Still, still a Date [Alex]

[Ann Hudgins]

The walk was pleasant, albeit cold, but that was to be expected--it was winter and there was snow on the ground. Ann's hot chocolate still had some residual warmth and she clutched it tightly as they walked from the lake towards their dining destination; Kali's Kafe, which was where Alex worked on some days. He had said that his boss wouldn't mind them coming in to eat, and Ann hoped so. She would hate if he got in trouble because of her.

She liked it as soon as they walked in because of the guitar riff that played instead of that really annoying bell ring. Kali herself was also interesting to look at, what with the bright red shade of hair she had. She smiled politely towards her and when Kali greeted her cheerfully, she mumbled a reply. Something about the small woman intimidated her.

When Alex chose a far off booth for them, Ann grinned a little, behind her hand. She could easily feel his embarrassment and worry of Kali (she assumed it was Kali), but she didn't admit it. She was a bit nervous to be in here, because she felt Kali's gaze on the back of her head. She scooted into the booth with a glance over at Kali. The woman looked like she was plotting, but Ann might have just been paranoid.

She took the last sip from her hot chocolate and sat it to the side, she would be happy for more, but she certainly wasn't going to ask Alex to pay for it, even if he had suggested it earlier. Ann just didn't work like that. She folded her hands in her lap so they would warm up a bit, she didn't like the shade of color they were, and looked around. It was a nice place and smelled strongly of coffee and food. Ann looked sideways when Kali disappeared behind the kitchen door but she didn't think anything of it.

"It's really nice in here," she couldn't help but comment as she looked around. She wouldn't mind working here.

[Alexander McKenzie]

The little guitar riff made Alex smirk as they headed into the cafe. Hopefully, Kali would take the look he’d given her as a plea to stay away from them. Of course, he knew the woman, and he knew the chances of her actually listening were slim to none. So, he’d take the privacy while he could get it as he chose the corner booth.

He had good reason to be worried about Kali. She was a bold woman, loud, opinionated. So he could only imagine what she’d say about her part-time cook coming in with a potential girlfriend. He was positive he’d hear about it on his next shift. For now, he’d just have to make the most of his time alone with Ann. He’d finished his coffee and hot chocolate mixture a while ago, so he ended up doing the same with his mug, gently placing it nearer to the window. Of course, that left his hands free, and he wasn’t quite sure what to do. So he ended up sticking them into his jacket pockets, again fingering the envelope he’d brought for Ann.

Alex was, by all accounts, a bit old fashioned when it came to dating. He opened doors, pulled out chairs, and paid for things. That included hot chocolate to thaw out their hands. He smiled across at Ann and nodded, glancing around the café. “Yeah, it is. I don’t see it much on this side. I’m always in the kitchen.” She had a point. It was nice on this side.

… And where the hell had Kali just gone?

The tattooed teenager eyed the now empty counter before drawing the envelope out of his pocket. With a little smile, he slid it over to Ann. “Here. This is for you. For being such a good physics partner.” It wasn’t much. A hand drawn card, with something slipped inside. Ann’s lotus flower tattoo design.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann had realized, by the advice that Sean had given her, that Alex was a gentlemen and she appreciated it. However, she didn't know that it would be acceptable for her to ask for something that would cost money, and even if she did, there was no guarantee that she would actually request anything. One cup was good with her, though she might ask for some water to drink with her sandwich, to help wash it down.

"Is it hard to cook that food all day and not eat it?" It would be pretty hard for Ann to resist the urge to eat them, especially the cookies--and Ann wasn't even that big of a fan of them. The muffins would be in danger of being eaten the entire day, even after the kitchen cleared of the delicious smell. She grinned faintly, and looked sideways when Kali re-entered the front area, she had nothing with her but she looked pleased with herself. Kali caught Ann looking at her and winked mischievously. Ann looked down in alarm.

Her eyes widened when he pulled out the envelope--Ann generally wasn't a fan of surprises--and her eyes widened even more when he slid it over to her. She reached out with disbelief to pick it up, she looked up at Alex, "thanks..." she didn't really know what to say, and when she took out the card and looked at the amazingly artistic rose ("thanks"), she grinned really big but then felt bad. "I didn't get you..." she trailed off, when she notice there was something else in the envelope. She pulled it out and looked at the lotus. It was her tattoo design!

