claumitri pt 2, crying

[warmskies]

Really, Claude supposes he has no one but himself to blame for saying things like "surprise me". He knows, objectively, that the weather isn't as cold as it could be. It's perfectly average autumn weather, even. It's just, you know, colder than the weather forecast said it would be, and sure as hell colder compared to the nice toasty comfort of his car. Still, he forces himself to brave the unknown of the.... average modern zoo parking lot that could be a whole zoo unto its own, and huffs as he immediately tucks his hands into his pockets once he's out of his car. "Fifty percent chance of doing an outdoor activity and he went for it, huh?"

If he's honest, he's mostly playing up his aversion to the cold weather, although he does hate it to the ends of the earth and back. He's from warmer locales than this, and winter never ceases to remind him of this fact. Some days, he even ponders what it would be like to move back. Still, it is what it is, and he pauses for a split second to consider digging out one of many coats he has underneath his seats. It takes about as long for him to decide against it. At least, not right now, not immediately. He really wants to test this guy out. You know, see just how he'll react on a date. Is he the grumpy but embarrassed menace to society he'd first met, or the overly polite gentleman who'd texted back at him? A median? Anyway, he can always come back for it. With that decided, he makes his way over to the agreed meeting point: one of the many little statues lined up along the sidewalk and leading into the zoo.

He's only mildly surprised- less than he is expectant- to find that Dimitri is waiting there for him already. He's plenty early, which is impressive, because Claude made sure to come a few minutes before their meet up time himself. Unlike their first meeting, Dimitri seems to be leaning far more towards an even middle from the scowling death aura juggernaut Claude saw in their first meeting and the tentatively but happily smiling beefcake on Facebook. The scale might even be leaning a little more towards the latter. Someone less observant than Claude might miss the subtle details, that quiet anxiety beneath the surface. It's kind of a funny thing to watch. Even as he's approaching the blond, he can see Dimitri fiddling nervously. He's types something into his phone, his eyebrows surely but steadily starting to pull into a more serious sort of glare... before Dimitri catches himself, shakes his head, and visibly makes the effort to relax his expression again. Ah. He's starting to get an idea of what happened, now. Claude waits until he's about seven steps away before he says, "Hey! Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Dimitri jerks his head up, eyebrows raised, before relaxing again. "Oh, hello, Claude. I'm glad you made it. " There's a hasty something put into his phone before Dimitri stands up, tucking it into his pants pocket. "I haven't been waiting very long, honestly." And there's a smile, but not the wholly unreserved kind Annette and Mercedes had managed to capture on camera. It's more restrained, more polite, which is almost a shame except he's still plenty handsome just like this. Besides, if he won't unleash the full effect of a smile, his body is more than making up for it. The black turtleneck he's wearing is practically painted onto his firm muscular body, and a bright blue belt acts as a solid draw down to equally black pants and boots. Much like with Claude, he's decided against wearing a jacket or coat of any kind. Unlike Claude, he seems perfectly at ease in the cool air, and not bothered even the slightest. With how blond he is, and the initial intimidation factor, Claude briefly wonders if he's accidentally decided to date a viking. Well. The dating part wasn't accidental.

Very very briefly, he entertains the mental image of Dimitri with some of his hair braided, shirtless, an enormous fur coat over those amazing muscles, pinning him to the wall in the hold of a ship. Will he know Dimitri long enough to find out of he could be convinced into roleplay? Only one way to find out. Fake fur cloaks can't be that expensive anyway.

"Well, no reason to lounge around out in the cold, right?" Claude says, stepping towards the zoo gates. Despite the impression his apologetic demeanor in the texts may have given, however, Dimitri doesn't lag behind so Claude can take the lead. He also doesn't surge ahead in front of him. He just... stays at the right pace, somehow managing to not abuse those long legs of his. Claude can't say just yet if that means Dimitri is more respectful and considerate than a lot of other guys he's ever dated (or met), or if he's just so infatuated that he wants to keep Claude in easy viewing distance. Who knows? It could even be both. The human mind is a beautifully complex disaster. "You know, I wasn't expecting a zoo to be the kind of place that you'd pick."

Dimitri settles alongside him in the short line into the zoo. "Well, movies weren't- I didn't think movies would be something you would find any particular interest in, but then the concern arose that perhaps you wouldn't care for the direct opposite extreme..." The words which have been quietly but steadily coming faster pause, taking in how Claude has his arms pressed close to his sides and his hands tucked securely into his pants pockets. What Claude just said seems to add up into the proper conclusion he was hoping Dimitri would be smart enough to make. "Is it really that cold?"

Close enough. Claude smiles and shrugs. "I don't know about you-" He has some pretty solid guesses. "-but I'm from a bit further west, you could say. I'm not used to autumn getting this chilly this soon. I guess it's true what they say about weather people lying, huh?"

If this were a guy like Sylvain, Claude would expect a smooth move. That kind of guy would have been looking for opportunities. What better time to slide an arm around a cold date? If they were a slightly more average person, he'd maybe get a hopeless shrug and some condolences on how that sucks. An asshole would either ignore the issue entirely or, worse, mock him for not thinking ahead. Fortunately, he doesn't think he has to worry about that last option with Dimitri. The problem is that he doesn't know which of the other ones he has in mind that Dimitri will go for- and that's not counting options he might not have considered. He'd probably cross out that first one- the Sylvain option- except that Dimitri accidentally tried to pick him up while getting coffee... so, really, it's anyone's game here.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't considering that when I chose the zoo... I'm used to worse weather than this myself." He curls his fingers at his chin, looking at how the line is fairly swiftly carrying them to the counter. Whatever math he's doing in his head, he does it quickly, because he turns to Claude again only a moment later. "Could you please hold our place in line? I forgot something in my car. I promise it will only take a second."

"Forget your wallet?" Claude teases. "No problem. Better be quick, 'tho- I don't want to tell the cashier that I'm waiting to pay because my handsome date ran away. Again."

Ah, there's that lovely hint of the scowling ruffian he saw from across the coffee counter, trace of an embarrassed blush and all. "I'm not- I swear that will not happen again." With that, he turns and bolts off. Unlike when he'd been walking with him only a minute earlier, he definitely puts those long legs to good use. Claude watches him go. Dimitri's not really a guy with an ass, although he's clearly fit from head to toe, but that's fine. When it comes to partners in bed, well, what Dimitri has up front in his chest is more than enough to have Claude's interest. That's not the only thing he's interested in up front.... (Something his friends would and have teased him about. There's a reason he's not bothered by a lack of ass.)

But that's for later. For now, he looks back to the line, shuffling forward a couple of feet at a time. He's second to the register, wondering if he'll need to charm the cashier to stall, when he hears heavy footsteps right behind him and equally heavy panting. "I don't think being early and almost being late balance each other out," he starts to say glibly, still in the process of turning around, when something heavy suddenly drapes across his shoulders. Surprised, he reaches up with one hand even as directs his stare downwards.

