WHO: Lindsey and Jake WHAT: The first date is always the most awkward WHERE: Asoka Japanese Restaurant WHEN: August 29th, 7pm-9pmish
Lindsey laid down on his back on the lawn outside the main school building, staring up through the trees and into the sky. He had been bored to tears for hours. He'd been moody and miserable for a good part of the day, and nothing seemed to be getting any better the more time passed by. Ranger duties were a drag as well; there was nothing going on in LA right now for him to take care of... well, nothing that wasn't easily handled by the LAPD. He groaned and closed his eyes, wishing as hard as he could that somebody would relieve his boredom before he died of old age, or at least give him reason to stop sulking for the afternoon...
Jake was feeling restless after the giant lizard attack. He wanted to hang out with someone, because for some reason, he didn't feel like going to the juice bar. He didn't think he could handle being around all the kids at the moment, as much as he loved them. So Jake was busy wandering around the school grounds. He spotted someone laying on the ground and decided to go say hello. Seeing that it was Lindsey, Jake flopped next to the other man without being asked. "Hello Lindsey."
Lindsey turned to look, curious about who had decided to interrupt his super important laying-on-the-ground-being-bored time. "Hey there yourself," he teased, grinning at Jake. He glowed pleasantly even in the shade, which made seeing Jake's face all the more difficult for him. He knew who it was though, absolutely recognizing the voice immediately. "You dying of boredom too?"
"Hmm, yeah. I couldn't think of anything to do." Jake smiled at Lindsey and the glow of the other male. "I was thinking of going to the juice bar, but I don't...I'm not really in the mood." Jake leaned back, so he was laying next to Lindsey. "But I feel like getting out of here. How about you? Would you like to go into Angel Grove for a while?"
"Hmmm..." Lindsey turned onto his side, watching Jake with a smirk on his face. He'd aways thought the green Ranger was attractive, and he couldn't help but feel a little flattered at being asked to go with him. "Sure, man. Why the hell not? We could rock the place together." He snorted a laugh, more than willing to get up and go someplace more interesting than the lawn.
Jake laughed softly and sat up. He got up and held his hand out for Lindsey. "Great! I've been wanting to go to Get Some or Asoka..." He paused, trailing off. Those were really dating places, but Jake smiled. Well, he would then ask Lindsey out. "Would you like to go to Asoka with me? It's a bit early in the day, but it could still be lots of fun."
Lindsey reached up and grabbed Jake's hand, standing up with a bounce and a grin. He felt a little better, hanging out with the other Ranger. "Get Some is cool... I dunno about Asoka. Never been there. Ain't that Japanese food or something?" He paused when Jake asked him to go to Asoka and blinked a few times curiously, head tilted to the side. "You askin' me out?"
"Yeah, Japanese food." Jake grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, if you'll go with me. I promise Asoka is wonderful." Jake let go of Lindsey's hand, "If you don't like it, we can go to Get Some...on the next date." Jake wondered if he was pushing his luck, but doubted it. He knew Lindsey at least lusted after him.
Lindsey was blown back - way back - by the sudden date that had just been set up; he didn't think Jake had ever even taken a second glance at him, but this... Wow. "Uh, hell yeah. I'd love to go..." He shifted from foot to foot, feeling slightly anxious somehow. It was unsual for him, but he was unable to stop grinning, shining harder. "You wanna go now, then?" He realized too late that it had probably been a stupid question, but he was still reeling from being asked out... by Jake. Sexy awesome Jake. Seemingly - until now - unattainable Jake.
For a moment Jake just grinned. Much of the time, Lindsey seemed unflappable, or at least able to roll with whatever came along. That Jake could phase him made the green ranger feel very good in a weird way. "Hm, How about in a half hour? If we're going on a date, I want to look good for you." Jake gave Lindsey a blinding smile and his best sultry look.
Lindsey grinned harder, turning red somewhere under the glow. "Sure, man. I'll... meet you here in half an hour then? Gives me time to gussy up, too. And I gotta grab my stupid wrist band to keep down on the uhh..." He gestured to the fact that he was a constantly burning lightbulb and shrugged.
