Don't You? [Mikabe]

[emilybuj]

Gabe was pacing nervously around the fountain in the middle of the Spiritus grounds. He had agreed to meet Mikayla here at 6. It was currently 5:57 and he wasn't sure why he kept checking the time or why he had decided being 20 minutes early was a good idea.

He consistently checked his reflection in the water. He had tried to tame his hair, with no avail. He straightened out his red bow tie for what was probably the 100th time. His black button down shirt was tucked neatly in his pants. His glasses were red which matched his tie, but otherwise he was dressed completely in black and he wondered if that was a wise choice, but then reminded himself for the 1000th time that the only person he was trying to impress couldn't even see him. That didn't stop him from wanting to look the best possible for her though. It was strange.

He leaned on the top of his guitar case, and tapped his fingers. Waiting was killing him, and he tried to justify his reasons for it again, but failed. He groaned slightly, before humming a tune to himself to calm his nerves. He hoped she didn't know he would be preforming tonight. He wasn't sure how she WOULD know, but it was still a concern to him.

[Admin Courtney]

Mikayla hurried down the front steps of the school and in the direction of the fountain. The weather was calm, but she had nothing to do with it. She was in control of her powers today, and even though she knew her emotions were and would continue to be going crazy, she would do her best to keep her powers in check. She had to. She did not want to mess up this date. Although, she reminded herself, the last time her powers had gotten away from her, it had not ended so badly. No, not badly at all. She smiled giddily at the memory of kissing Gabe, and then her stomach churned with more nerves as she wondered if they would kiss again. She certainly hoped so.

She quickened her pace across the path she knew led to the fountain, being careful not to trip. She did not want to ruin the outfit her roommates had helped picked out. According to them and what she knew of her wardrobe, she was in her knee-length red skirt, black leggings, her best black flats and a white sweater. She did not wear a jacket, but she did have a black and white striped scarf around her neck. She was cheating and using her powers to keep her warm, because she did not want to be bothered with a jacket on their date. One of her roommates had even helped her add a few curls to her hair so it was not dead straight as she usually had it. She was told it looked good, but Gabe would be the real judge of that. She hoped he liked it.

Mikayla pulled her phone out of the clutch bag she had strung around her shoulder and pressed the time button, praying she was not late.
"Six. Oh. Four. In the evening," the female voice spoke. Mikayla sighed regretfully, but slowed. She was near the fountain now. She could hear it. She contemplated calling out an apology, but did not want to call out if Gabe was not yet there. She hoped he wasn't so she would not have to feel guilty for being late, but she also hoped he was so they could begin their date. She had been looking forward to it ever since.

[emilybuj]

Gabe smile when her figure approached. Even through the dark lenses he wore and from the distance she was, he knew it was her. She approached somewhat cautiously, even though she knew the paths. What she wore tonight was much different than what she wore on most days, and Gabe could only assume her roommates had helped her. She looked great, but she could have showed up in absolutely anything and he would have thought the same.

He stuffed his hands in his pocket nervously, and took a few steps to meet her on the way. "Hey," he said when he was within a few feet of Mikayla. "You look stunning," he noted slightly sheepishly. He took a few more steps toward her. He wanted so bad to kiss her again, right then and there. But he restrained himself. He was going to be a gentleman. He fixed his coat before offering his arm to her by lightly running it against hers. He didn't want to be pushy, but he also couldn't just stick his arm out in the middle of nowhere and expect her to take it. It was a lot different than with any other girl, but that was part of what Gabe really loved. "You have no clue how excited I am for tonight," Gabe said, hoping he wasn't coming across crazed or overbearing

[Admin Courtney]

She brightened when she heard his voice and stopped walking. "Hey," she said, feeling her nerves double. She bit her lower lip, trying to change the focus of her mind from 'oh my god, I'm on a date with Gabe' to 'oh hey, your lip hurts', but she barely felt the pain as her mind became absorbed in the moment. She felt herself blush when he complimented her and ducked her head. She opened her mouth to begin a ramble on how her roommates had helped her get ready, but decided to save him from the behind-the-scenes detail and rambled about something else, instead.