It's a coat in such a deep blue that it looks as luxurious as it feels, and it feels god damn amazing. On Dimitri, it probably only falls down somewhere around his calves. The height difference on Claude ensures that it reaches his knees at the very least, and whatever lines the insides automatically blocks even the dictionary definition of cold. As if that weren't enough, the hood has fur on it, white and then black that Claude can... kind of imagine Dimitri looking good in, despite how Claude's pretty sure it's not his kind of pattern at all. Dimitri's hands linger on his shoulders, touch lighter than the weight of the coat but waiting still, before they swing down to Dimitri's sides. "Do you feel better?" he asks, single eye searching Claude's expression.

While he couldn't hide the brief surprise at such a coat being put on him, Claude recovers quicker than most. He laughs, reaching up to adjust it around his shoulders. "You have a spare coat just laying around?"

"Things happen," Dimitri protests, before the person in front of them moves on through the gates and he turns his attention to the cashier. He'd offered to pay, when they'd been planning this whole thing over text, and Claude had let him. Not like he'd really had a choice, with how much Dimitri wouldn't take 'no' for an answer in 'making up for his rudeness'. Claude's glad he did, because he kind of needs a moment.

Out of all the responses he'd considered on his mental list, something so stupidly gallant hadn't really featured. Yet Dimitri had really gone and done that. He'd run off, gotten a spare jacket he just happened to have lying around, and draped it across Claude's shoulders as though he were a medieval knight pampering his dearly beloved lord. That's what this feels like, right? The pleasant flutter in his gut, the warm feeling in his veins- it's so delightfully new and charming, all the moreso because he can't see anything fake about it when he looks up at Dimitri out of the corner of his eyes. He's really just... like this. Apparently.

Claude's grin gets a little more genuine as they pass through the gates. This date is already off to a good start.

Once he's tucked his wallet away, Dimitri looks back to him. "I... sometimes break things," he explains, more than a little awkward. "For example, I've accidentally ripped coats before, or lost buttons. And zippers are..." He grimaces. "It began to get frustrating, so I started to pack extra little things such as that in my car. It helps, when I'm away from home."

He wiggles his hands through the sleeves of the coat with a small laugh. "I didn't peg you as the always prepared type! Or the clumsy type." Stopping in front of the helpfully huge map right in the entrance plaza, he rests his hands on his hips. "So, did you have a plan for this little venture, or is this where we start to improvise?"

"Well..." Crossing his arms, Dimitri cranes his head back to take in the entirety of the map. Even for a guy his height, it's a lot. Claude doesn't blame him. Still, that just proves the zoo was a perfect choice, made in mind for all of its animals to have the space they need with patron considerations more secondary. Makes him feel pretty good about the visit, at least. "I was going to ask you if you had a favorite animal, or a particular exhibit that you would be interested in, and we could make our way in that direction. It's the most logical way, isn't it?" He actually looks back to Claude, as if gauging whether that's an accurate statement.

"But it might not be the most fun way." Claude has a twinkle in his eyes as he meets his sole one. "What if I wanted to go to the alligator exhibit, hardly five minutes away from the gate?"

He's doing his best to hold in any annoyance, Claude can tell, but Dimitri still can't hold back how his lips thin in faint exasperation. Good. If he was going to be apologetic the entire date, Claude feels as though he'd inevitably take advantage of him... which isn't that bad in his regular life, but not something he's generally looking for in his romantic one. "I didn't consider you the type who likes large carnivorous lizards."

"I'm a mystery that way."

"I think... I am beginning to realize that you are a lot more teasing than I properly realized when we first met."

"You only met me for fifteen seconds. It's good you're learning~."

Dimitri huffs a little bit, but it doesn't seem too serious since he then reaches up far to the right in order to tap one spot in particular. "Well, even with your surprising affection for crocodiles and alligators, I am interested in going to see the lion enclosure, which is all the way on the opposite side of the zoo from the entrance, so we would still be able to see far more exhibits inbetween the alligators and the lions."

It's cute, how seriously he's taking all of this. "That sounds like a plan, then!" Using Dimitri's arm as a brace- holy shit it feels exactly as firm and soft as he'd imagined his arms to be from that one picture- Claude stands on his toes to tap his knuckles along the map. "Because I was actually interested in the fact that this zoo has an escape room, and I want to see if it's any good." Relaxing back on the heels of his feet, Claude grins slyly up at Dimitri. "What a coincidence, it's also right between the alligators and the lions."

Arms crossed, nose scrunched up, eye narrowed- he might be the picture perfect representation of a cheap bodice ripper's wet dream when it comes to physique, but Dimitri is also unbelievably adorable. "And you could have said that from the start," he says, shaking his head as he steps around Claude. "Wouldn't that have been easier for you?"

"That's still not the same thing as what's more fun, you know."

But the zoo is plenty fun no matter how they go about it, on their way to the escape room. There's plenty of exhibits to distract and amuse them, even right there in the initial welcoming plaza. That's where they both briefly get sidetracked by a sign advertising the zoo's own personal kitchens, where all the animal meals are prepared for the day. It's a fun little thing, an interesting slice of knowledge that even Dimitri seems to be curious about, before they continue on their way. It's mid-morning, so the zoo's not as bustling as it otherwise could be. It's also not as cold thanks to Dimitri's act of chivalry.

With all the interesting exhibits, they take their time, chatting idly inbetween stops. Sometimes it's about the animals in particular that they're investigating. Sometimes, it's not, and Claude casually brings it up while they're in the penguin exhibit. "So, were you just having a rough day?" Dimitri pauses where he's dragging his finger against the glass, purely for the benefit of a penguin that's swimming after it, Claude clarifies. "When we first met."

"Ah." Dimitri looks back towards the penguin, clearly embarrassed again, although this time he's not blushing. It's kind of a shame. "That was... merely a bad habit, showing up at the worst possible time." Withdrawing his hand, he rubs it along the back of his neck, disrupting the hair there. "On occasion, when I get nervous, or worked up in any way- well, I tend to retreat into my own head. I'm trying so hard not to show that I am being affected that my expression becomes a... glare." He heaves out a sigh, hand dropping to his side as they both continue along the path all around the enormous tank. "Usually I'm better at noticing when I do it, but that day I suppose I was rather caught off guard."

"Ooooh?" Claude's smirk is probably illegal in some countries, and certainly ought to be in all the others. "Was I so attractive that I derailed your ability to think completely?"

"Claude!" Claude thinks he could get used to hearing that exasperated tone saying his name like this, and he laughs. Yet even with his laughter filling the air, he doesn't miss Dimitri's embarrassed mumbled admission. "You were...."

God. He's never dated- hell, he doesn't think he's even met- a guy who's as earnest as this. That guys like this even exist is a pleasant surprise. Still, he'll do him the favor of pretending he didn't hear that, and lightly smacks his shoulder to get his attention as he heads for the exit. "Come on- it looks like there's a huge gibbon exhibit just down the way."