~ brief time hop ~
The car ride had been easy, acutally better than he thought. Jake hadn't yet asked why Lindsey didn't drive, but he could do that inside the resturant. Jake was wearing a very snazzy outfit. The green ranger wore a deep green pants and shirt, ans the shirt was a silky fabric that shimmered when he moved. It was mostly casual though, and his chest showed through the top open buttons. "All right Lindsey, here we are..." He gave the other ranger that sulty look again, holding out his hand. "I called it in before we left, so we will have no wait."
Lindsey had been stunned by everything so far, not having really expected any of this to come to him. It seemed so strange to be treated like this, to have the attentions of somebody that was honestly trying hard to be romantic. Lindsey took the offered hand and got out, glancing from the restaurant and back to Jake again. He had combed his mid-back-length hair, put on a clean white top with yellow designs along the seams and a pair of hole-less jeans. It was the best he'd thought to do on short notice; Penny would have killed him for going out on a date looking like this. He didn't look bad, just... a little clueless. He smiled warmly, teeth grabbing at his bottom lip a little in anticipation. Jake was damn sexy, and the buttons left undone at the top of his shirt were calling his name - hard. "You need me to get that for you?" he teased, reaching up with long fingers to pick at the open buttons.
For Jake, being romantic was important. Some people didn't like it, and Jake could deal with that. But he honestly liked to show someone a good time, to prove he was a good guy. More than just looks, because Jake knew he looked good. But he wanted his date to see more than that. And, of course, the old-school dater he was, Jake always liked to be a gentleman. He smiled at Lindsey, chuckling. "I thought they were...good like that." Frankly, he was ok with how Lindsey looked. On short notice, it was good. Jake decided if they went on another date, he would give Lindsey lots of notice so Penny or someone could steal Lindsey away and dress him. That thought made Jake smile as they reached the counter. "Two under Jake."
"I thought they looked good too," Lindsey returned, grinning wickedly as he followed Jake into the restaurant. He was beaming from head to toe, blissfully without the light to blind anyone for the time being. Thank goodness for Blue Rangers; he would never have been able to be out and about on his own in public without them. He paused as Jake asked for their table, feeling lucky to be here. Lindsey hadn't ever really had much Japanese food, but figured it couldn't be that bad. He loved Chinese... maybe they were similar...?
Jake was- as he had been in the past- that blushes didn't show on his dark skin. "I'm glad." He said softly to Lindsey as the waiter showed them to their booth. Jake slind in his side at the same time as Lindsey. He used to wait, but one girl had commented that she felt he was being sexist. Jake picked up his menu and looked at Lindsey. "Water or tea ok for you? They have good green tea here." Jake loved the Japanese food, and wondered if Lindsey ever had any.
"Yeah, tea's good for me," Lindsey answered, taking his menu with a sort of unsure look about him. He opened it up and brought it close to his face, making out the words bit by bit. It was a pain in the ass, but whatever. "Is it like that green tea stuff that Sobe sells? That shit is good." He laughed a little, shifting to get comfortable in the booth. When Jake wasn't look he glanced up at him, still having a hard time believing they were sitting across from each other... on a date of all things. Wow. And damn.
Again Jake chuckled. "Two green teas please." He turned back to Lindsey, just managing to catch the other man looking at him. "It's not...exactly like the Sobe stuff. But it is good. And good for you. But I promise I won't lecture about that tonight." Maybe he'd even spring for desert after dinner. "It's hot, for one thing. They have soda if you don't like it though." Jake selected what he wanted and set down his menu. "Have you ever had Japanese before? If not, I could help tell you what's good."
"Okay," Lindsey answered, nodding a few times, slightly more than was necessary. "If I hate it I'll blame you and get a beer or something." He smirked, pleased with himself. "Yeah, umm... I ain't never had Japanese food. Heh... I was sorta hoping it'd be kinda like Chinese, but none of this stuff looks all that similar."