"Oh Alex! It's beautiful!" She could hardly take her eyes away from the drawing to properly thank him, but she managed. She was flushed a little, because she wasn't used to getting things--Zac's emotionless gifts excluded-- and she didn't really know how to react. "Thank you, so much!"

[Alexander McKenzie]

It came easily for Alex to behave like a gentleman. His parents had raised him well, and his own experiences had left him with the notion that it was better to go through life like that. He pulled out the bag of food he’d ended up with wrapped around his wrist and set it on the table. After all that sliding and playing, he was actually quite hungry.

He grinned and shrugged a little. “Sometimes. It depends what I’m making. I’ve gotten used to it, but sometimes if there are leftovers, I’m able to take them home. Keeps Connie and I fed.” It was nice if he worked late to be able to bring things home. Saved both him and Conrad from having to make something up. “But yes, sometimes it’s difficult, and – what is she doing?” Forgive his momentary lapse of attention. His eyes were on Kali again, and the look on her face worried him.

Thankfully, he had a distraction. He enjoyed watching her reaction, even though it wasn’t much. No cost involved, apart from time and a bit of graphite. “You’re welcome,” he said, still trying to encourage her with his eyes alone to open it. “You didn’t need to do anything for me. I’m just fulfilling a request, nothing more.” That was a bit of a lie, considering the pretty drawing of the rose, but he was hoping she’d let it slide.

The praise he received made him grin. “You’re welcome. I hope it’s what you had it mind. If not, I can redo it.” He had no problems doing that. Sometimes it took more than one try to get it right. “Did I get the chakra symbols right?” His hand came across the table to gently touch the paper. “I wasn’t sure.” But she seemed happy, and that was good. One small victory.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann had been too young to really get the 'relationship' advice or guidance from her parents, but something told her that even if she had remained at home, she never would have listened to either of her parents. They were both loud and voiced their opinions without really caring about how they would be received. Ann wasn't like that at all. She was meek and really timid, as everyone in the universe was starting to learn that (or already knew it). She still wasn't really good in social situations, but she'd like to think she was doing good at the moment.

"That's good. I heard somewhere that at some restaurants throw the food away that they don't use or whatever, and I think that's really dumb. It's cool that Kali lets you take it home instead of letting it go to waste like that." Ann approved. When he asked what Kali was doing in the middle of his sentence, she looked over at her, still a bit embarrassed from the wink. She had been thinking the same thing but hadn't asked out loud. "I...don't know. Working, hopefully?" She asked while she looked from Alex to Kali. The woman in question smirked at her knowingly and touched the side of her nose before she disappeared into the back again.

"You didn't have to, either," she couldn't help but reply to him, her eyes happily gazing at the rose. He had so much talent in drawing she couldn't really wrap her brain around it. She couldn't even trace drawings. She nodded her head when he mentioned if it was what she had in mind. She really hadn't been able to picture it this well, but this drawing was fantastic. "Yes, the symbols are right." She'd long since memorized the Sanskrit for the symbols and knew which was which around the flower. "It's so brilliant."

[Alexander McKenzie]

Alex’s own parents meant well. They were overbearing, yes. But they always had the best of intentions. Since he’d been at Hammel, had that space from them, it hadn’t been as bad. But he suspected that as soon as he told them he had a girlfriend (at least, he thought he did?) then they would be calling more often. Checking up, making sure he wasn’t screwing anything up.

Not that he planned to.

“Yeah. Kali’s pretty great, as far as managers go.” Despite her occasional teasing, she really was a good person, and she had great skills when it came to the cafe. She treated her employees well, and he was honestly grateful to her. He knew from experience that his appearance deterred people, no matter what his personality was. At least Kali had given him a chance. “... She better be working.” Of course, the cafe wasn’t all that busy at the moment. Which meant she had time to cause mischief. That did not bode well. Especially when she disappeared again. “Don’t pay her any attention. Knowing her, she thinks this is some kind of game.”