When's the last time he even went to a zoo? Claude can't remember. Sometimes he's gone to museums, in selective company, but zoos? It's a lot more fun than he ever would have thought it would be. It helps that Dimitri seems to enjoy himself just as much, constantly sneaking glances at him when he thinks Claude isn't looking, and even rolling his eyes at every playful jab and terrible pun. Still, it's all just a lead up to the main event for Claude when they finally make their way to a jungle themed building that hardly looks out of place among the dozens of other various little buildings that fill up the zoo. Claude can spot the brightly colored name blazed across its side, but Dimitri still feels the need to check the nearest giant map. "This is it, then?"

"Looks like." With zero hesitation, he goes over to the window along the side. A small bell is just waiting to be rung, so he obliges it, settling in for a wait. After all, whatever other building the escape room is attached to seems to be pulling double duty for the two after all. Despite that fact, someone still manages to come over to the window in fairly quick time- a sleepy eyed guy in a beanie who blinks dully at the pair of them. "Ah...." For all that he looks like he's had about the same amount of sleep that Dimitri apparently has on any given day, his gaze is still quick enough as he does a rapid scan of the rest of the area around the window counter. "Just two for the Escape Room... adults only?"

Not exactly the most cheery of cashier expressions... But if there's anyone Claude can sympathize with, it's the life of a retail slave, whether that's in a coffee shop or pulling duty at a zoo escape room. Dimitri answers for the two of them. "That's right, it's only the two of us. Do we need more people, or is this fine?"

"Two is enough..." His fingers move faster than his mouth, with how quick they are on a keyboard, and he inclines his head towards the price reader. Claude has never seen a person who so desperately doesn't want to do his job. It's kind of hilarious. "Do you have anything against others joining in as a larger group, or is this...." His gaze slowly roams over them again. "...a date thing." It is, by the merest technicality, a question. The cashier doesn't even sound like he can muster up the energy for proper inflection.

Dimitri seems, briefly, paralyzed by indecision on this front- Claude has a sneaking suspicion it's a combination of not wanting to refuse people out of politeness, while not wanting to invite complete strangers in on their date, and also probably not wanting to label this a date without getting Claude’s input, despite the fact that a date is exactly what they're on.

He'd settle on a response fairly quickly if Claude gave him a second, but instead Claude takes the reins as he leans around the blond. "This is in fact a date thing," he says with a wink. "But if other people want to join our group, I don't mind a third or fourth wheel."

"Do you really not mind?" Dimitri seems to readily accept Claude’s decision without waiting for an answer to his own question, however, and the reason for that is quickly revealed. "Well, I have never gone to one of these before, so... I suppose the extra company would not be unappreciated. Is there anyone waiting?"

"Not yet... But we need a little bit of time to prepare." A pause as the cashier appears to remember an important part of his pitch or, really, his whole job in general. "There are different scales of difficulty, depending on if we have kids, adolescents, or adults... So we take time to adjust things and make sure everything is in place." He inclines his head in the direction of a large screen on the wall near the window. For the most part, it's playing various little commercials on different programs and activities in the zoo. What's of interest is a fairly broad line of black along the bottom that currently reads: PARTIES WAITING TO ENTER: 0 OF 0. "While we do that... if anyone else comes up and is interested... Then we make the same offer, and call you over. Just that."

The cashier slumps over the counter, now fully having abandoned pretending he has a spine, or functioning skeleton. Claude briefly entertains that maybe that should have placed this guy nearer to the invertebrates, or maybe the sloth exhibit if they really were feeling generous. It seems like he'd be happier there. In fact, don't sloth grow moss on their fur? That might be what's on his jacket instead of uniform color. "We'll ping you when we're ready, so try not to wander off too far... We aren't going to hunt you down, and we only keep you in mind for ten minutes. There aren't any refunds."

"That explains all the tinier exhibits and games around," Claude notes in amusement. "Well, don't worry. We won't wander off too far."

Their cashier makes the faintest noise of acknowledgment, returning to the computer so that he can input the pricing and take Dimitri's card. Over to the side, the screen changes to cheerfully announce the arrival of a new party waiting to enter, and the cashier takes out a rubber stamp- though he pauses when they offer their hands. Dimitri is handsome, to be sure, but he's pale as all hell... which is a problem when he's put next to Claude, absolutely not white and nowhere near that amount of white(although definitely his own wonderful and perfect brand of handsome, if he does say so himself). The cashier doesn't say anything, like how it might be difficult to use the same stamp for two wildly different skintones, but his gaze does slowly rise up to focus on them for a few judgmental seconds. In the end, he goes with a yellow ink for the stamp- something that shines brightly on the back of Claude's hand in the form of a bounding gazelle, but that just makes Dimitri look like he has the beginnings of a bruise.

Dimitri waits until they've walked a little distance away to speak up "Is that cashier alright...?" he asks, frowning.

"Oh, he probably just doesn't want to be at work," Claude says with a laugh, gesturing for Dimitri to sit down with him at the nearest bench. "Which, no one does, so I can't really blame him." He gives a slight wink. "That he didn't have a good stamp color on hand for both our skintones probably just didn't help. Anyway, you've never done an escape room?"

In contrast to the way he stands and walks, with a straight spine and carefully measure gait, Dimitri seems to slump a bit more forward when he sits, and his arms brace themselves on his knees. "I've heard about them. Or rather, I've heard that they exist, and that they are timed events, but I am not entirely sure what one does in them."

Claude's grin widens. "Well, congrats on being one of today's lucky 10,000," he tells his date. Dimitri's blank stare says the reference goes right over his head. That's fine. But what better thing is there in the world than to introduce someone to something they’ve never learned about before? That is, besides possibly being fucked by a blond, chivalrous viking with muscles like an action hero. (Claude can have multiple favorites, he's not picky.) "Basically, the idea is pretty straightforward. You're locked in a room- just as part of the game, they’ll let you out when time runs out or if there's an emergency- and you have to solve a series of puzzles and games in order to escape. There's a time limit in place, usually nothing worse than an hour, and you essentially win the game if you solve all the puzzles and get out before the time limit is up. It's a pretty popular business, if you can spin it right."

"Are the puzzles in these businesses really able to be so different from one game to the next?"

"Ha, well- to some degree, yeah. There are hundreds of different kinds of puzzles in the world, whether you count simple word games or more complex things. But what really helps escape room businesses differentiate themselves would be that they all do their best to be themed." Claude gestures towards the building only a minute or two's walk away from them and their bench. "For example, for obvious reasons, this one that we're going to try is probably going to be animal-themed in some way, or jungle-themed, or zoo-themed. I shouldn't have to explain why. But there are ones that have way more unique and interesting stories. For example, some escape rooms ask you to take on the role of a thief trying to steal something and then escape. Others are almost like a murder mystery. Others lean towards a specific aesthetic, like sci-fi or steampunk. Depending on how much money its creators have access to and how creative they are, an escape room can really stand out."