"Hm, not much like Chinese. But it is damn good. Let's see, what do you like? Sushi is a staple, of course, but there are other things. Chicken, beef...what strikes your fancy." Jake smiled and looked at Lindsey. "And once we've figured that out... Mind if I ask why you don't drive?"
"Hmm... I like chicken and beef. Sushi is raw fish, right?" Lindsey watched Jake's face, glancing down at his menu and back again. At least one of them was familiar enough with this place. "Well, I ain't scared of anything you order. I'll try it if you get it. I'm easy like that." Oops. "Um, yeah... I can't uhh... I can't see good enough to drive," he answered a bit quietly. "Got vision problems."
"Yeah, but you can get it without, vegetarian. And chicken and beef..." Jake smiled at Lindsey and looked up as the waiter approached. "I'll order for us then, if you don't mind. I promise you'll enjoy it." He blushed a bit, hoping that didn't sound as sexual to Lindsey as it sounded to Jake. The waiter set down the tea and Jake ordered their dinner. When the waiter left, Jake looked at Lindsey. "Ahh. I'm sorry Lindsey." He cleared his throat, "But I don;t mind driving you, if you ever need to go anywhere. You're a good traveling companion." Jake decided to let Lindsey in on his secret. "I...only barely got a liscense. I tend to fall asleep when I drive, unless someone's with me. That's why when I visit the kids at the gym, I go our usual route."
Lindsey hid his snort as best he could, but a bit of it leaked out despite himself. Oh man, that was too good. He hoped he'd enjoy it too, secretly, and almost laughed again. Instead he bit his bottom lip and took in a deep breath. After the waiter had left, he let out the breath he'd been holding and smiled, leaning forward on his arms on the table. "That'd be really sweet of you. I don't like to spread it around too much if I can help it... and you better believe I don't want glasses. And hey man, as long as you don't fall asleep while I'm in the car, we're all good."
"I won't tell." Jake promised. He shook his head, "I don't doze off if I have someone to talk to. I convinced my instructors that I was able to drive." He sipped the tea, sighing softly. "Try it!" he motioned to the tea in front of Lindsey, smiling. Jake gave the other ranger another grin. "Why don't you get glasses? I think you'd look very cute with the right pair." That image set itself in Jake's mind and he grinned more.
Lindsey blinked down at the tea and reached for it, picking it up to sniff at it first. It wasn't really what he'd been expecting, but he blew on it and then finally took a tiny sip. Looking up from the tea, Lindsey shook his head. "Man, Jake... I'd look horrible. Everyone would mock me for it. Especially Desmond. Mostly him..." He shrugged and set his tea down gently so as to not knock it over and ruin the mood. "I... I think I like it?" He chuckled over it, not entirely sure quite yet. It was definitely different.
Jake frowned a little. He actually liked Desmond, as a teammate. But he knew Desmond was a bit of a bully, and Jake knew Desmond and Lindsey didn't get along. "No need to listen to him. A good teammate yes...but some of the clothes he's dropped off for me...Not good." Jake smiled at Lindsey. "Like I said, I think you'd look cute. It could only be an improvement at this point." Jake hoped he wasn't being too forward. "Not much you can do to improve."
Lindsey outright laughed at the comment about Desmond's clothing tastes, nodding and climbing up into the booth seat a little, tucking his legs underneath him. His smile faltered slightly when he was complimented, but then came back twice as bright. Leaning forward onto the table, Lindsey put his weight on his elbows and asked, "Yeah? You think so, hm?" If there was one thing Lindsey loved aside from kittens and sandals, it was being told he was attractive.
Jake sat up straight and leaned on the table, smiling at Lindsey. Jake could glare like a devil, but he could also smile to melt someone in their seat. For the moment, he fixed Lindsey with a pleased, relaxed smile. "I do think so. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if Desmond digs at you mostly because he's jealous. It's not as acceptable for a straight man to be beautiful, or to like fashion. If you or I were so inclined to make clothes and dress like he does, not many people would care.." He paused, frowning. "Ok, maybe for me, I'm not beautiful." Jake had never thought the word fit him. "But that's enough on social standards... Tell me something about yourself." He knew Lindsey, of course, but Jake hadn't taken much time to really get to know Lindsey. A date was the perfect time for that.
