Booker was excited. The most excited that he had been in a long time. After his time with Juliette, and their break-up, he didn’t think he was going to be doing anything like this again any time soon. And yet, here he was, dressed in some of his finest, and off to pick up Javier for the date that he had planned. Given how things had ended up when they were last together, an official date was the next clear step. And Booker poured everything he could into planning the evening out with the tailor, a man he was seriously hoping to impress and romance. He had feelings for him and he wanted those on display tonight.

Nessa had given him funny looks the whole night, watching as he prepared. He showered early, struggled with the right combination of attire, and then had to shower again because he had showered way too early beforehand. Still, he was in a good mood, smiling and joking with his clearly suspicious sister. She knew he had a date tonight but he hadn’t revealed who it was out of fear of jinxing it. Besides, the last thing she needed to know was that he made out with Javier on her gaming spot on the couch. He heard it enough the first handful of times he did it and he certainly wasn’t in the mood to hear it again.

But, with a song on his lips and the perfect outfit finally chosen, Booker bid his sister farewell and stepped out into the night with his gift in tow. The gift had definitely earned a final odd expression from Nessa, but the librarian would explain later. Besides, he had a feeling that Javier would like it.

The Unter ride was quick, taking Booker from his apartment to the tailor shop that he was growing all too familiar with. During the ride the librarian only smirked, looking out the window of the car, watching as the world passed by, oblivious to what was occurring in his head. His mind kept drifting back to his apartment, to the time after the convention only a couple days ago when he and Javier had kissed on the couch. Remembering that brought a soft smile to his lips and a blush to his cheeks. It wasn’t until then that he realized exactly how much he wanted to kiss the tailor, how much he had been wanting to kiss him. Now that it was all out in the opening, he was excited to see they dynamic with this restructuring of their time together.

They weren’t just friends. They weren’t a customer and a tailor. No, now they were officially dating. It was enough to make his heart pound in his chest with utter thrill and fear. He didn’t want to screw this up. Javier was too nice, too sweet, and certainly someone Booker didn’t think he deserved. Booker had too many relationships in his life end badly for him to think that he deserved any of them for the time that he did (except Spencer and Chris, couple of psychos). Javier just seemed...different and Booker could only cross his fingers that he wouldn’t mess this up.

Okay, he was getting nervous again. Bouncing his knee in the backseat of the car, he sighed as he glanced at the watch on his wrist. Good. As the car came to a stop, he noted that he was only a few minutes early this time, rather than a half-hour. That was considerate, no?

”Thank you!” he announced to the driver. ”Five stars!”

Climbing out of the vehicle, Booker waved goodbye to the driver as he made his way to tailor shop. He stopped in front of the storefront window and took a second to appraise his appearance. Smokey gray slacks with a matching suit jacket. Underneath that he wore a cream-colored, button up shirt. To others it may have seemed that he had dressed up a bit too much for a date, but he didn’t see it that way. He was trying to look his best for Javier and he wanted to pull out all the stops. it was just a good thing he managed to talk himself out from a tuxedo.

Then again, it wasn’t as if Booker was completely dressed unlike himself. The blue bowtie printed with various comic book sound effects was most certainly him. After all, Booker had to be himself no matter what, right?

His hand clenched around the wrapped gift that he held behind his back. It was traditional to bring a gift to one’s date and while he had done the normal standard in the past, this time he had put a little extra thought into his. Holding tight to the bundle that was wrapped in cellophane, the man sighed, took another calming breath and approached the door. It was fortuitous, and pretty damn cool, that Javier lived above his store. VERY New York City. He shook the thought from his head, held his gift behind his back and rang the doorbell.

”Breathe, Booker. Just...breathe…”

Preparing for a date tended to cause a lot of anxiety, even in people who didn't usually have to deal with that. Javier had been mentally preparing himself for it, ever since they agreed, back at Booker's apartment, that they would have to go on a proper date sometime. Sometime soon. One the one hand, the mere thought made Javier feel giddy and excited... but on the other hand, now that he was left alone with his thoughts and ample time to reflect, he could feel the tension mounting in his head.