“Oh, I know.” Alex smiled and rested his chin on his palm. “But I wanted to.” Real flowers would have been awkward, and he knew how Ann felt about presents. This had been a nice compromise. Smiling at Ann, Alex pulled the sandwiches they’d made out of the bag and offered them out to her. “I’m glad you like it.” Was that a blush he was sporting? Why yes, yes it was.

And seriously, what was Kali up to?

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann's parents were just abrasive...there wasn't really anything wrong with that, but Ann didn't want to turn out like that. Their humor was just...mean spirited at times, though when Ann was around them she didn't understand the adult content at which they were referencing--she was glad about that. Now that their relationship had smoothed over--they still didn't like the fact she was meta--Ann could appreciate them as being their own people, but she still couldn't exactly forgive them for abandoning her and ignoring her existence since she moved to Hammel.

Kali probably did think it was a game, and she had seemed to be enjoying herself, as far as Ann could sense and tell, but she'd disappeared back into the back again and Ann tried not to pay her any more mind, but she was feeling almost just as paranoid as Alex was about the matter. Ann smiled back at him after a moment. If Kali actually was up to anything, that required her to constantly keep ducking back into the back, there was a chance that it wasn't even about them. What if she was the only person in and was making food? That was plausible....right?

Ann was set on not letting Kali distract her anymore, and that was made easy when Alex produced their sandwiches. She took the one she was offered and started to unwrap it carefully, so she didn't completely destroy the sandwich. It was colder than she thought it would be, but that was alright, the heating in the cafe was slowly warming her bones. She heard Kali come back into the front area but didn't turn to look at her (because she told herself she'd stop looking).

So she didn't notice the tray that the lady was sporting, or the smirk on her face. Kali had stopped at the counter for a minute and started to mix a latte. Ann munched on with her sandwich. "Yum," she commented after another swallow with a smile.

"Tadaaa~" Kali announced. Ann hadn't heard her approach so the sudden arrival of the lady caused her to drop and fumble her sandwich on the table. She looked at Kali, who was looking very proud of herself. She had with her a tray, that she set between them. There as a rather large drink, with two straws, quite a bit of whip cream on top, and two cherries. There was also a plate of cookies (minus the tin), and a giant cupcake. All smelled delicious and were still steaming from the oven.

"You kiddies enjoy~" Kali patted both of them on the shoulder, with a huge smile on her face, before she flounced back to the counter. After the color returned to Ann's face from almost being touched, she looked over at Alex and started to blush.

"That was...nice...of her?"

[Alexander McKenzie]

In all honesty, if it ever got to the point that Alex got to meet Ann’s parents, he’d be worried. He was used to having to try to explain to parents that just because he had a few piercings, and a little bit (okay, a lot) of tattoos, he wasn’t some brain-dead punk-emo-goth teenager. He wasn’t used to having to defend his meta status. Granted, his power was relatively harmless, unless you were stupid enough to try and hit him when he was shielding himself. He’d nearly perfected the density of the shields, and apparently they hurt to hit.

Thankfully, he wasn’t part of that brain-dead troop of delinquents. They’d probably get a kick out of that.

As much as Alex respected Kali, she could be a trial sometimes. This was one of those times. He’d seen what she was like with regulars, as well as her few other employees. Bringing a date here probably wasn’t the brightest of ideas with her around, but he could hope, right?

He was going to hope. He wasn’t supposed to be worrying what his boss was up to, because he was here with Ann, and it was rude to pay attention to another woman. Even if they were as distracting and worrisome as Kali. So, he focused on their little makeshift indoor picnic. “I’m glad you like it,” he offered with a little smile.

He saw Kali coming, but before he could even attempt to shoo her away (not that it would work, he knew that), she was at the table. With a tray. And a drink. He couldn’t stop the blush that rushed to his face. He mumbled a vague ‘thank you’, not quite able to meet Kali’s eyes.

As soon as she was gone, he looked at Ann, an almost pained expression on his face. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “She’s... well, she’s Kali. I should have expected that.” Thinking about it now, it was relatively tame, for her. “But she does make the best cookies.” He gently pushed the tray towards her. “Try some?”

Hey, they beat sandwiches.

