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[Back in Amestris, Isaac had never had any trouble going on dates.

Oh sure, he had plenty of trouble actually getting dates, much less keeping them, but actually going out with someone was easy enough. He usually took his girlfriends to the movies, since that would spare him the embarrassment of saying something particularly stupid and for some reason, this was a socially acceptable way to spend time together without actually talking, so who was he to argue it? Isaac hadn't actually had a horrible date in quite some time; whether his past girlfriends would agree with that or not wasn't the point.

But things were different with Kimblee. Things had always been different with Kimblee, and they always would be different with him.

Of course Isaac was excited to go out on an actual date with Kimblee. That wasn't the problem. The problem wasn't even his social failures - Kimblee knew all about those and knew how to combat them as best as anyone really could. The problem was that Isaac was nervous. Things would go badly. Somehow or other, he knew that for a fact despite having no reason to believe it. Maybe it was that their idea of "dates" differed so wildly from one another's.

Isaac could honestly consider any time he spent with Kimblee to be a "date." It was spending time with someone he cared about. That was enough for him, but Kimblee preferred to actually go out and make a bigger deal of things. Isaac had wanted something more significant for Valentine's Day (and their ten month anniversary, which was the day before), but he hadn't realized it was going to involve... this.

"This" being dressing up and going out to an incredibly fancy restaurant. Isaac wasn't entirely sure what they'd do after that, but considering what had happened the last time they'd bothered dressing up and going on a date like this, he really couldn't say he was opposed.

It was just getting to the end of the night he was worrying about.

But Isaac was going to do his damn best to pull through, and that started with his appearance. He'd actually bothered shaving that morning, so at least that was done with, but he had a difficult time figuring out what to do with his hair. It would probably be easiest just to get it all sheared off, but he had grown so used to fighting with it longer that he'd probably find it weird to have short hair again. It had been nearly eight years since it had last been cut short (and back then, it had been more "shaved cat" than "short"). Isaac finally shrugged it off and tied it back in a ponytail, forgoing the usual second tie in favor of just one, tied further down on his neck than usual. His hair had grown out a bit since he had come to Johto; even down like this it fell past mid-back. He'd probably have to get a few inches chopped off at some point.

The suit he'd rented for the night (rented, not bought, since he was still pretty cheap and had no intention of buying a suit he'd only use maybe once or twice more in the next year) was black (white was Kimblee's color, and besides, Isaac didn't like wearing white) and a bit big on him (he was surprised they'd had suits in sizes even resembling his, so he didn't complain), but overall it looked nice enough. He had a dark green dress shirt under that, the top two buttons undone and Isaac had opted against bothering with a tie - it wasn't like he could get it on right anyway. Overall he looked a lot nicer than he normally did, but even so, he wasn't very comfortable in the nicer clothes, and even less comfortable in the city.

It had been nearly a year since he had died in Amestris, but that hadn't lessened his distrust of large cities any. He still avoided Goldenrod for the most part, but if this was what Kimblee wanted, he was more than happy to comply. Besides, he had a team of level 100 Pokémon on him. He doubted anything seriously bad could happen to him tonight. His luck wasn't that shitty, right?

Isaac stood in front of the restaurant where they were supposed to meet, back against the wall, one foot pressed against it. For the strangest reason, he wanted to smoke, despite the fact that he hadn't had a cigarette in almost seven years. Apparently this was making him far more anxious than he had thought.]

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Hey, at least I'm not dripping all over your floors today, right? I think I might be getting better about that, actually.

[And just like that, the status quo is reset. Isaac doesn't understand it, but it's not something he feels the need to understand. Everything's fine now. He reaches out to take Kimblee's hand, grinning. No, it doesn't matter who sees them.]

I've missed you too. It gets kinda lonely without you around.

[A pause; Isaac's expression suddenly shifts to the wide-eyed, almost panicked look.]