The entire time he's talking, Dimitri listens attentively, and even starts to lean in his direction a bit with his chin resting in one hand. "It seems as though you have a lot of experience with them."

Claude shrugs, still grinning. "A little bit. Me and a friend of mine like to check out any new ones that pop up in the city. One in particular is doing really well- we're on its mailing list. They change up the theme and story every month. We can't make it every time, but we try to make plans if we see them try something we're really interested in."

"Well... Would you mind telling me a little bit more about them, then?" Dimitri gives a little smile, friendly and lopsided for all its awkwardness. "If this is going to be my first time trying an escape room, then hearing from an expert would surely not hurt my chances at winning one. The opposite, in fact."

Yeah, sure, and Claude was born yesterday. It's purely out of interest in the game that Dimitri is trying to get him to talk more about escape rooms. Still, he doesn't need to be told twice, and Claude leans casually against Dimitri. Beneath his shoulder, he can feel Dimitri freeze in surprise. "Well, the good news for you is that I know all sorts of tricks escape rooms like to use..."

Along with the pleasant bonus of keeping Dimitri's eye focused purely on him in that adorable infatuated way that actually does include some genuine interest in there, talking about escape rooms comes with the added bonus of whittling away the few minutes that remain until there's a quiet ping from the escape room building itself. The cashier is still there when they approach, and all he does is incline his head towards the large doors a few feet from the window. When they enter, however, Dimitri abruptly pauses with a quiet, "Oh!"

"Oh," says the young woman dressed in a khaki zoo uniform, also wearing an eyepatch that looks a bit more high quality than any cheap escape room gimmick. A brief second passes where the two of them just stare at one another, some sort of unspoken eyepatch solidarity being established, before she remembers she has a job to do.

She quietly hands them both a pamphlet. "Here. This is the simple premise of the escape room.... Basically, um, you're scientists researching ape intelligence, but there's an ape escape, and they lock you in... So you have to use the toys and other things inside to figure out a way to escape. It's like that."

Dimitri frowns faintly. "This feels like something that we should have gotten at the counter... Is the cashier alright?"

"No," the girl says in such a casual blunt fashion that Dimitri is visibly left off-balance, and Claude has to bite his tongue so that he doesn't burst out laughing again. She continues on, as if entirely unaware of her own idle savagery. "We ran out and there was a problem with the copier... You have an hour to escape. I'll be with you the entire time, if you need help..." Much like her coworker up front at the register, she doesn't say that she hopes this never becomes necessary, but there's something subtle in her tone that says she would be really happy if that never happened. Faintly, Claude is reminded of one of his closer friends. "Are there any questions...?"

Dimitri still looks distinctly concerned about the state of the zoo's employees, and he's staring at the woman as if wondering if he should push. Claude decides to speak up for both of them. "Nope, I think we both oughta be good!" He smacks Dimitri's back. "Right?"

There's still a look like he has a lot of questions, but on the game front, he manages to give a nod. "Yes, I believe we're both ready."

With that, the woman hands them both fake little ID cards that sport not their pictures at all, but rather a beaming cartoon lion for Dimitri and an equally cheery gazelle for Claude that matches his stamp. The lead up to the beginning isn't the most well oiled acting experience Claude has ever experienced, even on the escape room front alone... but the girl does well enough as she acts out how they'll be doing some basic tests today, and then some quiet dismay when they're "locked" inside the first room. It's one of many, meant to be a room that's part fake lab and part toy room. With how much zoo employees probably get paid, she honestly does a much better job then is really required.

Her staying out of the way is done with an easily believable in-character excuse, as she fiddles on a laptop to "try and get them help" outside of the lab. For all he knows, she could be looking up porn on the internet as much as doing some actual zoo required work, or maybe even just keeping track of how their session is going. Claude will let her have that.

For right now, he turns and winks at Dimitri. "Well, looks like we're in some trouble, Professor Dimitri. But I think a couple of classy academics like us can keep ahead of our own research subjects well enough, right?"

Apparently- and Claude keeps this in mind for later- Dimitri isn't opposed to a little roleplay. While he does hide part of an embarrassed smile behind one hand curled over his mouth, he doesn't shy away from eye contact. Not immediately, anyway. "Well, they are very intelligent, Professor Claude." That's when he breaks away, still trying so very hard to not laugh as if it's some great shameful secret that he could be happy. Briefly, Claude wonders how Mercedes and Annette managed it. Well, he has a lot of time to crack the code. In the meanwhile, the escape room is what he'll focus on cracking.

It's not one of the most challenging escape rooms he's ever been in; Claude can tell that right off the bat. A lot of the work is really just figuring out which specific puzzles have been put into play, and skimming through some of the papers that have been left scattered all over the room. (Whoever was in charge of set up must have really had a fun time.) Beyond that, it has all the basic tropes he's come to learn. But he didn't pick this sort of thing to be challenged, although he wouldn't have objected if that turned out to be the case. He's a lot more into the fun of it all, the cute little animal stickers, the puns that are weaved into puzzles, the creative staging of it all. When he talks with Dimitri, pointing out the exact kind of puzzles or tricks he mentioned while they were outside, he can tell that his date is enjoying it too... especially because he only occasionally needs to point out anything in the first place. Dimitri is actually pretty quick in his own way, and he's taken a lot of what Claude had said earlier to heart. He lets Claude handle all the fun fiddly details like going through papers or books. In contrast, he hunts down different things that seem to match, like a set of folders that are color coded, or points out things he can't entirely figure out but that he knows have to feature into some sort of puzzle. He has a good head for that kind of thing, and for knowing when to pass something onto someone else.

But he's just a liiiiiittle bit too serious.

A lot of it is in his body language. It's little things that all add up to the big overall picture: movement that's a little too sharp, a thoughtful glower that's not relaxed enough, no lingering appreciation for the game. If Dimitri didn't perk up at Claude's voice and smile to him, he'd wonder if his date was even enjoying himself.

Gotta fix that.

At one point in combing over the adjacent room, Claude straightens up to wave around a small book chained to a wall. "Hey, Dimitri! This has instructions in it for that machine in the other room. I don't think getting this off the wall is a part of the puzzle, since there was a note about how they had to remove the key from the testing facilities." 'Testing facilities'. Ha. "One of us is going to have to read the instructions out loud, so can you go over there? I can see you if I look out the doorway, so I should be able to point out if you do something wrong."

"Is that all? I can follow directions well enough." Claude watches as Dimitri goes over the machine embedded in the wall- probably a sort of safe if Claude had to guess. For a brief second, he gets distracted by the way Dimitri's hair slides over his broad, muscular, firm shoulders - he could go on - when the other man looks back at him. "So what's the first step?"

"Alright, so, it sounds a little bizarre," Claude says, "but I promise it all adds up to making sense in the end."

"Okay....?"