As much as the con experience proved to be a disaster, what followed had mostly been a memorable experience. The kissing and the confessions, anyway. It was dreamy enough that Javier could put off obsessing with the details of all that happened, and the things he said while he was panicked and tired. But eventually, he had to remember all that, and then came the endless avalanche of thoughts while waiting. Would Booker actually want to go on a date? Was it just an adrenaline thing? Was he supposed to wait, or was he supposed to call? What was the appropriate time frame to make that decision? Should he text? Was that too needy? Did Booker even realize what a mess it normally was inside Javier's head? What if he didn't?... What if he did?
How did normal people do this?...

Eventually, the call came, and all Javier could do was agree and try not to freak out. Then, he had to get ready - way too early, and then sit around, trying not to reconsider his attire, which right now consisted of dark pants, a teal shirt, and a black vest. Was that too much?... He also had a gift. He was not sure he was expected to have a gift, but it was better to have a gift than cause disappointment by not having a gift. Even if Booker probably did not have such expectations. Because Booker was such a nice guy, with such nice... everything.

Finally, the doorbell rang. Javier took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

You are supposed to enjoy this. This is a date. And you already know he likes you.

Javier opened the door, and for a moment, he forgot the anxiety from the sheer joy of seeing Booker on the doorstep. Then came the relief to see that he was dressed for the occasion as well. Javier smiled, genuinely happy to see the librarian, but not brave enough to make any first moves.

"Hello Booker. Nice bowtie..."

Booker could feel the nerves collecting in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. They both already admitted to liking one another and wasn’t that the worst part of dating? Trying to do everything possible to ensure that the other person actually liked you? But there was clearly more to it than that. This wasn’t about making Javier like him, it was about making that the evening was perfect. Though he would be the first to point out that things rarely go as planned, tonight, he really hoped that they would.

Quietly he adjusted his bowtie with his free hand, checked his breath to ensure mintiness, and took another steadying breath. He was okay. All this was going to go absolutely okay. Sure there was a momentary thought that maybe something would go wrong. What if Javier changed his mind? What if the perfect guy did exist and he had already swept Javier off his feet because Booker took too long to call? What if someone had broken into the sweet tailor’s apartment and had him knocked out in the kitchen while his place was being ransac--

The door knob unlocked. He squeaked in a moment of surprise until his heart returned to a calm, steadying pace. There was Javier, looking alive, well, and completely unrobbed. The two of them stood there, both smiling a bit ridiculously. God, why did his imagination always have to go from zero to a hundred in manner of seconds? Javier was fine. He was smiling; therefore the date was still on. Take that mysterious perfect guy!

>>"Hello Booker. Nice bowtie..."

Booker grinned, reached up to touch his bowtie again. ”Thanks. It’s...heh...one of my favorites.” He paused. ”You look...wow...just…so handsome.”

That caused a blush.

He took the moment to continue look over Javier and was both relieved and certainly a bit stunned at the tailor’s clothing. He looked so absolutely handsome that Booker had to keep an involuntary growl from vibrating his throat. That’s not to say that Javier was ever not handsome, but the clothing he chose certainly accentuated that. Plus, they both were clearly of the same mindset that they had dressed rather nicely for the other. There was a sweetness in that thought that Booker would come back to later. For now, he felt the weight of his gift in the hand behind his back.

”Oh! I almost forgot. I know it’s customary to bring flowers to your dates house, buuuut…” he carefully brought out his other hand. There, wrapped in green cellophane, were several dowels. In each one, about halfway along the body of it, were spools of thread, all the colors of the rainbow. The way that it was held, wrapped so perfectly, they could very well be flowers. Booker smiled a bit shyly as he held his homemade thread bouquet to Javier. ”I hope you don’t think it’s too cheesy. But...I-I figured you could get more use out of these.”

Booker always managed to put his own spin on things. Javier was relieved to see that he did think the same way about dressing up for a date, but he would not have been Booker if he had not put a nerdy spin on being dapper. In this case, a bowtie, which not many people could pull off even on a good day. Javier might have been a little biased, but as a fashion professional, he thought that the choice made Booker look... Booker.

>>”Thanks. It’s...heh...one of my favorites. You look...wow...just…so handsome.”

