Who: Zev and Alistair. What: Movie date! When: 2/8. Where: Movie theater then Coldstone. Rating/Warnings: PG-13. Status: Complete!
Alistair and Zevran had been out on two dates now and hung out a few times, but Alistair was still a little nervous when he was with the other man especially now as they sat in the dark movie theater. Alistair hadn’t gone to the movies a lot when he was still living at home and he’d certainly never been on a date to the movies, so he wasn’t entirely certain what movie date etiquette was. Would Zevran try to hold his hand or put his arm around him? He wasn’t sure and wasn’t sure what he would do if that happened. As the movie played, Alistair grew increasingly more at east and realized that he had worried for no reason.
Pawing people in a movie theatre was pretty gauche, even for Zevran. He figured when they were done with their popcorn he might hold Alistair’s hand, but for the most part, he was invested in the trailers. Zev liked the movies, but more than that, he liked Alistair. He liked him a lot, and was worried that he’d muck things up somehow. So instead of wrapping an arm around him, Zev innocently sipped the slush he’d gotten and tried not to get brain freeze.
Every now and then, throughout the movie, when Alistair was sure that Zevran was paying more attention to the screen in front of them, he’d sneak a peek at the other man, watching the way the changing images on the screen cast light and shadows over his face. He couldn’t help but feel just a tad bit creepy each time he did it, like he was watching someone while they were sleeping or something so he only looked for a moment or two before turning his attention back to the screen to try and figure out what he’d missed in that moment of watching Zevran and hoping that he hadn’t noticed.
He’d noticed. Zevran managed to not smile whenever Alistair was actually looking at him, but he’d try really hard not to laugh when Alistair looked away. The next time Alistair looked at him, Zev turned and lazily leaned over to peck him lightly on the mouth. Sometimes it was fun to do things just to see what the prince would do.
Alistair had not expected that and was glad that they were in a dark theater because he could feel his cheeks heat up as Zevran pulled away. Watching Zevran for a moment after the kiss, Alistair chewed his bottom lip then turned back towards the screen, trying to figure out if he should do something now aside from sneaking glances at him.
Zev just took Alistair’s hand and squeezed it, still watching the movie. It was a good one; he’d be fine even if they didn’t get up to anything in the theatre. Watching a good movie was enough for Zev.
As Zevran took his hand, it was as if Alistair was just remembering that they were in public and anyone could have seen Zevran kiss him. Sure, no one had said anything, but what if someone was thinking something about them? Still chewing his bottom lip, he glanced over his opposite shoulder, not really sure what he was expecting. Someone to be glaring at him? He wasn’t sure.
It would probably take Alistair years to feel comfortable, but Zev figured that was normal after a childhood like his. Offering the younger man some popcorn, Zev smiled sweetly, genuinely glad that the two of them had gotten to connect in this world after the dreams they’d had.
Alistair caught the movement of the popcorn bag out of the corner of his eye as he was looking the opposite way and brought his attention back to Zevran, giving him a smile then took a handful of popcorn, “Thanks.” He said, popping a piece into his mouth. While he was having a good time, sitting there beside Zevran, watching the movie, he also couldn’t wait till the movie was over so they could actually talk.
And that happened soon enough. Zev wondered if Alistair had anything in mind for after the movie, and as he walked to the car, he proposed the question. “Do you want to do anything in particular now? We could get ice cream.”
Alistair nodded, checking his watch as they walked towards the car; it was still far too early to call it a night and really parting from Zevran was the last thing that he wanted at that moment, “Yeah, I could go for some ice cream. I assume you know a place?” If it were up to Alistair they’d be driving around aimlessly. “So, did you enjoy the movie?”
“I do. It is just a Coldstone, but I do love it so.” Zev wrapped an arm around Alistair’s waist as they walked, but kept it loose so that Alistair could shrug it off if he so chose. “I did! I like films with action or with seriousness, but I like it best when there is both. What about you?”
“Coldstone isn’t good for me. I can never decide exactly what I want to mix in,” Alistair smirked, tensing ever so slightly as Zevran’s arm slid around his waist, but he wouldn’t dream of shrugging it off. Zevran’s arm felt nice around his waist and his smirk widened slightly as they walked towards the car, “I like it too. It was nice to get to see a movie in a theater. I can’t even remember the last one I actually saw in the theater. That probably sounds kind of lame.”
“We can take all the time you need,” Zev teased right back. “I do not usually go to the theater either. I do not like going by myself, and by the time I think about finding someone to go with, it is usually on Netflix.”
Alistair laughed as they reached the car, “Say that and we might be there until they close.” He was enjoying spending time with Zevran, even if he did still get nervous every now and then, but that was reasonable, because there was the chance that someone who knew his father could see them together and it could get back to him before he could tell him himself. Although, being around Zevran helped to calm him at the same time. It was all very confusing, but he found that he didn’t mind so much.