"Good! Just thought you should know. Anyway, what you're first going to have to do is- you know how, in PE back in high school, they would have you stretch by holding up one leg behind you with the opposite hand? You need to do that."

"What?"

"It's what it says!" Claude gives a helpless shrug. He's pleased to find that his acting skills are still Oscar-worthy, because Dimitri only frowns at him for a second before obliging. Right handed, huh? "Alright, good. So, next, and this seems like it might be a little tricky, but you need to hop."

"...All right, I think they're just messing with us now."

Oh, that's precious. He's still willing to give Claude the benefit of the doubt over anything else. "Listen, I know that's what it seems like," he tells Dimitri reassuringly, "but I promise I've seen this kind of thing used in other escape rooms before. It has to do with pressure, and that sort of thing. It's actually really interesting. Once we're not on a time limit, I'll tell you all about it." From the corner of his eye, he tries to get a bead on their guide, but she seems perfectly content to continue ignoring them and thus let Claude have his fun.

"That's... impressive, I suppose, for an escape room that's little more than a side attraction at a zoo..." Dimitri struggles a little bit as he gives a hop, almost falling over in the process. It's so cute and helpless. Claude feels as though he might get punished by some divine force if he keeps this up.

Which, you know, he does. Of course. "Nice! I think that should set it off. Now, next step..." He makes a show of 'reading' what comes next. "You know patty cake? I need you to sing that, and hit the machine in time with the rhyme- I know, but if you just listen-"

Dimitri does not listen. Finally putting both feet on solid ground, he turns around to scrutinize Claude carefully and with a sort of wariness, even. "Is that really what it says?" he asks. "Be honest with me, Claude."

He does his very best to keep a straight face. "Look, I am being nothing if not the most upstanding and forthright.... of.... gentleman..." Okay, no, if he tried to say that in all seriousness he really would be struck by lightning. Luckily, his poker face gives out before he can even make the attempt, collapsing into laughter.

"So you were lying!"

"Lying is such a strong word- hey!" Dimitri charges forward, and Claude ducks back into the room, laughing all the harder. Yet those long legs come through yet again; Claude supposes he should have foreseen that in the first place. He's barely back in the room, still holding onto the chained up book, when Dimitri is already pulling himself around with his hand on the door frame. Before Claude can even blink, Dimitri has his forearm slammed against one side of his head, and Dimitri's other hand keeps him by pressing into the wall somewhere near his ribs. Like this.... Dimitri's height is even harder to ignore, not that Claude's been able to before. The man absolutely looms over Claude, shadow falling slightly over him as his hair slides around his face. That pale blue eye of his seems darker, too, piercing him straight through as if he's a butterfly in a display case.

"Claude." Shit. His voice sounds so hot like this, a soft growl dragging at the edges. Claude wonders how it would sound hoarse and breathless. Wonders a lot of things, honestly.

None of those thoughts show on his face at all, even if there's a heat pooling in his gut. Instead, he bats his eyelashes innocently. "Yeeeeeeees?"

Dimitri keeps his arm right by Claude's head. With the other, he reaches down and lightly pulls the book free of Claude's hand. "Try to play the game paid for, instead of tossing your own in. Weren't you the one to point out we are on a time limit?" With that, he pulls away, huffing quietly as he settles besides Claude instead of pinning him so that he can start skimming the right page. "Don't do that to me ever again, either. I hate that sort of trickery played on me, no matter how good-natured its meant to be."

"Ha ha, got it, got it."

Still, Dimitri doesn't let him go off immediately, instead reading over the page that's been bookmarked. "Turn the dial ninety degrees to the right.... Is that correct?" He goes through everything, forcing Claude to confirm every step of the way, before he nods. "Very good. Then I'll read the instructions. You can go do what I say."

If Dimitri would pin him like that in somewhere more private, Claude thinks he would do anything he'd say. Anywhere else, he'd even say that out loud... Or at least a nice little suggestive 'yes sir'. But the poor chick that is stuck with them for the duration of the game isn't paid enough to hear innuendo from a pair of jackasses who aren't even playing the game. So he steps away with a laugh. "You know it's a game you're supposed to have fun with, right?"

All Dimitri does is hold the book up pointedly. Claude laughs again and does as he says.

"Your sense of humor is terrible, isn't it?" Dimitri asks him once they're out of the escape room, souvenir 'ID cards' still swinging from their necks as prizes of a game well won. "I can't believe you would lie to me like that!"

That he's still holding onto that- Claude cracks up, leaning against Dimitri's side. Unlike all the times before, he seems to ease up a bit, arm shifting to brace him even in spite of his sulking frown. "It was a game," he points out. "And you-" He reaches up to flick some hanging strands of blond hair. "Were taking it a little too seriously."

"There was a time limit!" Dimitri protests. "Aren't you supposed to put your all into something with a time limit, especially when it's something that you paid for?"

"That's one way to live life." Claude shrugs. "But, you know, even if we'd lost the game, I still would have found it worth it just to see you have fun with it all." His grin turns a few degrees more sly. "...And hop on one foot, or play patty cake with a safe."

"Claude!"

Even with how far the escape room has taken them through the zoo already, at least halfway down the entire length of it, there's still a lot to walk before they reach the lion exhibit. The good news is that there are also plenty of other exhibits to pass the time on the way there... Still. Claude doesn't miss how Dimitri always checks every map they pass by, and the quiet excitement that builds up as they get ever closer to their destination. It's honestly pretty adorable, for a one eyed viking who pinned him to a wall, and Claude can't help but ask, "So, you really like lions, huh?"

"Ah... Is it obvious?" Dimitri's smile lends itself a little bit towards self depreciation. "I just haven't gotten to see any of them in so long.... My father used to tell me stories, when I was younger. They all seemed to revolve around a great knight ancestor of mine, and lions kept popping up in them often." He does his best to hide it... and maybe he's gotten a lot of practice in, because Claude is pretty sure he only picks up on the morose shift to his smile as Dimitri ducks his head down because he's good at reading people. "Thinking back, he really was just humoring his son with fairy tales... And I suspect I was hitting a stage in my childhood where I was rather obsessed with them. So they were stories just to make his child happy. Still... Well, I suppose I cannot help but be very fond of them, even now that I'm a proper adult. I know it's rather immature."

"I think it's cute." Claude chuckles again, but it's softer. "Isn't it important to have good memories from your childhood to carry with you into adulthood?" Idly, he takes some material of the coat between his fingers and rubs his thumb along it. "Are you that embarrassed by it?"

"I suppose... I just have expectations of myself. The kind of person that I want to be."

"Well, just make sure your expectations of yourself don't rob all the fun out of your life." Reaching over, Claude smacks his back with a brighter grin. "Your type of personality makes it seem as though you make it hard to have fun as it is!"

"I'm having fun now!"

"Good! Especially because it looks like the lions are out in full force today."