[Ann Hudgins]

Ann couldn't really imagine her parents meeting Alex. Sure, after that first awkward conversation, they might lighten up, but their history made Ann flinch at the idea. No, it would be better to just avoid that all together. Ann just didn't trust them enough, and knew them too well--the fact that they really hate metas aside--to subject Alex to their horrid-ness. Ann also didn't even want to think about meeting Alex's parents...she was just too nervous about the idea and afraid. What if they don't like her?!

Ann kept her eyes on her sandwich long after the red haired woman disappeared, she just didn't want to look up at the cheesily romantic array of treats and milkshake the woman had given them. It just was unreal and really embarrassing. Yes, Ann knew she was on a date, but this made it all the more...romantic. And Ann didn't know anything about that sort of thing, except what she saw in movies and what was coming to her mind were things she wasn't ready for. Not at all.

She let out an airy laugh when Alex said she made the best cookies. Ann looked up through her eyelashes as he pushed the tray towards her a little and she reached out to take a cookie, to which she nibbled. Her eyes then lit up. They were delicious. "Fantastic! So warm and chewy!" Ann wasn't a terribly huge fan of sugar products, simply because her parents refused to let her have any for the majority of her childhood. But these were very good. She finished the cookie before she realized, though she didn't immediately get another one. She had a sandwich to finish.

She drew in a deep, calming breath, and lifted her head out of its 'hiding spot' and took another bite of her sandwich with a small smile in Alex's direction.

[Alexander McKenzie]

Alex could see his parents meeting Ann so easily. They were both accepting people, and he didn’t foresee a problem over their meeting, other than the fact that his parents were in Chicago, and he and Ann were in Vermont. He figured that he could tell them a little bit, after today’s date. Not much, and he wasn’t about to drop the g-word (girlfriend, for those playing the home game). But he supposed they’d appreciate some kind of update about his social life that didn’t involve Connie and the other Mannes.

If he thought about it, Alex was a romantic. But even this was a little sugary for his tastes. (No pun intended, of course.) If he wanted to impress a woman, flowers seemed to be a good option. But no, Kali had had to intervene. He’d have to talk to her on his next shift, and he’d be lucky if Ann stuck around after this.

At least Ann seemed to like the treats. With a little sigh of relief, Alex took one for himself, sure Kali would give them a box or two to take them home. If nothing else, he could toss them at Conrad.

In all honesty, he was surprised the date was going as well as it was. The more he talked with Ann, the more he found himself never wanting to leave. But they both had responsibilities, and as much as he didn’t want to, they had to call it quits at some point. He snuck to the kitchen, tossing Kali a little look that said ‘we’ll talk about this later’, and grabbed some take out boxes, packing the cookies up for the both of them. He walked Ann back to Hammel, and after some quiet deliberation with himself, he kissed the back of her mittened hand and promised to see her at school.

On his way back home, he grinned and shot off a text to Conrad. ‘Best date ever, bro. : D’

[Ann Hudgins]

Kali did intimidate Ann, admittedly, and now that she did this...well Ann didn't really know what to expect from her and she didn't like that. Ann liked knowing what was about to happen instead of being surprised or doing something spontaneous. Kali certainly seemed spontaneous, so Ann wasn't sure if she trusted her, no matter how good her cookies tasted. All of that, however, didn't really effect what she thought about Alex (she knew from his reactions to Kali that he didn't have anything to do with this tray full of sugar). She definitely did like him, she was sure of that now. She had a great time skating sliding on the ice with him, and just talking with him. She smiled easy, and that was alien, but good.

Time passed differently during the date than normal. It seemed that all at once it was getting late, and time to go home. She stood and waited quietly while Alex went into the back to get some boxes for the cookies and half the giant cupcake they didn't eat and helped him distribute the left overs evenly. She had an irascible smile on her face on the walk home. She blushed near to crimson when he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it. She broke out into a layer of sweat with wide eyes. But it was all in a good, surprised way. Sean had told her that the date might end with something like that, but if he had tried to do something and Ann not been comfortable with it, she was well within her right to tell him no. But she hadn't wanted to; it made her heart race.

When she made it into her dorm, with the box of treats cuddled against her chest, she saw Jean waiting for her. The grin said it all.