Booker blushed, and Javier did too. He was not used to being openly complimented like that, but he was getting used to the librarian just saying whatever popped into his mind. For a moment, he worried that he should have said something similar. Booker was very handsome, after all. And he had already seen him shirtless...

>>”Oh! I almost forgot. I know it’s customary to bring flowers to your dates house, buuuut… I hope you don’t think it’s too cheesy. But...I-I figured you could get more use out of these.”

Booker presented his gift: A bouquet of colorful threads, arranged as if they had been flowers. Javier's face lit up in a smile, and he laughed as he accepted it. "Wow! This is... perfect." he admitted, looking up at his date "I'd say I'll put these in water, but..." he chuckled, moving away from the door, leaving it open so that Booker could follow. The apartment was small but tidy, and Javier soon found a box to stand the bouquet in on the table. Next to it, there was a neatly wrapped package.

"Thank you, Booker" he smiled. The librarian knew exactly what to bring, and what to day, at any given time. It was an easy and steady kind of presence, and Javier was enchanted by it "I didn't... uh, think of flowers. But, I did finish this." he picked up the package and handed it to Booker. Inside, neatly folded, was the shirt belonging to the Bandit costume they had been working on... or rather, a version of it. Since he started working on Maya's costume, and thinking about actually making outfits for the X-men, Javier returned to the drawing table, starting with the materials. And the shirt, even though it was just cosplay, was a good opportunity to practice. "I played around with it a little, so now it's... functional. Flame resistant, flexible, reinforced in places... Not that I expect you to fight in it, but. Well. It's safer."

So it was a little cheesy? What was wrong with cheese? Nothing was wrong with cheese, that’s what! It’s delicious, gooey, hot, and...oh, going off tangent. There was nothing wrong with being a bit romantic, especially with someone who more than deserved it. Booker really did like Javier and wanted this to go well, so why not pull out the stops? Why try being subtle? So long as he didn’t overdo it and come off as some mega-jerk, then certainly there was nothing wrong with a sweet gesture or two? Case in point, the bouquet of thread spools as opposed to actual flowers. To Booker, it was a stroke of genius, to anyone else…maybe not so much.

But other people didn’t matter right now. The only two who did were Booker and Javier. And so long as Javier liked his gift, then all would be right with the world.

And all was…

>>"Wow! This is... perfect...I'd say I'll put these in water, but..."

Booker grinned, following Javier inside his apartment as he sought some place to put the “flowers”. ”Hey, I was about to say that,” he said with a chuckle. ”Am I going to have to be on my guard joke-wise tonight?”

[/color] He wasn’t actually offended. Instead he was grinning from ear-to-ear.

He didn’t stray too far from Javier, instead slipping his hands into his pockets as he looked about. He hadn’t actually been in Javier’s home yet, only the shop it was attached to. He let his eyes roam over the interior, trying to not pry but picking up details here and there of his date’s life. He was sure that they would talk more while they were at dinner, but in the meantime he wanted to take the momentary silence to simply stand back catch a glimpse of the man’s life. Photographs, knick-knacks, they were all filed in the back of his mind thanks to his eidetic memory, but he would try to not pick up too many details.

When Javier turned back to him, Booker noted the small wrapped box in his hand. He smirked a bit, already kind of knowing where this was going. It seemed that they certainly had similar ideas in their heads.

>>"Thank you, Booker...I didn't... uh, think of flowers. But, I did finish this."

”Aw, Javier, you didn’t have to…” he said, gratefully taking the package in hand. Curiosity got the better of him as he opened the package and found a very familiar bit of fabric in sight. He lifted his gaze to Javier, smiling. ”You...you finished?” The deal was that Booker was going to pay for this part of the Bandit costume and here Javier was just giving it to him?

>>"I played around with it a little, so now it's... functional. Flame resistant, flexible, reinforced in places... Not that I expect you to fight in it, but. Well. It's safer."

Javier had said awhile ago that he wasn’t going to make Booker a functional vigilante costume. Of course that was not what this was, but the fact that he made it so quickly and with such precision, even going so far as to add in all the bells and whistles and the librarian was indeed impressed. Truly Javier was a magician with this stuff, and generous in giving Booker this gift.

