March - "I'm gonna march you down the aisle"
"Cell phone."
Lance patted the pocket of his jeans.
"Yep."
"Keys." He patted the breast pocket of his olive drab jacket.
"Ditto."
"Tickets."
There was a momentary period of panic as he tried to remember where he'd put the tickets for Black Panther.
"Shit."
"Just as well you've got me here, buddy." Hunk smiled, the two tickets Lance had made a special effort to get were grasped in his fingerless glove-encased right hand.
The wave of relief that washed over Lance's face was visible from across the room.
"You're a life saver."
Hunk puffed out his chest and adopted a look of supreme heroism. "Nobody asked me to be a hero, I just felt the calling."
"Next time you and Shay are going out, dinner's on me."
"Dude, you seriously don't have to."
"No! No, no no no no no! I insist."
"Keith's a lucky guy." Hunk smiled.
"I'm the lucky guy, Keith… I wish I'd seen this side of him sooner."
"While I'd love nothing more to dig a little deeper here, reassure you, and give you plenty of reasons to tell your minor insecurities to get the flip out of here… You need to get going if you're going to get there before him."
"Right!" Lance nodded in agreement. He gave his hair one final sweep, and stood ready for Hunk's honest appraisal. "How do I look?"
"Good. Now go!" Hunk urged.
Keith was running late. He'd gotten out of work on time, and hadn't messed around in grabbing a shower at his apartment, but the Friday-evening traffic had been lame, and he still had to find a parking spot for his motorcycle. Fortunately there were some parking spots around the corner from the cinema, and by some miracle there was a spot big enough for him to squeeze his 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1 safely into.
After a quick flurry of activity which allowed him to store his helmet, and check his reflection in the window of an interior design store, Keith set off at a brisk walk. As he navigated the turn from South Edmunds Street onto South Rainier Avenue, the glittering marquee of Ark Lodge Cinema came into view.
He found Lance perched against the lamppost outside of the entrance to the cinema, looking chilled, and like he could look that way all day.
Sadly for the image Lance was cultivating, Keith had the effect of demolishing that careful facade.
Although in this case, it could also have been his excitement to see the film. Of the many things Keith hadn't registered when they were rivals/casual acquaintances, but had picked up on now that they were dating, was that Lance loved the movies from the Marvel cinematic universe.
He really loved them.
"Hey. You look great." The blue-eyed man greeted with a broad grin, and Keith's cheeks still had a habit of flushing when Lance greeted him like Keith was the most amazing thing he'd seen.
Which wasn't exactly untrue. Keith might've considered himself pretty average when it came to looks, but Lance was always happy to pay him a compliment, which was an interesting change from when they used to just trade insults at each other.
"Sorry I'm late."
Lance made a dismissive sound and gave Keith's arm a playful nudge. "Don't sweat it; we've still got plenty of time. The trailers before the main feature, y'know?"
"Yeah." Keith nodded. Lance slipped his arm through the crook of the raven-haired man's elbow, and led the both of them through the wood and glass double doors into the lobby of the cinema.
At four months into their relationship, Keith was starting to get used to getting eagerly dragged around by the walking ball of energy that was his boyfriend. In his enthusiasm for the movie however, the tanned boy was practically marching them down the aisle of the cinema towards their seats.
"Whoa, okay, ease up on the arm there."
Lance glanced over his shoulder and threw Keith an apologetic look a moment later. "Sorry."
They settled into their seats as the auditorium continued to fill up, and they took the time before the lights dimmed to sort through their food, Lance had opted for popcorn and a soda, Keith had gone for a hotdog with ketchup and mustard.
"So where does this film take place compared to the others?"
"Mmmm!" Lance hummed around a taste-tester mouthful of popcorn. "This is probably about two years… Or so… After Civil War, Age of Ultron and Doctor Strange, and probably happens less than half a year before Thor: Ragnarok. It's all kinda vague, and Homecoming kinda screws up the timeline… So maybe ask me again after Infinity War… Which is supposed to take place this year." Lance chuckled.
"Okay…" Keith let Lance's explanation settle in. "Why have they made it so complicated?"
"I think they might've lost track as each film's been written." Lance shrugged. "It could be worse, there's always the Clone Saga, or Crisis on Infinite Earths."
"Do I want to know?"
