfume flooding into his nose and the way it makes his lips curve into a soft smile just reminds him how lucky he is. Slowly, Wally settles into the seat right next to her, looking over to the grill in that moment as the cook brings a cart to the grill, ensuring he's well-supplied for his task.

"My favorite? Oh wow....I'm not entirely sure. I think....they have this kind of beef. Wagyu, I think it's called. I think it's....Wagyu steak with fried vegetables and noodles. Sometimes I feel like a shameless carnivore, but I'm trying to include more protein like eggs and vegetables in the diet."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Cait makes mental notes. "Well, protein and carbs are both kind of essential for you." Given his powers, of course. She smiles. "I mean, they're kind of essential for me, too. Just not to the same degree as you." Wally is one of the few people out there who can out-eat Caitlin when she gets going.

"This is a really nice place. It's not too expensive is it?" She's already self-conscious about how much he might be spending on this. She would have offered to cover her half, but all her research suggested that would be a bad idea too. It's making her feel guilty. She adjusts her position, and then her knees slam into the table from underneath, sending it jumping a few inches. She's even more awkward in her skin than usual, with heels involved.

Wally West has posed:
"Heh, that's very true. I feel like I'm always on my feet, always moving...and that, you know, means I'm always eating. I'm just happy I haven't gained about 500lbs!" Wally laughs at his own joke a little bit, mostly out of immense nervousness. He's terrified he'll make a fool out of himself in front of her, even if they've known each other for years. For a moment, his hands seem to shake..but that immediately stops when she asks him a question, as though it distracts him from focusing about his own anxiety.

"Oh! Promise, not to expensive at all. I have the bill, if you'll like?" he seems to notice that might be too tradition-minded. "Or is that uhm, too old fashioned?" Wally asks her, eager for her opinion when he hears her knee slam into the table from underneath, sending said table forward just a few inches and it makes Wally briefly jump in his seat, as though startled.

Seeing how nervous his date is, he reaches to rest his hand on her knee if she would allow the contact. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin smiles. "I'm happy to pay for my part. If you want. Some of the stuff said that I shouldn't, because that might be offensive to you." And her social skills aren't the best. "Whichever way you'd like to do it." There! If she makes Wally decide, then by definition he can't be upset with the answer. It fits Caitlin's paradigm well.

She goes bright red when Wally rests his hand on her bare knee, as if a knee was somehow a naughty thing to touch. She's just flustered and feels like a kid, or a schoolgirl. Neither of which is necessarily empirically false.

"You can tell me anything." THAT, at least, is perhaps the first thing tonight she's felt utterly sure about. Wally is a teammate, a friend...and something more. But all of those things mean he's also implicitely trusted.

Wally West has posed:
Wally's hand rests pleasantly upon her knee, nearing her thigh. She felt warm to the touch, the contact flushing his face something terrible. Yet, she gives him options as to how they will settle tonight's affairs financially and Wally can't help but smile at her. "Nothing you could do could offend me." Purely because he's quite aware of her character, of her personality. She was the sweetest, kindest, smartest, most amazing woman he'd ever met in his life.

"How about we split the bill? That way you don't need to worry about demasculating me and I don't have to worry about making choices for you. Deal?" Wally suggests to her regarding hte payment, though, when she tells him he could tell her anything? His features soften and his smile grows wider, meeting her eyes with his own.

"I'm terrified. I think I'm sweating profusely. I think I'm scared to death that I'll embarass myself in front of you so badly you'll never want to see me again."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin smiles a little. "Well, that's pretty good to know. Because I pretty much feel like I'm going to shove my foot in my mouth every time I open it." She's still feeling that awkwardness. She's flattered, and shy, and embarassed, all at the same time.

Her eyes widen at the admission. "That is EXACTLY how I am feeling right now." The tall girl admits. "Let's just say I'm really glad my deodorant is dependable." And then she blushes. "I'm sorry, that was an overshare. This is supposed to be all romantic." And she's not good at that.

Wally West has posed:
Wally seems to exhale a long breath of *relief* when Caitlin suggests she's feeling the exact same thing. "Oh thank God-" he pauses then. "Well, not thank god that you feel so nervous, but thank God taht I'm not the only one." He can't help but laugh a little bit, then EXACTLY at the moment she tells him her deoderant is dependable he breaks out into a raucaus laughter, complete with wheezing as he squeezes her knee just slightly in affection, careful not to overstep any boundaries.