Overcome with affection, he grinned as he closed the gap between them, leaning in and giving the tailor a very small peck on the cheek. Again, they had already made out once but there was no reasons to expect any assumptions about this date. He would be sweet, respectful, and, most of all, he would be himself. He smiled, his eyes lingering on Javier’s as he held up the shirt again.

”It’s perfect. Thank you…” he paused, taking a deep breath as he neatly folded the shirt, setting it inside of its box. ”Ugh, I’ll just, leave it here, if you don’t mind? Just so I don’t have to carry it everywhere and risk losing it. I’ll just pick it up when we come back here.” He stopped. Sh*t! That sounded awful! His eyes widened. ”Not like that, clearly!” He corrected. Still not better. ”I mean, not that I don’t want to.” Gulp. ”But I didn’t mean to come off that presumptions.” Better. ”I mean, who wouldn’t?” Nosediving. Booker winced, covering half his face with his hand. ”Um...m-maybe we should go? That is...if...you know...you still want to. After all that.”
[/div]

Booker was happy with his gift. It wasn't really a gift... well, not an original, meant-for-a-date kind of thing. They had been working on concepts for the Bandit costume even before the convention, so Javier simply thought that it would be a nice occasion to give the updated, experimental, totally superhero-safe piece of the costume to Booker at the start of their date. It was good to give something, and at least he was one hundred percent sure that the librarian would like this one. Apparently, he did.

>>"Ugh, I’ll just, leave it here, if you don’t mind? Just so I don’t have to carry it everywhere and risk losing it. I’ll just pick it up when we come back here.”

Javier actually said "Sure" before he caught up to what was implied. He could feel himself blushing the same time Booker did; apparently, the librarian once again did not think through what words he was using, and he realized the mistake a minute too late.

>>"Not like that, clearly! I mean, not that I don’t want to... But I didn’t mean to come off that presumptions. I mean, who wouldn’t?”

Javier found the whole thing amusing. For once, he was not the one with the horribly embarrassing mistake - and from the other point of view, he really did not think the mistake had been all that horrible, or embarrassing. Did others think like this, when he obsessed with his own mistakes?... Booker looked cute when he was fumbling. And really, as much as the thought of bringing him back to his apartment after the date gave Javier a tinge of panic, it also made him feel a rush of warmth that was not at all bad.

>>”Um...m-maybe we should go? That is...if...you know...you still want to. After all that.”

Javier chuckled and leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to Booker's lips. "Yeah, let's go." It was much better to be the person that got to comfort someone else's anxiety, than to be in need of comforting. He liked being that person. "So... where are we going?"

Booker wasn’t exactly sure when he had come down with a serious case of the word vomiting but it was certainly here and it was settled deep in his throat. The second he made the comment about coming back for the shirt after the date, he immediately began to feel a bit flustered. He had no way of noticing that Javier didn’t seem to pause at his words, nor was he able to stop the absolutely torrent of horrible, terrible, and bad things that just kept crawling out of his mouth. God, it seemed that he was certainly inheriting some really and truly bad habits from Nessa.

God, he was normally far more eloquent than this. Hell, he read some of the greatest writers of any generation and had their words committed to memory! And, even then, all he could come up with was a babbling mess of words where all he could do was try to not make it seem as if he were expecting a sure thing tonight. God, what must Javier think of him?

It was then that Booker noted the man’s smile. Amused, tinged with its own nervousness but not nearly on the level as the librarian’s. Then Javier closed the gap and pressed a soft kiss against Booker’s lips. The librarian stopped, his mind going blank as he kissed the tailor back. The loud chattering in his head began to die away until a dull hum and then finally extinguished entirely.

”That...That was good…” he said with a shy smile and a bit of relief.

>>"Yeah, let's go...So... where are we going?"

Okay. Game plan! They had a date! He had everything planned out. The gift, phase one, was completed, now it was time to head out into the city and show the man a good time. It had been a minute since Booker had been out on an actual date and he was excited to get the evening rolling. With his faux pas handled, he could actually focus on what he wanted to focus on.

Sharing a smile, Booker nodded as he headed towards the door. Opening it, he stepped aside to allow Javier out first. ”Oh...I have plans.” he said, a cheshire grin on his lips. He then tapped his phone, summoning the next Unter driver he had contacted right after he got out from the first one. He liked to spread the jobs around.

