First dates are always awkward, especially if your date is vastly different from you. But what if you find some common ground? Will it go well or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Baxium was never good at the whole 'dating' thing, much to his family's disappointment. The last few dates he had been on ended with him being stood up, laughed at, and gently let down. Baxium knew deep down that his personality didn't match with the type of girls his family wanted him to be with. Despite being a certified member of the Triceriton army back on homeland, his gentle personality clashed heavily with the way everyone else saw him.
Everyone except Mira. Baxium wondered if Mira knew him as more gentle and down-to-earth before knowing him as a soldier, there would be a higher chance for something to work out between them. So far he knew that she was funny, loved to party, and could hold her liquor way better than he expected. He was hoping to find out more tonight.
Mira could practically hear her heart racing in her chest from the nerves she felt while waiting for 8 o'clock to roll around. Ashley calmly prevented her from drinking a second glass of wine.
"Listen, I'm about to leave and if I don't see you there I'm going to be pissed that I showed up when you didn't. You understand me?"
Mira sighed, letting her shoulders slumped while her body continued to pump nervous adrenaline through her system. "Yeah... Ugh this is gonna be a disaster."
"Hey, you don't know that! Sure, he's a Triceriton who asked you out after a month of talking and knowing each other through snapchat... which he used maybe three times since you added him... BUT, he seems nice and I'm sure it won't be as bad as you think it is." Ashley rubbed her back as she tried to assure her, though it didn't work quite as well as she was hoping.
She pulled Mira into a hug then gave her another look over before stepping back and grabbing her keys. "You look great. Don't drink anything else before he gets here alright? Text me if you have ANY issues and I'll see you there- in secret," she added with a whisper.
"Okay," Mira said with a sigh. "See ya."
As her friend locked the door behind her, Mira went back to her room to make a final check on her appearance. All of the people in the pictures she saw of Bax were as massive as he was, and that fact made her very nervous about his motives for their date. For all she knew she was the shortest person he had ever met and he was just curious about what it'd be like hanging out with her.
I mean, interspecies relationships aren't that uncommon, but they aren't known to last very long. Plus if he had any jealous exes I don't think I'd stand a chance... I really hope he's not some weirdo...
Feeling sufficiently nauseous from her racing thoughts, she figured there wasn't much else she could do to her appearance without ruining it all. Just as she was ready to leave the mirror, her phone rang.
Oh no, she thought, it's him.
Baxium stood outside the apartment building, phone in hand as he realized just how small humans really are. He leaned forward a little to get a closer look at the front door to the building and realized it'd be a tight and painful squeeze if he ever tried going inside.
As he waited outside, ignoring the smaller creatures moving around him, he couldn't help the small smile that grew on his face when he thought about all the possibilities for the night ahead. He was going out with a human he found impressive, smart, funny, and pretty, and he felt a warmth inside he hadn't felt for a while. He knew it had to be his infatuation coupled with the hope that this date would go differently.
...Provided that she was even remotely interested in him and not just pitying him or- worse yet- scared of saying no to him.
Aw man, he thought as his smile faded. I really hope she isn't just scared of me... What was I thinking asking out a human? It's not like anyone's even expectin anything out of this. What if this was a mistake?
Baxium's own intrusive, self-deprecating thoughts filled him with nervousness as Mira stepped out of the door and onto the sidewalk in front of him. Baxium couldn't stop himself from commenting on how nice she looked- just like when he first met her.
Well... No turning back now, they thought, both hopeful and nervous beyond reason.
At the restaurant, Ashley sat at a table on the second floor waiting to see Mira or to get a text from her to let her know what was going on. The first floor was filled with large species enjoying various meals and conversations while the second floor was very similar, just on a smaller scale.
Ashley examined the first floor from the indoor balcony and spotted a couple whose size would have matched the one she was waiting on, if they hadn't been a completely different species. The couple was accomodated for at a large table with a reasonable seat for the smaller one, and the two looked as happy as could be.
She couldn't help but give a little smile before deciding to text Mira for an update.
Mira hit send on her reply right before they entered the restaurant. She knew Ashley was on the second floor, but figured with Baxium's size they'd be stuck on the ground floor. As they were led to a table fit for them both, Ashley let Mira know that she could see her from where she was, and to just text her if she needed anything.
Now the only nerves Mira had were for any hope of a decent and engaging conversation with as few awkward silences as possible.
With their food orders in and non-alcoholic beverages on the table, the first awkward silence began. Baxium gave her a smile, which she nervously returned, and then let out a sigh. "Hey, whataya say we get a couple Eie out here? This place's isn't as good but it's not bad. Plus, it'll help with the nerves."
Before Mira had time to respond, Baxium let out a shy chuckle. "Uh, sorry, I'm not so great at this stuff. Eie really does help."
Though she couldn't say it, Mira was eternally grateful her date needed some alcohol in the same kinda way she did. And, since he offered, she was fine with trying some more Triceriton Eie- confident with some heartburn relief in her bag. Ashley may not be able to prepare herself for anything, but she spared no brain power when thinking of all the things that could go wrong for her friend.
With a glass of Eie down, Mira finally felt her nerves calming, as did Baxium.
"That really hits the spot, huh?" he asked with a grin. "I'm still impressed you can drink it like that."
"How is it made?" she asked, trying to avoid having to pronounce 'Eie' as much as possible.
"I'm not entirely sure, but I know it gets its flavor from a mineral we grow on Homeworld. It's a traditional drink for us you know?"
"Is it kind of like beer or wine for humans?" she asked curiously.
"I guess so," he started, thinking for a moment. "Do you drink beer and wine with yer family and friends? Eie's a big thing for gatherings and celebrations."
Mira nodded, feeling hopeful that there was some commonality between their cultures. "Yeah that sounds just like wine for my family. Beer too, but it's mostly wine in my case."
Baxium nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly it. I've tried some beers before but they all taste too bland for my liking."
"Well, with a drink like this being the cultural equivalent to beer I can see why."
Baxium laughed more than she would have expected at her comment, and she felt her cheeks flush.
From where Ashley sat, it was clear that the two were doing well for the time being. She assessed that Baxium was not threatening in any purposeful way, and Mira didn't seem like she wanted to escape in the immediate future. So, Ashley took it upon herself to order a little food for the show.
"You know, I haven't gone out with many humans so I hope I'm not coming off too intimidating or anything. I just wanted to get to know you better in person instead of just texting and stuff."
With another round of Eie on the table for Bax, and a glass of white wine for Mira, the two continued their discussions over a hot appetizer. "I mean I was really surprised when you asked me out," Mira said, the eie and wine making her more honest and talkative that she normally would have been. "But I think I also want to get to know you better."
"Really? I wasn't sure if you'd be into me or if you were just scared of me," he replied with a nervous laugh.
"Nah," she replied with a shake of her head. "I mean you are a very large Triceriton, but you've been nothing but nice since I met you."
Baxium gave a smile big enough to show some of his teeth as his shoulders noticeably relaxed. "I'm glad you think so."
Mira felt herself begin to blush again as she thought about how cute his concern for her impression of him was. He was probably big enough to tip her car over without breaking a sweat, yet he was nervous about what she thought of him.
Oh no, she thought as she watched him drink and her heart thumped in her chest.
Across from her, Baxium downed more than he intended as his own body began to heat up and his thoughts raced about what she thought of him and of how nice she looked.
Oh no, he thought as he watched her delicately place her drink on the table after drinking from it.
Above, Ashley smugly ate from her plate of fries as she watched the two of them laugh and blush. It was a good night.
Let me know how I'm doing! I'm trying to expand the world some without interrupting the flow of the story. Give me tips if you'd like.