“I simply try to have a plan of attack,” Zev said as he started up the car. “Today I very much want something chocolatey, so I am going to try to only look at those toppings.” It was divide and conquer.
Alistair put his seatbelt on as they got into the car and sat back, “I have a thing for peanut butter, so I have to include that every time.” It felt odd, talking about ice cream and toppings, but normal at the same time. Like Alistair forgot about being nervous as they talked and simply enjoyed Zevran’s company, “But as far as ice cream goes, I can never choose between oreo filling and chocolate.”
“Get both,” Zev offered. “Chocolate ice cream, peanut butter, and oreo.” Zev blinked. “I may get that myself if you do not.” Zevran liked that he was able to set Alistair at his ease, especially since in the dreams he did much the opposite.
Alistair laughed, “That sounds good. Watch though, we’ll get there and I’ll change my mind completely. Like I said, far too many options.” He smiled at Zevran, watching the side of his face for a moment as the other man drove, “Of course then I have to figure out what size I want. Do I really want ice cream or would I be satisfied with a small amount of ice cream?”
“Get the small one, then you have to jog less afterward.” Zev sometimes hated being in porn; he was always having to run on treadmills and lift heavy things. At least in his dreams he was always travelling by foot. That seemed like good cardio.
“Ugh. Exercise is the worst.” Alistair did it when he needed to, but he didn’t have a job like Zevran’s that required him to always look his best. Of course, if he was going to be seeing Zevran regularly then it was entirely possible that he would start exercising a little more often to ensure that he looked his best for Zevran. He didn’t want to look like some fat slob after all. “You must have to do it everyday no matter what you eat.” After all, Zevran was naked the majority of the time for his job.
“I hate it,” Zev confessed. He wished that like in his dreams, he could just walk everywhere or climb buildings all the time. “I do. I try to do twenty minutes three times a day.” Every day. Sometimes Zev wanted to scream for all the jogging he did.
“Only twenty minutes?” Alistair was somewhat shocked to find out that Zevran looked that good from only twenty minutes of working out a day. Then again, he probably got a workout at work. Alistair had heard that sex could work off calories and all that, but he had no way of knowing first hand, “That’s kind of amazing.”
“Three times a day, so that totals sixty minutes.” Zev chuckled. “I just can’t stand to do an hour all at once, so I do not.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he pulled into the Coldstone, smiling at Alistair. “You are probably lucky and look like you do naturally, yes?”
“Oh, well that explains it.” Alistair smirked then shrugged, “ In a way, but I’m not as impressive as you.” Of course Zevran had only seen Alistair clothed so he assumed that the shorter man was just being nice. “So, it’s time to stand around and hold up the line while we decide what we want.”
“Oh, there’s nobody in there,” Zev grinned. “You worry far too much.” He liked watching Alistair think, so there wasn’t a problem with standing around.
Alistair laughed as he got out of the car, “Now there isn’t. But watch, as soon as we get up to the counter like a dozen people will come in.” He smirked at Zevran then without thinking about it, because if he thought about it he’d chicken out, Alistair reached over to take Zevran’s hand, attempting to make it seem nonchalant.
That made Zev smile to himself, and he squeezed Alistair’s hand. “I suppose you are right, that always happens to me at the grocery store.”
Alistair liked the way Zevran’s hand felt in his and he hoped that none of the employees inside the store gave them any strange looks or said anything. He was nervous enough and the fact that he’d been the one to hold Zevran’s hand first was a big deal and he hoped there would be no set backs. “It’s Murphy’s Law,” He said as he led the way into Coldstone, keeping his eyes on Zevran instead of the employees behind the counter for the time being.
Zev examined the menu and the ice cream choices, smiling and greeting the person behind the counter that said hello upon their entrance. “But the sweet cream kind is wonderful too. Hmm.” He looked at the girl behind the counter. “Miss? Will you just pick things at random you would like and sort of throw them together?”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Alistair smirked at that girl behind the counter as he spoke to Zevran, “Make sure not to put anything chocolate in it. He hates chocolate.” He had to do it of course after Zevran had told him that he was in the mood for chocolate and he squeezed the man’s hand to show he was teasing.
That made Zev laugh to himself, gently hip bumping Alistair. “Everyone likes chocolate,” he gasped, pretending to be alarmed. “But truly, whatever you think would taste good.” He solved indecisiveness this way often, and it usually worked well.