--I mean, I've got my Pokémon and everything, it's not like it's unbearable or anything like that! I've always been fine on my own, after all! It's really not that big of a deal!

[...That should probably answer your question about how he thinks this will end, Kimblee.]

[...oh dear.

Kimblee had been more than willing to allow Isaac to take his hand in the first place; once the...blatant panic starts, he tightens his grip a bit. Not enough to come across as aggressive, but definitely enough to be felt.]

I'm flattered, all right? And I won't be away forever; I'll be back before long. It's just us for tonight, by the way - I've gotten a room, it's quite lovely.

[He pauses for a moment, squeezing Isaac's hand again, the smile turning playful.]

Assuming, that is, that you won't get water on the couch~

[Isaac relaxes again; the shift is far easier than it probably should be, considering how terrified he was of saying the wrong thing just moments ago. But there it is; he's back to grinning again, and perhaps feeling just a bit sheepish over the minor freakout.]

Oh come on, I can behave myself for one night. I promise.

[He finally tugs on Kimblee's hand to bring him inside the restaurant. It's a ridiculously fancy place that's probably overpriced as hell, but it's not like they can't afford it (Kimblee's gambling problem seems to have been fixed somehow, and quite frankly, Isaac doesn't want to know what Archer did to solve that little issue - and he's quite sure Archer had something to do with it), and one night out won't kill him. It doesn't take long for them to be seated, thankfully in a corner of the room away from most of the other couples spending the night out. No, it doesn't matter who sees them, but being overheard is a different story.

Isaac glances through the menu briefly, not really paying much attention to it. He might be eyeing Kimblee shyly over that menu; his boyfriend really does look nice tonight.]

I never know what to order from places like this. Doesn't help that it feels like the waiters are always stuck-up pricks who judge you no matter what you order.

[Isaac normally doesn't attempt small talk, but he's actually feeling much calmer and more confident now - and if there's one thing he's learned about Kimblee's tastes, it's that he likes confidence.]

[And if Kimblee were anywhere near as classy as he pretends to be, he would have immediately shot Isaac a chiding look for calling the waiters in any establishment half this nice "stuck-up pricks"; as it stood, it was incredibly difficult for him to not laugh.]

Oh, I don't doubt that at least some of them are, honestly - it's just a matter of not caring. Really, the most one can do if they are judging you is wish them the best of luck in dealing with it.

[He glances up from his own menu then, where he's honestly been making more headway playing with the edges than making any sort of decision.]

Don't concern yourself with price or anything, either. We're going to enjoy ourselves tonight, all right?

[Isaac rolls his eyes in response to that, but Kimblee is right. There really isn't anything that can be done about that particular complaint.]

Ah, yeah, I know.

[That gets Isaac to drop his eyes back to the menu, suddenly awkward. He doesn't have any issues with money - not here, at least - but he's always found the topic awkward.]

Yeah, we'll definitely enjoy ourselves tonight.

[But that's said more to himself than Kimblee at this point.]

[Kimblee tips his head a bit at that, a questioning look in his eyes; he's quiet for a moment, and though he doesn't seem bothered, exactly, something about this isn't sitting right with him.

Conversations with Isaac are always interesting; they often have to be incredibly specifically-worded, to say nothing of requiring awareness of exactly what social cues are being given off at any given time - Isaac is often a bit strange about what he picks up on and what he doesn't. Asking if everything's all right or what's bothering him will often just result in the question being dodged, so...]

What's on your mind, Isaac?

[...well, it wasn't perfect, but at least it tended to avoid a straight answer of "Nothing"...]

[...Unsurprisingly enough, his first thought was to say "nothing," though that honestly wouldn't do him any good and he thankfully checked the urge.]

I was just thinking about how I couldn't afford anything like this back home. I mean, I wouldn't have had any reason to go someplace this nice to begin with, but money was pretty tight back then and it's... kind of weird that it isn't now, I guess?

[...you tried it, Isaac.