Three lions, after all, is definitely a treat. With an exhibit that opens out into a more secluded back, Claude knows the enormous beasts can run off whenever they get sick of dealing with people. Yet it looks like the zoo has done a good job of keeping plenty of activities out in the enclosure. Thanks to that, the lions clearly find it more rewarding to be out there... or maybe they're just in the mood for people watching as much as the people are the mood for lion watching. A male- the only one visible, it looks like, and probably the only one in the whole exhibit- is lazily lounging along some rocks and enjoying the sun. In contrast, the two lionesses are a little more active. One of them seems to have a lot more energy, bouncing over the male, smacking at him from a lower vantage point, and just in general being a pest that, for all her efforts, is being utterly ignored. Her cohort is more relaxed but curious, strolling along the large window separating humans and wild animals. That there are so many people ogling her doesn't seem to be an issue at all; she's probably been in the zoo for a while if Claude had to guess. Although, speaking of things at the glass-

Claude taps Dimitri's arm, drawing the blond's attention from where he's been grinning at the the antics of rowdier lionness. "Hey, see that giant rope there?" It's an enormous and thick one, threaded through a very purposeful hole made secure with metal and rubber.

Seeing it makes Dimitri perk up. "Oh, I've read about those. For some zoos- certainly not all of them- they install such things so that visitors can play tug of war with some of their larger animals. Big cats like lions especially. It's to help engage with them, keep them active. I've heard there's been some pushback about it, in regards to forcing the animals to be entertainment...."

Dimitri turns his head to look over the entire visible enclosure. It's absolutely littered with a few large sturdy toys that have clearly been through the ringer, plus a shallow pool of water that seems to have been recently disturbed. At least, that's if the wet spots around it are any indication. There's also a tire swing, the teeth marks scoring it visible from a distance. That's in addition to such a large public enclosure, with even more hidden space, that has plenty of climbing and sunning spots for rambunctious cats like the one lioness.

Dimitri’s train of thought is easy to follow, but he verbalizes it for Claude anyway. "Of course, I doubt that is a problem here, with the sheer variety of enrichment available to them. If they want to play, then they will, and they won't if they do not. It seems like a good system to me, although I'll admit this isn't a field that I'm knowledgeable in." He pauses, taking note of Claude's grin up at him. "What?"

"Don't 'what' me." Claude tilts his head towards the rope. "Aren't you going to give it a try? Impress me a little bit by winning against a lion in tug of war? Those muscles of yours can't just be for show."

"Please...." But he does step away from Claude, looking over the rope and tapping one boot against the ground. "I wouldn't win against any of them anyway."

"Ha~."

"It's not really a contest of strength like this, after all." Dimitri straightens up. "It's more... leverage, I suppose. Leverage and weight together. I'm not heavier than a lion is, even if a lioness weighs less than the male up there. That matters when any one of them can dig their claws into the dirt when they pull on their end. My boots have fairly good traction, but that doesn't mean anything when I'm left straining on smooth concrete. If it were only one or the other, it would be a different story."

There's some questions Claude has, such as if Dimitri really understands that he just hinted that he could win a strength contest against a lion, all other things being equal. He saves that for later. Seeing is believing, so he'll see what he sees. Instead, he tilts his head to the side. "Well, you worked all that out pretty quickly."

A quiet but pleased little smile appears briefly on his lips. "Thank you." There's a pause as Dimitri glances at him from the corner of his eye. "...Are you really interested?"

"Hm?"

"Are you really interested in seeing me try to play tug of war with a lion?" Dimitri's fingers slide along the back of his neck. "As you said earlier, sometimes it's not about winning when it comes to games... And besides, it's not often that one gets an experience like this. Well. Assuming any of them are interested in playing, anyway."

Reaching past Dimitri's own coat that he's still more than happily wearing and into his own, Claude pulls out his phone. "If I get to video you doing it, absolutely."

Dimitri shakes his head, walking forward to give the rope an experimental wiggle and tug. "You know, the effort of trying to video this is going to go to waste if none of them get interested... Oh."

Proving luck is on their side, or at least Claude's, one of the lions does wander over in interest. What's interesting is that it's not the over excitable lioness still 'lovingly' harassing the sunbathing male, but instead the one that's been roaming along the glass. The wiggling of the rope has her perk up, hurrying over. She gives it a few curious bats, gently mouthing at it after a second. Claude starts up the video with a grin. "So what was that about none of them getting interested?"

"I didn't say none of them would be interested," Dimitri protests, even as his hands go down.... to the hem of his shirt?

Claude makes sure to keep his camera focused right on Dimitri, and his eyes, too. "Going shirtless?" he asks, trying not to sound too interested, and definitely trying not to sound anywhere near even half as thirsty as he is.

"Of course not; that would be crude," Dimitri says, despite the fact that he's peeling off his turtleneck to reveal.... a tanktop underneath. Huh. Claude wouldn't have taken him for that kind of guy. That just adds to an entirely different kind of attractiveness, with the muscles Claude's only seen a glimpse of in pictures put on display. A tease of what he really wants to see. "But if I'm going to play tug of war with a lion, I'm likely going to get sweaty. I don't want to ruin my shirt with sweat. There's still the rest of the day to get through." With it pulled over his head, that leaves his hair in a ruffled blond mess all around his face and shoulders. "Could you hold this for me, Claude?"

"Uh huh," he replies, making sure to discreetly have the camera get a nice close-up of the muscles curving beneath that tank top. Special attention is given to the chest hinted atone that looks like it was sculpted by a Greek artist so the gods could bring it to life. His eyes, Claude makes sure to keep above shoulder level. "Be sure to give me a good show, okay?"


"I think that depends at least partially on the willingness of my partner," Dimitri informs him, leaning down to pick up the rope. "And don't make it sound so inappropriate!"

There's no need to worry about the lioness not giving it her all. Apparently, she's already learned just what it means for someone to pick up the other end of the rope, and she immediately adjusts herself for a better tug. It's more than a little cute, honestly, even if it would be terrifying to see her bared fangs and scrunched up nose in any other context. Claude grins a bit, noting indeed how her claws really do dig into the ground for a better hold.... and then quickly realizes just how much dirt she's digging up as she furiously pulls back on the rope. She's actually struggling a little, snarling around the thick rope in her mouth. Claude glances down to his phone to make sure it's still got a good focus on Dimitri, only to pause as he double checks the real thing to make sure he's seeing what he's seeing.

All this time, Dimitri has been on his best behavior. Even when he’d penned Claude in against the wall, he'd been mildly annoyed at most, delivering what was more an exasperated scolding than anything. (Frankly, even that had been a welcome break from how apologetic he'd been over text.) Yet as he's standing there, feet braced against the concrete, muscles straining in crystal clear definition... There's nothing polite or reserved about the expression on his face. He's grinning a bit- actually smirking as he narrows his eye at the enormous cat who's his opponent. The two of them continue to tug, a small dirt pile being dug up on one side of the glass. On the other? On the other....

