It was bound to happen sooner or later

[jadethenecromancer]

Characters: Jade and Rukia
Where: Aqures Ixen
When: December 11
Summary: This isn't a date. It's an experiment.
Warnings: Things may or may not get disgustingly cute.


They had picked the right day for outdoors activity, it seemed. The skies were clear and the snow looked particularly bright in the sunlight. It was the kind of weather that coaxed people to go outside in spite of the subzero temperatures. You could almost forget about the end of the world approaching.

Luckily the ice skating rink wasn't too crowded. A few families were already leaving to take their children home for lunch. There would be plenty of space to practice.

Jade was fascinated to find his pulse picking up while he waited under a tree near the rink. Was he actually getting nervous? The realization was both humorous and a little exasperating. There was nothing to be worried about -- and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that in some way, a line was about to be crossed. Certainly, things were going to be different after today.

Still, he had thought this through carefully. As much as he had initially tried to dismiss it, he had found himself turning the idea around in his head, assessing it from every angle, weighing the pros and cons... And at the end of the day, he had to admit there weren't any real cons to be had when it came to Rukia. There was little fear of drama or excessive clinginess. Neither of them would ever ask the other to compromise their duties. Even if this didn't end up working out, they had a solid friendship to fall back on. The only downside that he could see was the inevitable goodbye, and frankly, that wasn't reason enough to hold back. They might not even have more than a few months left to live. Why worry about the afterward?

And as for the pros... He did like her. Very much so. They were similar enough to understand one another, while still being different enough to maintain mutual interest. There was still a lot about her he wanted to learn, and if he could give her a reason to smile while doing so... Well, she was most definitely worth the effort.

He would probably never fully understand what she saw in him, but perhaps that was just another mystery for him to solve along the way. It would keep him occupied.

Regardless, Jade was too much of a scientist to rush head first into unknown territory. Yes, he had reason to believe Rukia had very warm feelings for him, but every hypothesis had to be thoroughly tested. That was why he had invited her to go ice skating. They had spent plenty of time together in the past, but never with any romantic intentions behind their actions. How different would this outing be now that these thoughts were at the forefront of their minds? While Jade couldn't claim to have much skill in this kind of situation, he felt confident that something would change. Once it did, he would know for sure what he wanted to do.

A few minutes passed. Soon he spotted a familiar figure approaching, and waved a hand to catch her attention. "Over here, Rukia."

Comments

[damn_juicebox]

Oddly enough, Jade wasn't the only one whose pulse had quickened in anticipation of their meeting. Rukia still wasn't entirely sure she had a proper handle on how dates worked, but she had a little experience. At the very least she no longer expected to be accosted just to have her date miraculously show up and punch out all of the thugs.

She'd also given this matter a lot of serious consideration after they'd exchanged that last round of letters. She reflected on what Anise had said to Rukia in the library, about Jade and her being good for each other, and that he might truly need someone like Rukia to complement him. Admittedly, she hadn't found the idea to be a terrible one. He was intelligent, quick witted, and had an excellent grasp of combat and strategy. She admired him for that. And yet there was that small glimmer of vulnerability too that pricked at her own instincts to see that his needs were being met...especially if he were neglecting those needs himself.

Both of them were fully capable of independence. But when they worked together, she hadn't failed to notice just how well they did so. They were stronger for it. So perhaps...?

Perhaps she'd already made up her mind before she'd even left her house.

She began her descent toward the lake, veering off of the salted path to follow the many trails of footprints over the snowy slope. The snow crunched under her down-lined boots, her arms slightly spread to make sure she could keep her balance should she accidentally found a hidden patch of ice. The ends of her loose flowing skirt just peeked out from beneath the hem of her heavy ladies' winter coat, woolen leggings keeping her nice and warm. She was looking more at the ground than the frozen rink as she made her way down the hill, but her head snapped up quickly at the sound of her name being called. Her dark eyes tracked to Jade waving at her, and she smiled, changing her course and quickening her steps.

She was happy to be trying a new human experience. And she was, as always, happy to see him. Especially so today, she found, as she made her way to stand before him beneath the tree. The sight of his calm smile warmed her, and her heartbeat quickened once again. "Good afternoon," she greeted him.

Abruptly a flash of surprise crossed her face, and she dipped her hand into her pocket. "--Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten. I believe this is what tradition dictates I bring, correct?"

She drew a small box into her gloved hand and uncapped it, presenting a finely crafted lapel pin that was of a polished poinsettia, chased in silver with crimson enameling. "They had no fresh flowers for a boutonniere given the season, so I thought this would suffice."

Except boutonnieres were typically reserved for prom dates, not first dates. And the jewelry might have been meant for a woman.

[jadethenecromancer]

Though he was dressed for winter, Jade's navy blue coat was relatively lightweight. He was accustomed to the low temperatures and found he didn't need to dress very heavily to stay warm. Compared to some of the colder days in Keterburg, a few degrees below zero really wasn't too bad.

He blinked when Rukia jumped straight to the point. He'd been expecting possible gift-giving at the end of the... whatever this was... if things went in that direction. But they were already starting with dating traditions? Actually, which traditions were they even supposed to follow? He more or less knew what was considered appropriate on Auldrant, but other worlds were another matter entirely. Hm. He hadn't accounted for culture shock being a potential factor.

Well, flowers were probably sufficient no matter were you went. Though a boutonniere was a bit formal, wasn't it?

"Oh dear." Jade carefully took the proffered box, a wry smirk tugging at his lips as he examined the present. "It has been less than a minute and I feel I've already been outdone. But thank you."

He then reached into his coat and pulled out a small bundle. "I fear this is not very impressive by comparison, but I do hope it's to your liking."