Again, however, Kimblee doesn't respond right away; his expression doesn't flicker any, but he's clearly thinking about it, at least.]

Was this before the entire incident with the military as well? I understand that it would be after the fact, of course, as those seven years can't have been pleasant, but...

Ah, yeah, it was. I mean, I was never struggling to make ends meet or anything, but this sort of thing was definitely out of the question. Before I joined the military I was working with my uncle in Rush Valley. I wasn't very good with automail though, so it wasn't like I could have gone very far in the business.

[For some reason that actually seems to relax Isaac a bit. He hasn't talked about this in years, and it's never been brought up with Kimblee. He doesn't know much about Kimblee's life before the military either, and while he suspects that should bother him, it doesn't. If it's important, Kimblee will tell him, he's certain of that.]

Rush Valley...?

[He sounds a bit surprised at that, though it's the sort that comes with recognition rather than disbelief.]

I've been through there, though it was only for a matter of days each time; my first tours of duty with the military involved the ongoing border skirmishes with Aerugo. It was an interesting place, if not to my liking.

Ah, yeah? I guess you were in the military for awhile then, huh?

[Obviously Kimblee had joined before he had, but Isaac hadn't imagined that Kimblee had been in the military for quite that long. No wonder the superior officers loved him.]

Yeah, I can see where it wouldn't be your kind of place. I liked it though; better than living in the middle of nowhere.

Ah, to each their own, I suppose. I believe I've mentioned before that I grew up in the northern province, just outside of North City; most don't seem to care for the region very much, finding it too isolated for their tastes. I liked the solitude, personally; it's likely why I'm so fond of Mahogany Town here - it's rather similar in many ways.

[He shrugs a bit; he's fairly relaxed with the topic, at least.]

I enlisted in the military when I was in my early twenties, registering at the command center in North City. My first time out of the region itself was when I was brought to Central for the State Alchemist exam; I couldn't believe how utterly warm it was there in the summer! Needless to say, I wasn't quite prepared for the entire southern region, and half the eastern region while we're at it.

So yes, I was in the military as a State Alchemist for a few years before Ishval; most of you who entered the conflict there seemed to be new recruits, however.

[Isaac listens intently to that, nodding as Kimblee proceeds. Yes, he remembers hearing that Kimblee was from North - or the general area, at least - but he didn't realize just how much of a difference there was between North and Central. Of course, Isaac had never traveled up north, so he had no experience with it, but apparently it was quite the change for Kimblee.]

Yeah, I guess the changes in climate would be pretty drastic, huh?

[Isaac nods at Kimblee's statement though; yes, he was a new recruit in Ishval.]

It took me awhile to figure out that I was any good at alchemy, much less come up with my own arrays and everything. I joined the military because I wanted to serve my country, but I didn't realize just how bad things would be.

[A pause. Isaac glances back at the menu instead of Kimblee, flipping the pages as though he's looking at it. He isn't.]

...If I had known what awaited me in Ishval, I never would have enlisted. I would have been much happier working in Rush Valley.

Bluntly put, most of you shouldn't have been there.

[He doesn't seem condemning when he says it, nor does he seem angry; it's simply a statement. A fact.]

I stand by what I said then, regarding knowing exactly what wearing that uniform means as soon as you put it on - both good and bad. But that doesn't change the fact that most of you were utterly unprepared for Ishval.

[He pauses for a moment before reaching out across the table, trying to take one of Isaac's hands in his own.]

Listen to me. You survived, with a firm grip on your personal convictions, and the strength to both keep living and to attempt to bring those convictions and ideals to fruition. It's very admirable; I'm always going to be proud of you for that.

[Isaac does glance up when Kimblee takes his hand, but he quickly diverts his gaze at the praise. He's never sure what to do with praise, especially from someone he admires as much as Kimblee.]

...Yeah, we definitely weren't prepared. I don't think they really could have prepared us for that.

Thanks, though. I did what I had to do.