It's such a subtle shift, Claude can't even pinpoint when an excited smirk becomes something the exact opposite of civilized. But that one blue eye, bright and sharp; that vicious curve of a smirk; those bared teeth...all taken together, it’s enough to send shivers up Claude's spine. All of that stacked on top of a body that puts classically sculpted statues to shame- a body that has already penned Claude in against a wall with such ease that Dimitri clearly didn't even have to think about it. That is going to be playing repeat in Claude’s wet dreams for days now.

He's never deleting this video.





↣ HILDA

↣ LOOK AT THIS VIDEO OF DIMITRI

↣ 『VIDEO ATTACHED』

⬏ lmao omg

↣ HILDA WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THIS

⬏ i mean obv ur gonna get railed like the trans siberian so idk why ur askin me????

⬏ u told me that 2day b4 u left lol!!!!

↣ i mean OBVIOUSLY

↣ but idfk how i'm going to survive until he lets me get to that point

⬏ LMFAO

⬏ i'll make sure ur 💀gravestone💀 has the wrds

⬏ "Cause of Death: Rabies and That D"

↣ thx hilda, i knew you'd have your priorities straight

⬏ there is nothing str8 about me hdu





By the time he finishes texting Hilda with one hand, it doesn't look as though the tug of war contest has reached any kind of climax... although Claude is pretty god damn sure that Dimitri has actually gained a few inches’ advantage. They've also apparently attracted a bit of a crowd, though Dimitri seems to be ignoring it as he focuses purely on his excited lion companion. There are whistles, a few excited claps, and other people who've taken out their own phones for a quick picture or video. Dimitri might become even more of an attraction than some of the actual animals in the zoo, with how things are going.

Yet Claude has gotten off his phone just in time. Dimitri tugs along the rope a few more times, lips pulled back in a snarl of a grin, before he finally and abruptly lets go. The lioness goes tumbling backwards, her paws over her head, and she sits up with a few befuddled blinks. She doesn't have long to get over her shock, as the other lioness bounds over to immediately start harassing her. It's a pretty cute little interaction, watching the older lion scold her younger companion, but Claude is pretty sure only a few people are paying attention to the exhibit itself now.

The other zoo exhibit- a new, temporary, and completely accidental addition- straightens up on the visitor side of the enclosure. A dark, intense look still shimmers in his eye for a second, blue brighter than anything, and... Shit. Claude’s kind of into that, isn't he? He's really, terribly into that. It's a good thing he's still recording everything with his phone. He can keep this whole event stored away, which is helpful, because the whistles and hollers of all the spectators finally seems to snap Dimitri out of it.

And it is practically a snap, with how quick that dark look changes into the same wide-eyed honesty that Claude has been adjusting to this entire morning. He looks around, embarrassment in every fiber of him, and waves off any comments as he hurriedly retreats to Claude's side. "I didn't mean to make a spectacle of myself," he mutters, swiping sweat from the bottom of his chin. Even without his own embarrassment, heat is burning off of him to the point that Claude can feel it just by standing next to the guy, even though his borrowed coat. Their pretty lion friend really helped him work up a sweat, apparently. "I apologize for that, Claude." He pauses, blinking down at Claude’s hands. "You have two phones?"

"I like to be prepared," Claude teases, sliding away the secondary phone he’d used to text Hilda. "But in all seriousness, you could say one is basically a work phone. I was just answering a quick text on it. Anyway, I don't know why you're apologizing when I'm the one who asked for a show. And boy-" He whistles. "I sure got one! Although it looked like you gave up a little bit towards the end."

"Oh, that." Buying the phone excuse readily enough, Dimitri looks back towards the lion enclosure. "I could feel I was starting to slip, as I said I would.... I managed to get a few inches purely because she was surprised, but it wasn't the kind of thing that would let me win. I thought that was enough at that point."

"You sure looked like you were enjoying yourself."

Dimitri grimaces. "Was I making a strange expression....?"

That's.... one way to describe it. Claude decides to keep that to himself, laughing the question off. "You were grinning, that's all."

"So it was only that...." Only that? Yet another question Claude stores away in the never-ending folder for his curiosity. Dimitri gives a few rolls of his shoulder, fingers kneading at the skin there. Claude does his absolute best not to be too obvious in how he's watching those muscles shift and flex. "Well, I suppose I get- competitive. A little healthy competition doesn't hurt anyone, does it?"

Claude slowly raises an eyebrow. "Competitive with a lion?" he asks incredulously, elbowing the blond in the side.

It's amazing, really. Not even two minutes ago, Dimitri had the kind of dark and domineering look that Claude would, one day, like to see looming over him in bed. Now, he’s as harmless as a kitten in a playpen as he gives a silly little huff. "The lioness wouldn't have had fun if I didn't give it my all," he protests. "That's the important thing."

"And here I thought you were too honest a guy to lie like that," Claude says, all dramatic shock and one hand daintily placed against his chest.

"Hush."

"Yeah, yeah." Claude laughs again, satisfied by the video confirming it’s saved, after triple checking to be sure. Tucking it away, he offers the turtleneck back to Dimitri. "Here. Or do you really feel so warm that you'll be fine going around in a tanktop all day?"

"Hm? Oh." Distracted from his weak defense on the benefits of lion tug of war, Dimitri glances down at himself. "Well, if I put on my clothing too soon, the sweat will only make it colder when it sticks to the fabric... I'm still decent, after all."

There is absolutely nothing decent about Dimitri like this- his hair tousled around his stupidly handsome face, a decadent flush spread along his skin from his cheeks down to his throat, and sweat highlighting every muscle that his tank top is doing a hideous job of really hiding. "You have a point," Claude says, storing all those particular NC17 thoughts in his head where they won't pop out. Otherwise, he fears, other things might pop out too. "Want me to keep on carrying this, then?"

Dimitri shaking his head is such the opposite of a surprise, Claude feels as though 'expected' is too mild a term. "Of course not. It's mine; I don't want to bother you with it. Besides..." Accepting the turtleneck with one hand, he ferrets out his phone with the other to check the time. "It looks like we've managed to spend a good chunk of our morning as it is... It's around lunch. I think I saw that there was a restaurant near the center of the zoo. Are you hungry?"

With Dimitri properly distracted by his phone, Claude allows himself a slow once-over of this Greek statue of a human being. "Yeah, I’d say I'm pretty hungry alright."

While he’s thinking about the state of Dimitri's body- and just Dimitri's body in general- Claude actually is hungry in a way that has to do more with food than his libido. Thankfully, the walk to the zoo restaurant is a short one. They fill the short walk with conversation and one-sided teasing- and Dimitri, to Claude’s infinite regret, slides his shirt back on around halfway there.