"I'm right there with you. Hopefully my scent should hold...at least I hope it does. The cologne was expensive." He meets her eyes. "No, no...I like it when you overshare. I take your trust seriously." He meets her eyes once more.

"God, I love being here with you."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"No, I think we're both completely awkward as far as this goes. Which I completely don't get. I mean, I was the poster child for nerd girls till my powers, but you have this whole "charming athlete" thing going on." Caitlin says with a smile.

She actually /doesn't freak out when he squeezes her knee, mostly because they're both giggling at that point. "I do too. Honestly, I feel really lucky. It's not like there aren't tons of other girls on the team you could have picked."

Of course, there is all that future-baggage.

Wally West has posed:
Giggling like high school children, Wally is clearly enjoying his time with Caitlin on their date. "I think you're absolutely right. I've only been fake confident." He chuckles. "Faking it till I make it!" He jokes, though he looks at her. "Charming athlete? Man, I don't think I've ever heard that one before. I think I mostly have a 'charming dork' thing going on, but hey, I'll take it." He smiles at her. "And patron saint of nerd girls? I think even before your powers I would've looked at you and asked you out immediately." He teases her.

"I'M the lucky one. You know how many dudes there are on the team? I'm surprised Dick-" Nightwing "Or Garfield or even Victor didn't immediately go on a date with you. Sure, there are other girls on the team...but none of them were ever you." Wally didn't seem to care about too much future stuff. The future was always in motion. Always in flux.

Even without the future knowledge? He'd still ask this girl out.

"And...honestly, I'm really...really picky. I want the real thing, you know?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Uhh...because there's Donna. And Kori. Who are both way more gorgeous than I am." Caitlin's internal image of herself is still that nerdy pre-powered girl. "And charming dork is still charming. Besides, you never really saw me without my powers. Trust me. Short nerdy girl with coke bottle glasses." And minus the legs, the chest, and the va-va-voom that she got with her powers. "I'll dig up some old pictures for you sometime."

She hesitates a moment...and she then asks the very thing that had been running through his mind. Hey, she's not a telepath. "Would you have...if not for Irie, and...everything that happened?" She sees herself as a VERY distant third or fourth of the original Titan girls.

Wally West has posed:
Caitlin's internal image has never been amazing, but Wally is looking at her as though he was seeing the bombshell beauty that had garnered many an eye in her day, even if she never noticed. But he's seeing far, far deeper than that too. He sees the nerdy girl inside, the one that nobody saw until she gained her abilities. "Donna and Kori are definitely not ugly...but trust me when I say this Caitlin. They don't have a single penny on you." He leans in a little bit, as though to meet her gaze more intently. "I'd love to see those old pictures." He whispers to her, flirtatious and genuine about what he says. "Want to see pictures of me before I was fast?"

Though she asks that thing that would make a telepath's hayday.

He smiles at her, his lips gently brushing against her own in a soft, light kiss. "Even if I knew nothing about the future? I'd still feel the same way and done the same things in a heartbeat. Maybe faster." He teases her slightly. "If anything? Irie showed me that we'd be awesome parents." He winks at her playfully.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
She goes redder than her hair when he mentions how they'd be awesome parents. Especially when that's coming on the back of complimenting her versus the others. And even saying he wants to see her old pictures. It's the trifecta of compliments.

FINISH HER. Flawless victory.

She's silent and just fidgety for the longest moment after that. He literally managed to render her speechless. That's a pretty rare thing for the normally verbose nerdette. Even if she's flustered, she's still usually a bit of a motormouth.

Finally...FINALLY...she manages to get things in control again. "Well, we'll have to swap pictures once we get back." And she's saved from further embarassment as their food makes an arrival. "But right now...calories!" Yet another thing they can bond over.

Wally West has posed:
She was red.

Flustered.

Somehow stricken into silence! Wally seems to look surprised in that moment, as though he CERTAINLY wasn't expecting to do anything like this to render her speechless. Part of him is worried he managed to cause some offense in the middle of the love-struck rain of affection. Yet, when Caitlin has managed to recompose herself? She tells him that they'll have to swap pictures when they get back to the tower.

"Agreed."

And then....CALORIES! The chef pours some oil on the grill and lights it aflame to begin the show of cooking their meal right in front of them. They laugh, they giggle, they're romantic and adorkable all at the same time. They eat the night away with a bill that would make most other casual-goers to the restaurant blush, but it's well worth it with the way those two look at each other and laugh for hours, even when most others had gone.