[That will never stop the guilt, but it's the truth. He did what he had to do in order to survive and make it out of there. Just like Kimblee had said. Isaac's grip on Kimblee's hand tightens for a moment, and then he forces a smile.]

But let's not dwell on that. It's not a very pleasant topic.

Of course, Isaac.

[He doesn't seem inclined to let go of Isaac's hand anytime soon, however; he's quiet for a brief moment before continuing.]

I love you, you know.

[The words almost sound natural when he says them; he can't maintain eye contact very well still (he never really has been able to when he lies) but eye contact has been all over the place during this conversation anyway, and there's nothing overly conspicuous about the way his gaze flicks briefly down to the table before he looks up again - it's awkward, yes, but more shy or perhaps mildly embarrassed than blatantly deceptive-looking.

There's no ulterior motive, nothing to be gained directly from saying it. It's a bit strange for him to say it first, perhaps, as he usually doesn't, but it's something Isaac likes, so why not?]

[Isaac brightens up considerably at that; Kimblee normally doesn't say it without some prompting, and it's something Isaac will never tire of hearing.]

I love you too. You mean so much to me.

[He squeezes Kimblee's hand tightly for a moment before once again returning to the menu, looking decidedly happier now. It's almost ridiculous how easily he dismissed the topic of Ishval, but he's not going to question it. If Kimblee wanted to distract him, he's done a damn good job of it.]

Likewise, of course.

[Well, at least that worked; if Kimblee were a better person, he'd likely feel at least some guilt at how simple that was. As it stands, however...

...well.

He does seem to relax a bit once that's over, however; he's perfectly content to pretend to skim the menu as though it's going to have any effect whatsoever on what he orders, though he does request white wine when the waiter shows up to inquire about such things (red goes directly to his head, and that's about the last thing he needs right now). Otherwise, however, he isn't about to order anything until Isaac does; it's just less of a production that way, really, and it's something that Isaac has yet to actually catch him at - or at the very least, he has yet to call him out on it, if he's noticed.]

[That's giving Isaac far too much credit. He's not just a horrible social failure, he's also incredibly dense when it comes to Kimblee. So no, he hasn't noticed that Kimblee tends to use others' decisions to come to his own. If he had noticed, he would be worried about that and would attempt to get Kimblee to order first.

As it stands, he hasn't noticed, and probably won't for quite some time. So as always, he orders first.]

So, what do you want to do after this? Did you have anything else in mind?

[Good man.]

Ah, unfortunately this is about as far as my planning extends; I'm aware that you aren't terribly fond of the city, however, so if you don't care to stay out, that's fine.

No, no, it's fine. I mean, we usually do what I want to do, so I'm fine spending time in the city tonight.

[He can put his paranoia aside for one night at least, right? Right? ...Well, sort of. He does have a full team of level 100s on him though, so that certainly helps.]

Mm, you are being good to me tonight.

[Well, he knows better than to think you don't have several ridiculously high-leveled creatures on you, but he does appreciate the sentiment quite a bit.]

As long as you're certain.

Edited (PSYCHOTIC ICON THO) 2013-02-28 19:39 (UTC)

Yeah, of course I am. There's nothing to be worried about here, after all.

[The worst thing out there is Team Rocket, and what's the worst they can do? Steal his Pokémon? This world doesn't have half the threats Amestris had. He really shouldn't be so worried about it.]

I've been here for nearly a year, it's about damn time I started relaxing a bit, right?

[Kimblee openly stares at him for a moment before relaxing a bit again; goodness, where did that come from...

...I mean he definitely approves, but...]

Well, I'm certainly not going to stop you - ...though has it really been a year already, Isaac?

Well, I got here in...

[A pause. Isaac frowns for a moment, considering.]

...Actually, it's been over a year. I got here in early February. Remember, you came to pick me up in Cherrygrove not all that long after I showed up here. We spent Valentine's Day in Violet with Hughes and Armstrong.

[Not that he really wants to remember that...]

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