****

Booker leaned back in the backseat, his eyes drifting out the window to watch the city pass by. He couldn’t help smiling as he watched the towering buildings slip by under the expansive blanket of stars. But even as he observed their beauty, his gaze kept drifting back to the handsome gentleman next to him. Javier was in the backseat with him, their Unter driver taking them to their first destination for the evening -- dinner. It was a staple the dating world, after all, who wants to hang around another person without food in their stomach. He only hoped that Javier would like the place.

After a few seconds of silence, knowing the establishment would be coming up soon, he spoke up. ”Almost there,” he said with a small smile. He then paused for a second. ”So...ummm…” he then had to laugh. ”I have to ask, how early did you start getting ready? Because I’m pretty sure I was ready by breakfast this morning.”

>>”That...That was good…”

It was. Javier knew first-hand about the power of a good kiss to stop the overthinking train in its tracks. He smiled as they walked out, happy that for once, he was not the one whose thoughts were running away with him.

They sat in the back seat of the Unter, heading to the mysterious location Booker had selected. He took on the planning of the date, which was really considerate on his part; the number of choices would have made Javier freak out more than usual. As it was, he felt a little guilty for leaving the burden of planning to Booker, but it was the lesser of two evils. For now, at least.

>>”Almost there. So...ummm… I have to ask, how early did you start getting ready? Because I’m pretty sure I was ready by breakfast this morning.”

Javier laughed softly, looking at Booker. He could have just been saying that to make him feel better, but he was pretty excitable in general, so Javier could believe he would be preparing for a date way ahead of time.

"Depends on what you mean by preparing" he admitted "I have been sitting around ready for a few hours at least... but you were planning for the both of us, so. You win." he chuckled.

If there was one thing that Booker was learning about his current companion was how early that they managed to get ready for things. It seemed that they both suffered from an acute case of early preparedness. The joke between the two of them was how early they would show up to meet one another, something which happened to occur near constantly.

With that in mind, Booker couldn’t help but tease his date a little, asking him how early he had been preparing for this date. Booker wasn’t kidding when he said he had been getting ready since Breakfast. He obsessed over what he was going to wear, trying to find the perfect outfit, and of course calling ahead to the various locations he was taking Javier to in order to ensure that everything was going to be ready. So, really, he wasn’t kidding when he said he had been preparing since the morning.

So he asked what was the situation like with Javier? Had he been prepping and stressing all day? Knowing the tailor, Booker assumed that it was the case.

>>"Depends on what you mean by preparing...I have been sitting around ready for a few hours at least... but you were planning for the both of us, so. You win."

Booker grinned. He dipped his head, giving a little twirl of his wrist in thanks. ”I humbly accept my victory.”

Returning his gaze to the outside of the car, Booker watched the passing lights until he saw the familiar corner up ahead. The ”Wok This Way” restaurant had been one of his favorites but not one that he had actually brought any dates to until tonight. He and Nessa had taken part but, aside from that, Booker liked to keep this little gem of a chinese food restaurant to himself. As the Unter came to a stop, he turned back to Javier.

”We’re heeere! I hope you like Chinese food.” He made sure to ask Javier before he set the date if the other had any food allergies. Once he was sure that most of the menu would be safe for the tailor, he made the reservations.

The Unter coming to a stop, Booker turned and told Javier to wait in the car for a second. After he climbed out, Booker rebuttoned his blazer, made his way around the car, checking his breath, running a hand through his hair, then stopping on the other side of the car. As soon as he did, he opened the door for Javier and stepped back, holding out his hand for him to take. As always, Booker tried his best to be the perfect gentleman.

”It’s customary…” he said with a smile. ”...to get the door for a good-looking date.” He beamed and helped him out of the car. As soon as they were both out, he would close the door and thank the driver for his help before turning back to the tailor. God, he really did look handsome. The librarian took a moment to appreciate the work the other put into his appearance, not that that was everything, but it made Booker feel pretty special. After a short breath, he smirked as he edge closer and offered his arm to the other. ”Shall we?”

>> ”I humbly accept my victory.”