Lance weighed the question. "Probably not."
The lights dimmed as a musical jingle began to play over the speakers. On the screen, animated food and drinks began to dance up a painted backdrop of a cinema aisle.
" Let's all go to the lobby
Let's all go to the lobby
Let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat… "
Two hours (and forty minutes) later, Lance and Keith exited the cinema, the former riding the buzz of the film: he'd enjoyed it greatly.
"That was so much better than Civil War." The taller man beamed.
"It wasn't bad." Keith shrugged with a smirk.
"And I loved how they wove that African vibe through the music and the visual design… They made this film feel… tonally… Is 'tonal' the word? They made it feel tonally different from the other Marvel films, like it'd come from another country… And I guess that was kinda the point…" Keith let out a short laugh; Lance had reached the point where he needed to pause for breath. "What was your favourite bit?"
"There were a couple." The indigo-eyed man mused. "When Okoye and the regiment were fighting W'Kabi's clan, the casino fight, and the end credits were pretty neat."
"Yeah." Lance nodded. "And the armoured Rhinos were pretty badass."
They ambled aimlessly under the awning of the cinema as they let the film sink in a little more.
"I want to see more of Bucky actually being a hero, now that he's better… Up there." Keith mused, indicating his head. "He better get to kick some ass as the Winter Soldier in Infinity War, and no disappearing for movie years afterwards."
"Yeah." Lance agreed. "Though I can't think why he'd be one of your favourite characters…" His face split into a wicked grin. "Dark, brooding, long hair…"
Keith pouted. "Shut up."
"Make me." He grinned.
And Keith did just that, with his lips.
They eventually had to break the kiss, but they continued to keep their arms wrapped around each other for some time afterward.
"What do you want to do now?"
Keith gave a constricted shrug in Lance's embrace. "Dinner?"
"Sounds good." The blue-eyed man agreed. "Fancy Domino's again?"
The other man frowned. "Maybe another night?" Keith admitted. Still in Lance's hug, he awkwardly extracted his phone from his pocket and brought up Google Maps. "Google says there's a Sicilian place, Caribbean-southern, Mexican… A bar and grill…"
Lance's brows rose as at one of the suggestions. "What about the Caribbean-southern place?"
"Sure." Keith smiled, and reluctant as he was to break their hug, he shifted to walk arm-in-arm with Lance at a generous place along Rainier Avenue South, checking the location of the restaurant as they went.
'Caribbean-southern' turned out to be Island Soul, a combined rum bar and soul shack a couple of blocks from the cinema.
The restaurant was based in a converted shop unit, and laid out in a ratio of three-quarters dining space to one quarter bar area. The decor was Caribbean-inspired hues and paintings hung in the dining area, and flat screen televisions broadcasting sports events to the patrons at the bar.
"Good evening." The waitress/greeter smiled. "Table for two?"
"Please." Keith nodded, and they were led over to a table nestled under a triptych of paintings depicting a dreadlocked man, playing a guitar on a beach. As they settled in their seats and took a quick glance over the menu, the waitress/greeter primed a pen and notepad.
"Would you like to place your drink orders?"
"Uh." Keith blanked; he flipped the menu over to find the drink list. "Could I get a diet Pepsi?"
"Sure." The waitress smiled, and she turned to Lance. "And you, sir?"
"Lemonade, please."
The waitress jotted their selections down. "I'll give you guys a couple of minutes."
Keith stared at the menu, unsure where to start. "You ever have Caribbean food before?"
"Nope." Lance responded brightly as he considered what the restaurant had to offer.
Keith blinked. "Then why did you choose this place?"
The other teenager shrugged with a smirk. "Because I've never had it before, figured it never hurt to try new things."
Keith wanted to pout, but he reluctantly conceded the point. "Guess I'll have the Calypso Wings."
The Calypso Wings had looked pretty appetising, though they'd proven to be spicier than Keith had been expecting due to the mango sauce. Lance had opted for the Habanero Prawns, which been alright, but not as special as he'd been hoping.
"Next time, I'll try the Seafood Fritters."
"You want me to risk burning my mouth here again?" Keith smirked.
"Yeah." Lance chuckled. "The atmosphere's good, and it's not far if we're catching a movie."