The bundle turned out to be a pair of white woolen socks... with little bunny faces near the toes. And little floppy bunny ears attached. Probably not something that would fit inside a shoe, but at least they would be cute and cozy to wear at home.

[damn_juicebox]

Outdone? He'd piqued her curiosity with such an odd statement. For a moment she wondered if perhaps she were mistaken in her understanding of the situation. It wouldn't be a surprise, nor would it be her first folly. Then her gaze fell to his hands and the bundle he held out to her.

"What's this?" she asked, just as the socks tumbled to their full length in her hands.

Rukia's jaw dropped, and her eyes welled up with absolute joy. Outdone? Hardly.

"I...I love them...!" she barely whispered, holding them protectively to her chest. Socks she could wear indoors were always a necessity, as she made it a habit to remove her shoes whenever she entered someone's home. But the faces! Those ears!! She positively beamed up at Jade. "Thank you!" He remained safe from spontaneous embraces this time, but if he meant to keep this up, even Rukia wouldn't be able to restrain herself for long.

She tucked the socks securely into her pocket, fastening the button to ensure they didn't slip out during the course of their day. It seemed this might be a true date after all. That didn't mean they were a couple necessarily, but she could at least understand that it was a possibility if they discovered they were mutually fond of each other.

"So! Where do we rent our skates?" she asked, more than ready to dive right into the dating activity. He'd ensured that it got off to a very good start, that much was obvious.

[jadethenecromancer]

Jade chuckled at her excitement. Giving presents to people wasn't something he did very often, but looks like at least this time he had chosen well. In some ways Rukia was quite easy to please.

It really was charming, the way her composure gave away the moment bunnies were involved. It reminded him a little of Tear, except Rukia made no effort to hide her adoration.

With both presents safely secured in pockets, it was time to proceed to the task at hand. "This way." Jade stepped away from the tree and briefly touched her upper back to steer her in the right direction. There was a large stall set up a little further along the snowy path, manned by two natives. A long bench stood near the edge of the rink for people to put on their skates, with a Moogle hovering nearby to look after their shoes while they were on the ice.

"Good afternoon," said the kindly older woman at the stall. "Skates for you and your young lady, yes?"

"Indeed." Jade took some amusement from the fact the woman seemed to mistake them both for being much younger than they actually were, when in fact they might be older than her. It was tough being eternally beautiful.

He made no comment about the 'your young lady' bit yet. Rukia was free to deny it or let it slide -- whichever she was more comfortable with.

[damn_juicebox]

Perhaps under other circumstances, Rukia wouldn't be paying such sharp attention to the little things that Jade exhibited as 'good signs' in her opinion. The fact that he'd managed to touch her back, even briefly, seemed like he was making an effort to establish a connection when she was so accustomed to seeing him keep his hands to himself. Praiseworthy progress for him! She noticed that he made no effort to correct the rental woman either, though that probably had more to do with the fact that Rukia was so far from 'young' it was laughable.

Why spoil that? She was tickled, both at the comment about her age and the fact that she was Jade's young lady. She slanted a little grin up at him before requesting her size. If she was really lucky, then they might have it in the adult section and not the kids rentals.

All in all, she was starting to feel more secure in her conviction that this actually was a date, which meant she didn't have to worry that Jade would laugh at her for making the assumption.

Thanking the woman, Rukia made her way to the bench to slip off her shoes in favor of the skates, lacing them up tightly. So far, so good, and there didn't seem to be anything special she needed to keep in mind just yet. The Moogle fluttered by to retrieve their shoes rather than making them wobble their way back to the stand, which meant the next step was standing up.

Rukia started to rise, but one skate wanted to travel forward as she did, and immediately her hand shot out to grasp Jade's shoulder to steady herself. "How is this done?" The standing part, she meant. A glance at the rink itself gave her no hints as to how she was even going to move on the ice once she got herself upright and stable.

[jadethenecromancer]

Jade stood up first, taking a few steps around on the skates to allow his muscle memory to kick in. He still had it, it seemed, even after all these years. Professor Nebilim had managed to coax him out onto the ice enough times that he'd actually begun to enjoy it and go of his own volition. Even if it was mainly to show off.

The Professor would have been greatly amused to know that this would end up helping him on a first date.

He returned to Rukia's side just in time for her to grab his shoulder. In this case, the touch didn't bother him -- it was pretty much what he'd expected to happen.

"First, by walking. Most of the basics consist of training your balance." He took Rukia by the elbow to support her. "Try to stay relaxed and keep your legs steady. It won't come naturally at first, but your body will begin to adjust to the skates little by little."

There was really no way to look dignified when trying it for the first time. Still, he could at least make sure she didn't fall flat on her face when she stepped on the ice.

[damn_juicebox]

It was good advice, honestly. Rukia was just unable to follow it. Relaxation was impossible when every step she took was so unsteady and uncertain. Her head was bent as she fixed her focus doggedly on her feet, twisted at the waist so she could clutch at the arm he'd lent to her. Her fingers hooked tightly into his sleeve, almost painfully so, as she depended on him completely to keep her balance maintained.

Her dark eyes flicked once toward his face with a little smile of triumph, but it quickly disappeared as her feet tried to shoot in two different directions. Her grasp on his arm turned into a desperate embrace, just before her expression grew sullen. These accursed skates! She had to figure out a way to master them.

"You make it look so easy," she said, and there was no hiding the genuine awe in her voice. Her compliment was well-meant, for he seemed to take to it so effortlessly, and with such perfect grace.

Rukia took a breath and held it, glancing to his feet to study his stance intently as she struggled to mirror it. Her knees wobbled, but her death grip eased somewhat. The metal blades of her skates tapped and clacked upon the smooth sheet of ice as she shambled forward. It was...not exactly great, but it was progress nonetheless. "Ho ho, I'm beginning to see how this is done!"

Sort of.