Booker was winning at the whole dating thing already. Javier thought it was the least he could do to let him know that. He really appreciated the enthusiasm, the planning, and most of all the easy-going attitude that made sure that he was actually having fun without feeling awkward. He didn't need to pretend to be anyone else around Booker, or try to hide what he was like, on good days and bad days. Sure, he had not seen everything yet, but... this was the way Javier liked his romance. With someone who was already a friend.

>>”We’re heeere! I hope you like Chinese food.”

"Chinese sounds great" Javier smiled, peering out the car window to take a look at the place. It looked fun. Not the run-of-the-mill Chinese buffet, but something more... date-like. He was ready to get out of the car, but Booker told him to wait, and walked around to open the car door for him. Javie couldn't help but blush.

>>”It’s customary… ...to get the door for a good-looking date. Shall we?”

"You are going to spoil me" Javier warned him as he took his arm. He felt a little flustered; on the one hand, yes, New York was a very liberal place, but he had never really walked into a restaurant arm in arm with another man before; and also, said man was extremely hot, and behaving like some kind of a prince charming from a New York romantic movie. Javier wondered what people thought when they looked at them. He was aware that he was walking around with someone who tended to draw a lot of attention... "I have never been here before. Have you?..."

>>"You are going to spoil me"

Booker just smirked as he held the door open and offered his hand to help Javier out of the car. He didn’t care how cheesy it was, he still liked doing it. No matter who it was he was on a date with, Booker liked to employ the cheesy tactics, there weren’t enough of those hopeless romantic gestures in the world anymore. Besides, he wanted Javier to feel special -- mainly because he was special. So if he spoiled him a little to make a night out amazing, so what?

The librarian merely shrugged at the comment. ”I think I can afford to at least try to tonight,” he smirked.

Once Javier was out of the car and they were left alone on the street, Booker offered the other his arm. Javier seemed slightly nervous about the gesture but he eventually relinquished, slipping his arm around Booker’s. In all fairness, Booker didn’t care what people thought of him. He freely dated men and women and learned, a long time ago, that most people in this day and age don’t care what you do. Any suspicions that you’ll be stared at or made fun of are usually one-hundred percent in your head. There are those rare moments where mocking and threats occurred, but hey, that was what the power of wit and words were for.

And, failing that, Booker was a hell of a boxer.

Arm-in-arm, he headed towards the large, red doors situated underneath the vibrant awning. The restaurant was not city famous but it was slowly getting there. The place mainly survived via word of mouth, people dining and sharing via social media, and so forth. It kept the place both intimate as well as successful. It wouldn’t be long before more started to show, but, in the meantime, Booker was happy to share the virtually unknown establishment with Javier.

>> "I have never been here before. Have you?"

Booker nodded. ”A couple of times with my sister,” he admitted. ”Once with coworkers who were throwing a birthday party.” Again, thankfully, he never brought any dates here. So far the restaurant was synonymous with heartbreak meals with his sister and embarrassing parties with his colleagues. For romance, he wanted it to be connected with the date currently on his arm.

Approaching the heavy-looking doors, Booker grabbed a handle and pulled it open to allow Javier in first As soon as he walked through, Booker followed and sighed at the scent of fresh cooking food in the air. It smelled so amazing that already the librarian was salivating. But the restaurant wasn’t just a treat for the olfactory senses, but for the visual as well.

The restaurant was actually very intimate looking. It was fairly dark inside with deep, mahogany paneling all along the walls. The ceiling itself had rows of dimly light paper lanterns hanging, almost casting the illusion that the lanterns would be floating off into the darkness of the night at any moment. Throughout the restaurant, intimate wooden tables were set up, nicely spaced, each with a light-colored tablecloth spread across the surface. In the air, one could hear the sounds of flowing water, drawing people’s attention to the water feature (a stone waterfall spilling into a pool of water) in the center of the room. Booker chose the place because it was dark, smaller, a place where they wouldn’t be under the pressure of prying eyes, something that he hoped that Javier would like.

Sharing a smile with the other, the librarian stepped to the nicely dressed woman with the dark hair behind the hostess podium. He gave her his name and, after a brief search through the reservation book, found his entry. Gathering a pair of menus, she headed off; Booker turned back to Javier.