They settled into a companionable silence as they lounged in the afterglow of their meal. The dull rumble of the basketball game that'd been playing when they'd arrived had been replaced with the higher, uneven roar of a baseball game, although the soundtrack of evening conversation and broadcasted reggae music had remained consistent through dinner.
Keith idly flipped the menu over; scanning his eyes across what else was available. It didn't seem that there were any dessert options.
"Did you want to get desert or something?" Keith ventured.
"Yeah, what have they got?"
His boyfriend flipped the menu so Lance could see it for himself. "Nothing."
The pecan-haired boy deflated for a moment.
"There is that place back by the cinema… And we'd have to walk that way anyway so I can get my bike."
"It still open?"
Keith checked the listing on his phone. "They don't close for another couple of hours."
Lance grinned. "Lead the way, samurai."
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream was a chain that wouldn't quite fit into the idea of a traditional ice cream parlour, there were familiar and more exotic flavours, and the decor was generally streamlined, resembling something closer to the coffee chains that populated Seattle. Some branches of Molly Moon's even sold clothing.
Lance had decided to go with Original Strawberry, whilst Keith, who was a mint fiend, selected 'Scout' Mint from the menu.
As they took their first licks from their respective cones, they moseyed over to bench sat in front of the cinema. Lance had been content to enjoy his dessert in a friendly silence for a while, but a thought occurred to him, and he broke the quiet to ask:
"Would… Would you like to join me and my family for Easter Sunday?"
Keith's mind seemed to jump the tracks for a moment as he processed Lance's question.
"Why?"
"Well… They haven't properly met you other than the few times you came over before we started seeing each other… I'd like them to get to know you better, that way I can make it official: introduce you as my boyfriend."
"Oh." The other man realized. "Okay."
"You don't have to do it, I… Um… I don't have to if you're not okay with it."
Keith gave him a fond smile, something that Lance was still happily getting used to with his former rival. "I can do it. I'd like to do it."
"Great… Great." Lance beamed. Without another moment's thought, he leant over and kissed Keith on the lips.
"You're melting." Keith remarked after a moment.
"I can't help it, you make me melt." Lance returned.
"No, I mean your ice cream's melting onto your jeans."
"Quiznak!"
March - "I'm gonna march you down the aisle"
"Cell phone."
Lance patted the pocket of his jeans.
"Yep."
"Keys." He patted the breast pocket of his olive drab jacket.
"Ditto."
"Tickets."
There was a momentary period of panic as he tried to remember where he'd put the tickets for Black Panther.
"Shit."
"Just as well you've got me here, buddy." Hunk smiled, the two tickets Lance had made a special effort to get were grasped in his fingerless glove-encased right hand.
The wave of relief that washed over Lance's face was visible from across the room.
"You're a life saver."
Hunk puffed out his chest and adopted a look of supreme heroism. "Nobody asked me to be a hero, I just felt the calling."
"Next time you and Shay are going out, dinner's on me."
"Dude, you seriously don't have to."
"No! No, no no no no no! I insist."
"Keith's a lucky guy." Hunk smiled.
"I'm the lucky guy, Keith… I wish I'd seen this side of him sooner."
"While I'd love nothing more to dig a little deeper here, reassure you, and give you plenty of reasons to tell your minor insecurities to get the flip out of here… You need to get going if you're going to get there before him."
"Right!" Lance nodded in agreement. He gave his hair one final sweep, and stood ready for Hunk's honest appraisal. "How do I look?"
"Good. Now go!" Hunk urged.
Keith was running late. He'd gotten out of work on time, and hadn't messed around in grabbing a shower at his apartment, but the Friday-evening traffic had been lame, and he still had to find a parking spot for his motorcycle. Fortunately there were some parking spots around the corner from the cinema, and by some miracle there was a spot big enough for him to squeeze his 2005 Yamaha YZF-R1 safely into.
After a quick flurry of activity which allowed him to store his helmet, and check his reflection in the window of an interior design store, Keith set off at a brisk walk. As he navigated the turn from South Edmunds Street onto South Rainier Avenue, the glittering marquee of Ark Lodge Cinema came into view.
He found Lance perched against the lamppost outside of the entrance to the cinema, looking chilled, and like he could look that way all day.
Sadly for the image Lance was cultivating, Keith had the effect of demolishing that careful facade.