"I bet you look great, too. I mean obviously I can't tell, but... You know what I mean. I think. I don't think I'm making sense. I'm sorry I'm late, by the way," she blurted. "I know it's only a few minutes, but I still feel bad. I'd like to say here that I'm not usually late, but that would be a lie. I always try not to be, but..." She trailed off and shook her head at herself, brushing aside a bit of hair that the wind had blown in her face.
She felt his arm on hers and took it in her own. As her stomach continued its nervous dance, she realised she would have to put up with this the entire date, and tried not to dwell on it so much. As long as she kept her powers in check, everything would be fine.

"I'm really excited, too," she admitted, her words coming out in one breath, as if she had been dying to say them the whole day. "And nervous," she added shyly, her lips forming the words before she had a chance to stop herself.

[emilybuj]

"That's alright," Gabe said, with a small sigh of relief knowing he wasn't the only one. "I am too," he admitted in a reassuring tone. "And it's weird because there really isn't a reason to be nervous I mean... we've hung out plenty of times before and it's nothing new to us... it's just... now... now it has a name... a 'date'.... and... yeah." Now he was rambling. He mentally hit himself in the face.

"And actually I'm wearing my best sweatpants and my tshirt has a hole in the armpit," he joked, knowing that she would be able to feel that he was wearing a fairly dressy shirt and pants. He hoped it wasn't too much.

"Don't worry about being late," he reassured her, as he silently picked up his guitar case, hoping she wouldn't notice. "I'm usually even MORE late than 4 minutes. I was just too jittery today and ended up 20 minutes early." Gabe laughed a little at himself. He hoped his palms weren't too sweaty. And he hoped his rambling wouldn't suddenly become obnoxious. And he hoped she liked the song. God he hoped she liked the song. "So have I told you where we're going?" he asked curiously. He may have mentioned it before, but wasn't sure.

[Admin Courtney]

Hearing that he, too, was nervous made her feel slightly better. At least she was not alone, and now did not have to feel too embarrassed for her word vomiting.
"Yeah, somehow a silly little four letter word labelling what we're doing makes it ten times scarier. But it's a good scary, at least. An exciting scary," she said with a nervous smile.

"Good thing I can't see your crappy date outfit, then," she teased as they walked. She was not sure where they were going, but it did not really matter. They could take a walk in the sewers and she would still have fun, knowing this was all a date.

"Aw, you were that excited to see me?" she asked with a grin. Mikayla poked his shoulder teasingly. "You're making me feel even more guilty that I was late. And here I thought I had only made you wait a few minutes, but now I hear you nearly waited a half hour? I'm a terrible date!" she exclaimed. Though her tone was still joking, she did feel bad she had made him wait even longer. She would have to make it up to him by being an awesome date.

Mikayla shook his head when he asked her if he had told her yet where they were going. "If you did, then I have an absolutely terrible memory. But I don't think you did." Her arm tightened around him excitedly. "So where are we going?" she asked, unable to hide her grin.

[emilybuj]

Gabe pulled his jacket a little bit tighter around him. He momentarily wondered how Mikayla could be out in the cold without a coat, but then he remembered that it just didn't effect her. That had to be useful in the cold winter months like these. "Please, this is my own fault. I'm the one who said 6 thinking I'd be late. That was we'd still get there in time. I couldn't sit still in my dorm and I dressed myself about a half hour earlier than I needed to.... basically I'm... really... excited," Gabe admitted with a smile. He was so excited that everything felt rushed and went by in a blur. Except for the waiting he had done.

"We're going to a cafe restaurant in town for dinner and a show," Gabe said regally, emphasizing the 'dinner and a show' - feeling fancy. He adjusted his glasses and squinted into the darkness as they continued on the paths toward town. "It's open mic night and I thought we might enjoy the music and poetry while we eat," he explained.

He had been going to the cafe most Friday nights since the middle of his 9th grade year. Gabe loved to preform and he loved to watch others preform. He wanted to share that with Mikayla, espcially since she could enjoy the sounds and smells of the food without having to see everything. Gabe felt pretty proud of the date location and plans.

[Admin Courtney]

When Gabe told her exactly why he was early, Mikayla could not contain the smile that broke out on her face. She bumped her his into his playfully. "You're such a dork," she teased with a bright smile. "Although I guess I am, too."