”Looks like we made it right on time,” he said. ”Place as great food. The fried shrimp and the beef broccoli are my favorites but everything they make is just awesome.”

Javier did feel like he was being spoiled. Booker was treating him like a celebrity, and while he did enjoy every minute of it, he did not want the librarian to think he would have to do so every time they met.

>>”I think I can afford to at least try to tonight,”

He could. Javier did not want his own anxiety to ruin all the fun, so he told himself that he was allowed to take the night off, and let Booker take the lead on what they were going to do. Which he did, and marvelously. The restaurant, which he had visited before (but not with other dates, or if so, he didn't mention them) was very cozy and nice.

>>”Looks like we made it right on time. Place as great food. The fried shrimp and the beef broccoli are my favorites but everything they make is just awesome.”

"Fried shrimp sounds good" Javier smiled as they took their seats, and were left alone with the menus. Their table was out of the way and had just the perfect amount of mood lighting to put him at ease. "When I was younger, my mom would take us to all kinds of fancy restaurants... networking events and the like. Most of them had all these utensils, and extra things that everyone else seemed to know somehow, and they always made me feel kind of on edge." he admitted with a small smile "But there was a Chinese place I really liked, because all I had to do was use chopsticks, and it felt less... strict? At least less people were watching us while we eat. They usually looked at mom, but it always felt like a reality show."

>>"Fried shrimp sounds good"

Oh it was more than good. Booker found most of the food in this establishment to be absolutely divine, hence he reasoning for wanting to bring Javier here. If there was any date spot that fill their bellies, as well as provide a sumptuous dining experience, it was this one. Again, even though he really didn’t have to pull out as many stops as he did for Javier, he still wanted to. Everyone had the right to feel special and important to another person. Booker was going to spare no expensive for Javier this evening -- figuratively. He wasn’t a millionaire after all. Then again, it wasn’t as if he dined at a place like this all the time.

”Trust me, they’re nirvana,” he said with a chuckle.

Moving through the restaurant, following the hostess, Booker took a second to appreciate the atmosphere. Really it was the best place for a nice, intimate date with someone whom he was really interested in. As they strolled through, Booker didn’t spare anyone a glance to see if they were looking at the two men walking so very close to one another. This was New York, after all, and the visage was fairly expected. Then again, it was also fairly dark in the place so it wasn’t as if anyone could actually see them if they held hands or sat close to one another.

Booker was not one to be shy about expressing his affections for another. He was a very expressful man. However, he would try to tone himself down for Javier’s benefit as he knew the man had a stronger sense of shyness.

When the two of them were seated, Booker sighed as he relaxed in his chair. Javier did the same, his eyes never leaving the rest of the surroundings. It was clear that he liked the overall quiet and peacefulness of the setting, something which Booker took to heart. He liked to think that he was considerate of other people’s feelings. Thankfully he didn’t drop the ball.

>> "When I was younger, my mom would take us to all kinds of fancy restaurants... networking events and the like. Most of them had all these utensils, and extra things that everyone else seemed to know somehow, and they always made me feel kind of on edge….But there was a Chinese place I really liked, because all I had to do was use chopsticks, and it felt less... strict? At least less people were watching us while we eat. They usually looked at mom, but it always felt like a reality show."

Booker smirked as he listened to Javier open up a bit more about himself. Of course he knew bits and pieces from the man, but he was always interested in learning more. In this instance he was informing him that he used to go to fancy restaurants all the time with his mother, and those were events, the kind that had specialized utensils for every meal. Booker had only gone to a handful of those in his lifetime and they had always been because he was invited by someone else. Other times it was because he worked at a library that frequently had it’s space rented out so people who could functions just like that.

He was never invited, but he got to see them set up before leaving for the day.

Now he was smiling, sitting in a fancy restaurant, sharing the time with someone who he was really into. Javier, when he was relaxed and calm, was a charm to speak with. Of course he was always charming, but there was something particularly likeable about the tailor when he was relaxed and especially on a date setting. Booker just smiled, his eyes aglow with affection for the man sitting across from him.