Although in this case, it could also have been his excitement to see the film. Of the many things Keith hadn't registered when they were rivals/casual acquaintances, but had picked up on now that they were dating, was that Lance loved the movies from the Marvel cinematic universe.
He really loved them.
"Hey. You look great." The blue-eyed man greeted with a broad grin, and Keith's cheeks still had a habit of flushing when Lance greeted him like Keith was the most amazing thing he'd seen.
Which wasn't exactly untrue. Keith might've considered himself pretty average when it came to looks, but Lance was always happy to pay him a compliment, which was an interesting change from when they used to just trade insults at each other.
"Sorry I'm late."
Lance made a dismissive sound and gave Keith's arm a playful nudge. "Don't sweat it; we've still got plenty of time. The trailers before the main feature, y'know?"
"Yeah." Keith nodded. Lance slipped his arm through the crook of the raven-haired man's elbow, and led the both of them through the wood and glass double doors into the lobby of the cinema.
At four months into their relationship, Keith was starting to get used to getting eagerly dragged around by the walking ball of energy that was his boyfriend. In his enthusiasm for the movie however, the tanned boy was practically marching them down the aisle of the cinema towards their seats.
"Whoa, okay, ease up on the arm there."
Lance glanced over his shoulder and threw Keith an apologetic look a moment later. "Sorry."
They settled into their seats as the auditorium continued to fill up, and they took the time before the lights dimmed to sort through their food, Lance had opted for popcorn and a soda, Keith had gone for a hotdog with ketchup and mustard.
"So where does this film take place compared to the others?"
"Mmmm!" Lance hummed around a taste-tester mouthful of popcorn. "This is probably about two years… Or so… After Civil War, Age of Ultron and Doctor Strange, and probably happens less than half a year before Thor: Ragnarok. It's all kinda vague, and Homecoming kinda screws up the timeline… So maybe ask me again after Infinity War… Which is supposed to take place this year." Lance chuckled.
"Okay…" Keith let Lance's explanation settle in. "Why have they made it so complicated?"
"I think they might've lost track as each film's been written." Lance shrugged. "It could be worse, there's always the Clone Saga, or Crisis on Infinite Earths."
"Do I want to know?"
Lance weighed the question. "Probably not."
The lights dimmed as a musical jingle began to play over the speakers. On the screen, animated food and drinks began to dance up a painted backdrop of a cinema aisle.
" Let's all go to the lobby
Let's all go to the lobby
Let's all go to the lobby to get ourselves a treat… "
Two hours (and forty minutes) later, Lance and Keith exited the cinema, the former riding the buzz of the film: he'd enjoyed it greatly.
"That was so much better than Civil War." The taller man beamed.
"It wasn't bad." Keith shrugged with a smirk.
"And I loved how they wove that African vibe through the music and the visual design… They made this film feel… tonally… Is 'tonal' the word? They made it feel tonally different from the other Marvel films, like it'd come from another country… And I guess that was kinda the point…" Keith let out a short laugh; Lance had reached the point where he needed to pause for breath. "What was your favourite bit?"
"There were a couple." The indigo-eyed man mused. "When Okoye and the regiment were fighting W'Kabi's clan, the casino fight, and the end credits were pretty neat."
"Yeah." Lance nodded. "And the armoured Rhinos were pretty badass."
They ambled aimlessly under the awning of the cinema as they let the film sink in a little more.
"I want to see more of Bucky actually being a hero, now that he's better… Up there." Keith mused, indicating his head. "He better get to kick some ass as the Winter Soldier in Infinity War, and no disappearing for movie years afterwards."
"Yeah." Lance agreed. "Though I can't think why he'd be one of your favourite characters…" His face split into a wicked grin. "Dark, brooding, long hair…"
Keith pouted. "Shut up."
"Make me." He grinned.
And Keith did just that, with his lips.
They eventually had to break the kiss, but they continued to keep their arms wrapped around each other for some time afterward.
"What do you want to do now?"
Keith gave a constricted shrug in Lance's embrace. "Dinner?"
"Sounds good." The blue-eyed man agreed. "Fancy Domino's again?"
The other man frowned. "Maybe another night?" Keith admitted. Still in Lance's hug, he awkwardly extracted his phone from his pocket and brought up Google Maps. "Google says there's a Sicilian place, Caribbean-southern, Mexican… A bar and grill…"
Lance's brows rose as at one of the suggestions. "What about the Caribbean-southern place?"