Her smile widened as he detailed their date for her, raising her eyebrows at how he put it as a 'dinner and a show'. Well that sounded fancy, but she was glad it was just an open mic at a cafe. She had never been to a fancier place than that before, and she had certainly not expected anything like that from Gabe as a first date. She was a simple kind of girl. As long as some sort of thought and effort was put into it, that suited her just fine. Plus music and poetry was better for her to enjoy than a play or something she had to watch. "That sounds awesome," she said, meaning it. "I can't wait."

[emilybuj]

"Good," Gabe said, his heart beating slightly faster at the thought of the song he had prepared for her. He held his guitar close to him, but not close enough that it would hit Mikayla in any way. He wanted it to be a surprise. And after, he would ask her to the snow ball. And if the song didn't turn her off or creep her out in any way, hopefully she would say yes. Gabe licked his lips in nervous anticipation. "Its a fairly short walk," he promised, knowing it was pretty cold, but remembering it didn't matter to Mikayla. He mentally facepaled, but just kept walking.

When they arrived at the cafe, Gabe held the door open for Mikayla. Warmth from inside hit him and settled some of the forming goosebumps. A girl was at the piano singing and playing softly as some onlookers listened and ate food or sipped coffee. It was a very relaxing atmosphere. The owner of the cafe - who had come to know Gabe fairly well - smiled at him as he entered, and gave him a thumbs up knowing that Gabe had planed to bring a girl that night. His success was apparent as he once again took Mikayla's arm and led her to a table. He pulled out her chair, and helped her sit down. She wouldn't be able to tell, but she was facing the stage so that Gabe would be able to look at her as he played. Even if she couldn't see him, he hoped she would be able to feel the connection just as he would. He sighed as he sat down in his own chair. "sitting is nice," he said stretching, and relaxing after the walk from Spiritus to the cafe.

[Admin Courtney]

She enjoyed walking with him, but wouldn't mind sitting, either, as long as they could chat and still spend time together. So finding out the walk would be short was not disappointing in any way. She wondered which cafe they would be going to and if she had ever been there. It was possible, since Cranbrook was so small, but she knew there were still places she had never been to before, and she had never been to anywhere that held open mics. It would be her first time at one, and she was excited to not just go there, but to go with Gabe.

The smell of fresh coffee and the familiar sound of piano music greeted her as Gabe opened the door to the cafe, and a comfortable smile settled over her. Already she could tell that she would like the place. The atmosphere and feeling it gave off was so welcoming. She allowed Gabe to lead her over to a table, and smiled her thanks at him when he helped her sit.
"I love it in here already," she said, inahling the coffee scent. "And it smells great."

She laughed lightly when he commended sitting, and nodded. "Yes, that is it," she agreed, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. She missed his presence at her side, and felt silly knowing he was only across a table from her. She began to wonder how the night would end, but caught herself when she realised she was definitely not looking forward to the night ending at all.
"So are you a fancy coffee drinker?" she wondered.

[emilybuj]

Gabe couldn't help but smile when she smiled. It was contagious to him. He leaned on the table as well, taking in the atmosphere and appreciating the music playing behind him. "Hell no," he said with a chuckle. "I take my coffee with cream and sugar, and I'd rather just have hot chocolate in honesty," he explained, feeling a bit like a 5 year old upon admitting this. But it was the truth and Mikayla seemed to like any bit of personal information Gabe would feed her, so he tried his best to be 100% himself. It wasn't hard until his nerves got in the way.

"What about you?" he asked. "I know some people that take 5 minutes to recite their coffee order. And if you're one then you're going to have to come with me up to the counter and order it yourself," he said jokingly, although part of him was 100% serious. He would never be able to put in a long coffee order. He could barely remember his own phone number.

[Admin Courtney]

"Hot chocolate does taste a lot better," Mikayla agreed. "I like mixing coffee with hot chocolate so you get a nice mix of the two flavours. You still get your caffiene, but you still get your chocolate. Two very important things when you're studying," she added, trying not to focus on how the end of term exams would be coming up. There were exams just before the holidays and then again at the end of May. But now was not the time to think about studying or exams.