Lindsey giggled the whole time Jake talked about Desmond. "Hell yes he's jealous. Who wouldn't be, though?" he teased, head tilted to the side a little. "And man, you're beautiful in a different way. Like... you know, like a man. You're gorgeous. Don't you forget it, because no one else has yet." He sat back just a little and shifted, still leaning on the table. "What do you wanna know? I uhh..." Lindsey wondered if Jake was familiar with what had happened with this ex, and figured he'd probably at least heard about the Ranger's death, even if it hadn't been made obvious they had been together. "Well... I was raised in Florida. Got a crappy family. Barely passed high school and kinda ran away to the Academy. That's me in five seconds." He laughed.
Jake actually blushed again! He was finding that Lindsey was good at that. Jake didn't mind flattery, but he never really saw himself as good looking as others did. He smiled happily at Lindsey. "Thank you. I don't look at myself as...highly as others do, but thank you. And what do I want to know." Jake tilted his head and set it in his hands, "What's your favorite color? What kind of music do you like? Hmm... You like movies? When did you first know you liked men?"
Lindsey snorted and shrugged, feeling flirty and playful; he was having such a good time with Jake right now. It was the first time he'd felt like this in a while, like somebody really wanted to find out about him... and maybe it was just his imagination, but the fact that they were on a date somehow made it feel all the more sincere. "That's a lotta questions," he joked lightly, pausing to glance down at his hands before returning his gaze to Jake's. "My favorite color's yellow... I know, I know... predictable, but... it always has been. Ever since I was little, you know? My dad hated it... he..." Lindsey stopped short and changed the subject, moving forward with, "Well, I listen to a lot of stuff. My favorite band is Radiohead. Always has been. That and I like old school rock. Like... the cool, classy stuff. None of this screamo stuff out nowadays... um... and I love movies. I watch at least fifteen movies every day!" He was still laughing, obviously just joking around but unsure of how to reply to the last question. "Uh... Man, you came with a bunch of good ones. I... I was in high school I guess, when I really figured it out. So I been doing this gay thing for a long time. My first boyfriend was kind of a dick, though. High school crap." He shrugged.
It was fun to be on a date, and to be on a date with someone who perhaps didn;t want to just fuck Jake. He hated that, which was why he ignored most people's advances. But so far Lindsey seemed honest about his attraction. "Hm. I'm good with Radiohead. You've got good choices there in music. If you promise not to laugh I'll tell you a secret about music I like." Jake frowned, thinking about his own first male date. It wasn't bad, mostly because even at a younger age Jake had been strong and able to fend for himself. "I can't think of anything else for the moment...Any questions you have for me?" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"I can't think of anything right off the bat, but I'm curious about this secret of yours..." Lindsey sipped his drink as well, eyes trained to Jake contentedly. For right now, his nearly constant depression seemed insignificant and faded into the background, his enjoyment of the night taking over. "I'm hoping it's a good one... and man, if it ain't... you just gotta come up with another one. Something even better. Gimme two secrets."
"Aww, Lindsey! It's not a very good secret, I just tend to not tell anyone. Ok, so I like the music you mentioned...but I love classical. I listen to that more than other kinds of music. Sometimes I steal music from Jason because he has a bunch of old stuff." He chuckled and smiled. "I don't...have many other secrets." Not that he was willing to share now, at least. They were too embarrassing.
"Okay..." Lindsey waited for it on baited breath, playing the part really well, his slender form leaning harder on the table with a 'yes? yes?' movement in his eyebrows. "Awwww, that's it? You like classical? Man psh... you sure I can't go 'round telling everyone I see?" Lindsey glanced up at a waiter that passed him and got up from his side of the booth to come around to Jake's side. He sat down with a smile and bumped their hips together, signaling that the other man should let him in further. Slinking right up next to him when they'd settled again, Lindsey smiled cheerfully right up at him. "No worries there, Tank, m'man. I ain't gonna tell no one."