"Sure." Keith smiled, and reluctant as he was to break their hug, he shifted to walk arm-in-arm with Lance at a generous place along Rainier Avenue South, checking the location of the restaurant as they went.
'Caribbean-southern' turned out to be Island Soul, a combined rum bar and soul shack a couple of blocks from the cinema.
The restaurant was based in a converted shop unit, and laid out in a ratio of three-quarters dining space to one quarter bar area. The decor was Caribbean-inspired hues and paintings hung in the dining area, and flat screen televisions broadcasting sports events to the patrons at the bar.
"Good evening." The waitress/greeter smiled. "Table for two?"
"Please." Keith nodded, and they were led over to a table nestled under a triptych of paintings depicting a dreadlocked man, playing a guitar on a beach. As they settled in their seats and took a quick glance over the menu, the waitress/greeter primed a pen and notepad.
"Would you like to place your drink orders?"
"Uh." Keith blanked; he flipped the menu over to find the drink list. "Could I get a diet Pepsi?"
"Sure." The waitress smiled, and she turned to Lance. "And you, sir?"
"Lemonade, please."
The waitress jotted their selections down. "I'll give you guys a couple of minutes."
Keith stared at the menu, unsure where to start. "You ever have Caribbean food before?"
"Nope." Lance responded brightly as he considered what the restaurant had to offer.
Keith blinked. "Then why did you choose this place?"
The other teenager shrugged with a smirk. "Because I've never had it before, figured it never hurt to try new things."
Keith wanted to pout, but he reluctantly conceded the point. "Guess I'll have the Calypso Wings."
The Calypso Wings had looked pretty appetising, though they'd proven to be spicier than Keith had been expecting due to the mango sauce. Lance had opted for the Habanero Prawns, which been alright, but not as special as he'd been hoping.
"Next time, I'll try the Seafood Fritters."
"You want me to risk burning my mouth here again?" Keith smirked.
"Yeah." Lance chuckled. "The atmosphere's good, and it's not far if we're catching a movie."
They settled into a companionable silence as they lounged in the afterglow of their meal. The dull rumble of the basketball game that'd been playing when they'd arrived had been replaced with the higher, uneven roar of a baseball game, although the soundtrack of evening conversation and broadcasted reggae music had remained consistent through dinner.
Keith idly flipped the menu over; scanning his eyes across what else was available. It didn't seem that there were any dessert options.
"Did you want to get desert or something?" Keith ventured.
"Yeah, what have they got?"
His boyfriend flipped the menu so Lance could see it for himself. "Nothing."
The pecan-haired boy deflated for a moment.
"There is that place back by the cinema… And we'd have to walk that way anyway so I can get my bike."
"It still open?"
Keith checked the listing on his phone. "They don't close for another couple of hours."
Lance grinned. "Lead the way, samurai."
Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream was a chain that wouldn't quite fit into the idea of a traditional ice cream parlour, there were familiar and more exotic flavours, and the decor was generally streamlined, resembling something closer to the coffee chains that populated Seattle. Some branches of Molly Moon's even sold clothing.
Lance had decided to go with Original Strawberry, whilst Keith, who was a mint fiend, selected 'Scout' Mint from the menu.
As they took their first licks from their respective cones, they moseyed over to bench sat in front of the cinema. Lance had been content to enjoy his dessert in a friendly silence for a while, but a thought occurred to him, and he broke the quiet to ask:
"Would… Would you like to join me and my family for Easter Sunday?"
Keith's mind seemed to jump the tracks for a moment as he processed Lance's question.
"Why?"
"Well… They haven't properly met you other than the few times you came over before we started seeing each other… I'd like them to get to know you better, that way I can make it official: introduce you as my boyfriend."
"Oh." The other man realized. "Okay."
"You don't have to do it, I… Um… I don't have to if you're not okay with it."
Keith gave him a fond smile, something that Lance was still happily getting used to with his former rival. "I can do it. I'd like to do it."
"Great… Great." Lance beamed. Without another moment's thought, he leant over and kissed Keith on the lips.
"You're melting." Keith remarked after a moment.
"I can't help it, you make me melt." Lance returned.
"No, I mean your ice cream's melting onto your jeans."
"Quiznak!"