"Don't worry, I'm not a super picky coffee drinker, although I have tasted many varieties of coffees. My friend Ocean loves fancy coffee, and I have to admit some do taste amazing," she told him. "But it is a lot easier to just order a half coffee, half hot chocolate when you're in a rush. Mint, though," she said with another grin. "Mint is great with coffee. And hot chocolate, actually."

[emilybuj]

"Well if that's what you'd like I'd be happy to go get it for you," Gabe said pushing himself from his seat. "I'll be back in just a second, ok?" he promised. He took that time to place their order, and put his name on the list of people to preform. He was nervous, but excited as he put his name at the bottom of the list. He was a regular, and the other regulars always expected him to preform. But they could tell something was different about his demeanor tonight. And as they watched him sign his name they were a little more excited about what was to come.

Gabe returned to the table with two drinks and a plate with some small sandwiches. "Uh... the owner... Jared..." Gabe began to explain, "He gave me some sandwhiches for free. He likes me and says he's glad I've finally got myself a woman..." Gabe sighed, slightly embarrassed by the way Jared treated him like a younger brother sometimes. But it was nice to have somebody who reminded him of his own brothers around. "But yeah... I think they're turkey." He also slid her drink over toward her. "And one half coffee and half mint hot coco." He smiled at Mikayla, taking her hand, and placing it on the cup so she would know where it was, not knock it over and spill it. But he let his hand linger a bit in case she wanted him to keep it on hers. He hoped she did.

[Admin Courtney]

"Oh, okay," Mikayla said with a smile. "Thanks, Gabe." She sat there while he was gone and listened to the current open mic performer. The spirits in the room were high; she could tell people were having fun and were smiling based on their enthusiastic chatter. The cafe seemed like a great place to go, and she was glad Gabe had brought her here. Then again, she would have been glad to spend time in the music room, too. Time spent with Gabe was time well spent, no matter where they were.

A bubble of laughter burst from Mikayla as Gabe explained about the owner, Jared. "Well that was really nice of him," she commented, wrapping one hand around the warm coffee mug when Gabe showed her where it was. She really appreciated how he helped her without hesitating or making sure she was okay. A lot of people asked her a lot of questions when they were around her, and while she appreciated their questions, it got incessant. But Gabe seemed really comfortable around her, which made it easier for her to be comfortable around him, as well.
Well, as comfortable as one could be on a first date. Her nerves were still going crazy.

"Thanks, Gabe. This smells great," she said with a smile before taking a sip of the steaming drink. It burned her tongue, but it was too delicious for her to care. "And Jared must have the ability to read minds or something. Turkey sandwiches are my favourite."
When his hand lingered on hers, she bit back a giddy smile and wrapped her fingers around his. Holding hands in a cafe with Gabe. Nope, this date could not get any better.

[emilybuj]

Gabe smiled a little wider as her fingers wrapped around his. Her hand fit in his like it was always meant to be there. Like it was some sort of missing puzzle piece. He took a bite out of one of the sandwiches with his free hand. "Well I'm very glad I accepted his offer then," Gabe said referring to the food. Although he mostly accepted knowing if he didn't Jared would come up to the table and hand deliver them, saying things to make Gabe uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Some time passed, and a bunch of people preformed original poetry, or played a cover of their favorite song. One little girl sang a cover of 'over the rainbow' which was particualry adorable. All the while Gabe and Mikayla chatted over their food and drinks and generally enjoyed each others company. Frankly, not much had changed between the two aside from the fact that now their hands had been intertwined for about 20 minutes.

Jared walked up on the stage and cleared his throat. "Alright I'd like to introduce our next performer. He's a regular. We all love him. And tonight he says he has something very very special to share with all of us. Please welcome, my main man, Gabriel James."

Gabe could help but blush a little bit as Jared raved over him. He knew that the regulars at the cafe liked him, but he didn't like it being announced to the world. He was pretty humble. He turned to Mikayla after the introduction. "So... yeah... I'll be right back," he said with a smile, letting go of her hand, and immediately missing its warmth. He took his guitar out of its case, and went up on the stage to set up as quickly as possible, keeping one eyes on Mikayla and trying to judge her reaction.