”Sounds both fun and stressful,” he said with a well-meaning smile. ”I can’t imagine having to use a different fork or spoon for every plate in front of me. Makes my skin crawl too,” he chuckled. ”Chopsticks certainly make everything far easier, though!”

Chopsticks were the universal utensil. Well, except for when it came to soup.

”Honestly I don’t go to these kinds of places a lot. The last time I even saw one up close was some fundraising event they were having at the library. The organization rented out huge spaces, set up bars, brought in special guys who set up one of the rooms to look like a ballroom. I swear I still don’t know how they made it look like that one day and then the next turn it right back around into a library reading room. Phenomenal.” He laughed. ”I didn’t get to stay and see all the finery though. They probably thought I was just more slack-jawed riffraff.”

Javier didn't often talk about family memories. His mother was famous enough to make its mark on his childhood, and even though she had since retired from the runway, she was still very much the extroverted New York socialite she had always been. Which usually made people question how Javier came to be the person he was at all, and why he could not be as easy-going in large companies as his mother.

>>”Sounds both fun and stressful. I can’t imagine having to use a different fork or spoon for every plate in front of me. Makes my skin crawl too. Chopsticks certainly make everything far easier, though!”

Javier smiled at his date. Booker had the good habit of seeing good things everywhere, and not latching on to things he decided to share. Javier could explain as much or as little as he wanted to, which was very refreshing.

>>”The last time I even saw one up close was some fundraising event they were having at the library. The organization rented out huge spaces, set up bars, brought in special guys who set up one of the rooms to look like a ballroom. I swear I still don’t know how they made it look like that one day and then the next turn it right back around into a library reading room. Phenomenal. I didn’t get to stay and see all the finery though. They probably thought I was just more slack-jawed riffraff.”

Javier chuckled at the mental image of a library magically turning into a ballroom and back, and Booker being ushered out before he could witness all of it.

"They could have hired you to stand around and promote the library" he ventured with a smirk; if a library ever had a perfect poster boy on staff, Booker was definitely it. "I can't really imagine having an event in that space and making it look like... something else. It's pretty spectacular already." Javier liked libraries. They were quiet, and people were not expected to make small talk with strangers. "I mean, in itself... not that I've ever been there when people were not around. But yeah, they should have invited you."

It wasn’t the first time that Booker had been left out of public events. Whenever people came in to rent out portions of the library, they tended to be wrapped up in their own businesses and only cared whenever the librarians or staff needed to do something to accommodate them. Really it had to be one of the most abusive relationships that the librarian had ever seen but it wasn’t as if there was much he could do about it. The library needed funding and, until the government realized the importance of libraries and offered them a steady stream of cash, they would have to whore themselves out whenever possible.

Thankfully Booker’s experiences made for funny anecdotes, those that he could share with the very lovely man sitting across from him at this very intimate table. He smiled when Javier smiled, listened closely when he spoke, and was all-together engaged in conversation with his date. This was a good night already.

>>"They could have hired you to stand around and promote the library"

He snorted. ”I know, right?” He then chuckled. ”Knowing my luck they would try to grease me up and stick me in a go-go cage.” He shook his head at the ludicrous thought. ”I mean, I stopped doing that kind of stuff in college”

It was a joke. Surely, it was a joke...

>>"I can't really imagine having an event in that space and making it look like... something else. It's pretty spectacular already...I mean, in itself... not that I've ever been there when people were not around. But yeah, they should have invited you."

Booker smiled. And it wasn’t just any smile, it was the knowing smile of someone who had a plan. Of course it wasn’t something that he could implement tonight, he needed time and he needed think of the right way to do it. But he was going to take what Javier said and run with it. They would get into the library after closing, he’d plan the whole thing out. But, for now, he filed that away in the back of his head.

”Oh it’s a sight to behold,” he agreed. ”Maybe the next time they are setting up for an event, I’ll have you sneak in. We can watch them set up together before they kick us out like the bums we are?”

He grinned. Movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to turn and spot the waitress that came by with a couple of elegantly printed menus. She offered the both of them a sweet smile before she placed them on the table before each one.

”Hello, my name is Carol and I’ll be your server,” she said brightly. ”I’ll give you both a moment to look over the menu. In the meantime, would you like anything to drink?”