Alistair was glad that he felt so at ease with Zevran that he could tease him and for a few minutes forgot that it was entirely possible that someone in the store could know his father, but then again most people who were close enough to his father to recognise Alistair wouldn’t be working in a Coldstone. “And I’ll have a small Oreo filling with peanut butter and peanut butter cups.” He glanced over at Zevran, “That right there should tell you that I don’t have a peanut allergy.” Alistair wasn’t sure why he’d said that, especially since he’d mentioned getting peanut butter in the car, but it was probably a good tid bit for Zevran to know.
“If you do, I do not know why you would get that. Unless you want me to give you mouth to mouth,” he teased, waggling his brows. One of the girls behind the counter must have recognized him, because she started to giggle madly. Zev couldn’t help but grin.
“Does mouth to mouth work if your throat closes up?” Alistair smirked as the first girl started making their ice creams. He had been glancing around the store when the other girl started giggling and his gaze wandered over to her, noticing that she was looking in their direction, “One of your adoring fans?” He whispered to Zevran, hoping the girl wasn’t laughing at them.
“It doesn’t, no. And that would be my guess.” Zev was used to girls looking at him, looking away, then blushing. It was pretty much standard practice.
If Alistair was anyone else, he probably would have kissed Zevran or did something else to show off for the girl behind the counter, but Alistair wasn’t that bold just yet, so he simply continued to hold Zevran’s hand as the other girl put together their ice creams, “How often do you have people recognizing you?”
“Not all the time, simply because people do not want to admit it. Once or twice a week?” Zev shrugged. “Usually they do not say anything for fear of embarrassment, which suits me just fine.” He went to the register and paid for both ice creams before returning to sit with Alistair.
Alistair took his ice cream after Zevran paid and thanked him as they went to sit down, “What’s the best fan encounter you’ve ever had?” Some people might have been too embarrassed to come out and say they recognized Zevran, but he was sure that the shorter man must have had some interesting fan encounters. For every person who was embarrassed to admit they recognized him, he was sure that there were two more who had no shame at all.
“There was a little old lady once who nearly screamed when she saw me and asked me to sign her bosom. That was my favorite, if only because she was so genuinely happy.” Zev liked bringing joy to people, which was half of his motivation for going to work most of the time.
“Oh my god, that’s hilarious.” Alistair found the story far too amusing. The thought of an old woman getting excited over meeting Zevran made him laugh, “I can’t even imagine what other stories you have.” He ate a spoonful of his ice cream, “Oh. I forgot to tell you. I got a job a week or two ago.” Being a stage hand had been one of the last things he’d have ever thought of doing, but when the woman posted on the network about job openings, Alistair had inquired.
Zevran’s hazel eyes lit up. “Really? What are you going to do?” Zev was so interested, he almost forgot to eat his ice cream.
“Stagehand at a local theater.” Alistair told him, eating another spoonful of his ice cream as he watched Zevran to see what sort of reaction he’d have to the news of Alistair’s job, “Since I don’t really have any previous experience in anything, I figured it was something I don’t really need experience in doing.” After all, how much experience did one need to lift things and change scenery and stuff?
“Do you like theater? I think you will enjoy it if you do. Maybe you can help me get a few tickets.” Zev had wanted to be a legitimate actor in his youth, but had been sidelined when he found he wasn’t all that talented.
“I’ve gone a few times in the past. It’s always interesting to watch shows live, because they’re never exactly the same every night,” Alistair had never actually gotten to pick the plays he went to, because it was usually some event his family was invited to or his father choosing after setting him up with a friend’s daughter or something. “You like the theater?”
“I do. It was always my favorite class at boarding school.” Zev smiled brightly. “And not because I fancied the nun who was leading things!” Granted he’d mostly been in religious plays then, if only because he’d gone to a strict Catholic boarding school.
Alistair laughed, shaking his head a bit, “Well, I’ll be sure to let you know when they’re doing shows.” Knowing that Zevran liked theater was something Alistair would file away for a later time, “You should eat your ice cream before it melts, you know.” He smirked and ate another spoonful of his own ice cream.
“Thank you!” Zev blinked, looking down at his ice cream and laughing before he took a bite. “You make me smile, Alistair. I am glad you moved here.” He hoped the other man knew that he’d feel that way, regardless of the dreams they shared. “I’d feel that way even if I had not dreamed about you.”
That of course caused Alistair to blush slightly and he glanced down at the tabletop briefly before looking back at Zevran, “I’m glad I moved here too.” After being in Orange County for about a month or so now, Alistair couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to still be at home under his father’s thumb. After another moment, he reached over with his spoon and stole a bit of Zevran’s ice cream, “Now quit trying to make me blush.”
“Oh, if I wanted to make you blush, there are other more fun ways to do so.” Zev grinned impishly before squeezing Alistair’s hand, letting him think about what those things might be. He was glad Alistair had moved there too.