The restaurant is exactly the kind of place one would imagine, with its being in a zoo: lots of warm browns, a general wood and leaf theme, colorful decorations, and enormous windows along one side that look out onto an exhibit far below them. It's quite a nice view. Claude is pleased that he’ll be able to vouch for just how nice of a view it is when they manage to snag a table right by the windows. "It's cool they have an actual grill set up instead of a tiny diner or cafe," he notes as he finally removes Dimitri's coat, draping it over the seat next to him. While the outdoor part of the zoo is as cold as ever, even if it's warmed up since they first arrived, the indoor parts of it are a lot more manageable. "It really is a pretty good zoo, huh?"

"Well, I did try to do my research." Looking over the menu they've been given, Dimitri rubs the back of his neck. "Although... It would be remiss of me to say that I did all of this on my own. It's been quite a long time since I've been on a date of any sort, so I spoke with some of my friends to figure out what would be a good choice."

"Your friends, huh? I bet Sylvain had quite a lot of advice to give, if my first impression of him was right."

Just saying that name earns another slow breath from Dimitri as the blond frowns. "Sylvain," he says deliberately, "has been banned from all knowledge of my dating life."

Claude bursts out cackling. The, fucking- the solemness of it, the disappointed parent vibe, just the way Dimitri says it, it's utterly hilarious to him. "He really got you all worked up when he gave your number to me, huh?" he asks, eyes sparkling. "Even though it lead to us being on this date in the first place?"

"That's no excuse," Dimitri insists, only taking a moment to thank their server when she brings over glasses of water for both of them. When she takes their drink orders, Dimitri stays satisfied with only the water, Claude notes. Once she's gone, Dimitri continues again with little need for build up steam. "I asked him to do something entirely different. What he did was not only a problem for me, since it went against what I asked, but it was a bother to you at your workplace as well."

"You're still really hung up on that, aren't you?" It's honestly pretty sweet. Then again, he supposes he shouldn't expect anything else from the guy who got so flustered about some accidental flirting that he ran away. "Well, I can't say it isn't appreciated, honestly. It can be pretty awkward when someone hits on you when all you're trying to do is figure out what size coffee they want. I'm an expert when it comes to dealing with people, so I don't mind as much... but I wouldn't want my coworkers to deal with it."

"Still..."

"I was a little disappointed at the idea that I might not see this particular workplace flirtation offender around, however." Claude winks. "If nothing else, you were hilarious." There's another one of those too-cute sulking frowns, although now it's all twisted up as Dimitri visibly fights to decide if his shame over being seen as hilarious is better than being considered a complete creep. "And, more than hilarious, I was really curious. I was left wondering just what about me had got such a serious and stuffy guy to fumble out a pickup line and then run away." He leans forward, fingers laced together. "I know I asked before, but was I really that attractive? You didn't exactly give me an answer. What tripped you up?"

If there's one benefit he's absolutely guaranteed to get out of dating Dimitri, however long or short that timeframe might be, it's that watching his face journeys is never going to stop being funny. He's just so... open, in a way that Claude is wholly unfamiliar with. Even when he's not behind the register or bar of his job, Claude is putting on some sort of mask. Something to put people at ease, whether it's because everyone likes a friendly face around or because others will underestimate a playful smile. He doesn't wear that kind of face all the time, or else he's sure he'd lose his mind, just.... You know. Enough.

But Dimitri? Claude has known him for all of a few hours in total, but he can already tell: the guy is honest to a fault. Even when it doesn't show in the words that leave his mouth, he can see it in the awkward pull of his brows, the embarrassed scrunch of his mouth. He just... has a hard time hiding anything. "I've already said how attractive you are," Dimitri says, finger rubbing over a corner of the menu he has before him. "Are you just trying to tease at me all the further?"

He absolutely is, as a matter of fact. Claude doesn't say that. Instead, still grinning, he points out, "That's not the same as telling me what exactly got you so worked up."

"I am starting to believe that you're nothing short of an absolute terror. Do you know that?"

"And yet you haven't abandoned me on this date."

"Some of us have manners, as difficult as I know this is to believe." Claude is about to continue needling him, just to see how far he can get, before Dimitri sighs and looks out the window. "...If you really must know, my own dignity be quite clearly damned.... I noticed your eyes first. Just- the way they lit up and shined even while you were doing such a mundane job for who knows how long. I could pick up on it even when I first stepped into the back of the line. They were some of the most amazing eyes I'd seen. And... after that... Everything else seemed to just fall into place the more I stared at you. Your smile, for example- how bright it was even though yes, I know, it must have been a part of your job. Then it was the curve of your jaw, and the arch of your nose, and how beautifully the curls of your hair looked in the light of day..." Dimitri sinks his face into one hand, a powder of pink dusted across his cheek and over his nose. "I was trying to keep calm, but instead I only ended up glaring..."

"Ha." The laugh leaves him, automatic. Has to leave him automatically, because the rest of his brain? Claude doesn't think the rest of his brain can even function right now, completely blindsided by such a... Well, he'd been expecting something simple and quick, something about how his eyes were just 'pretty' or whatever. He had never been expecting a whole description of himself, and how amazing even his nose is.

There's a heat tingling beneath his own skin, subtle but noticeably there, and he swears to god. He swears to god. If he is actually blushing, for the first time in probably ten years of living a life without any shame whatsoever.... Quietly, making sure Dimitri doesn't pick up on it, he lets out a slow and quiet breath to settle the flutter in his heart before continuing on like normal. "There, there. You only traumatized...why, probably no more than a small handful of people! Like, four, tops. And I wasn't even one of them."

"Claude! Honestly-" There's no chance to scold him any further than that, however. Their server drops by again, inquiring on if they've made a choice, and Dimitri's eye goes wide. He's a deer in the headlights instead of the hot lion wrestler Claude saw before. "Oh, no, I apologize. Can you give us a few minutes more to make a decision?" Once the server is out of sight, Dimitri shakes his head at him again. "Alright, no more of your games or teasing."

"Aw."

"I'm serious. Have you looked at the menu? I still have to make a decision myself..."

"Well, I doubt a place like this has a huge amount of variety. It shouldn't take long." Smiling now that the conversation has turned back in his favor, Claude quickly skims over the menu. While it has something of a spread, with even a couple of different categories, it's not the kind of restaurant that really needs more than a single page to get the job done. Claude settles on the idea of a panini and a side in short order. Dimitri still seems to be struggling, however, his gaze continuing to stray back towards one part of the menu in particular. "Something catch your eye?"

"Hm? Oh. Well, I thought it was interesting. They actually serve pizza here."

He's trying to play his interest off, Claude can tell. He sees absolutely no reason to let Dimitri get away with it, though, especially not on a date where they're supposed to be enjoying themselves. "Do you want one?" Claude asks, already skimming back down to the appropriate section. He'd noted they had pizza, but he hadn't really thought much of it. It was only the two of them, after all. But you know what... He feels like he's willing to bend his decision a little bit, with how cute Dimitri is and how much his heart still twists pleasantly when he thinks of that quiet litany of compliments from only a minute ago.

Predictably, Dimitri shakes his head. "Oh, it's far too much. I wouldn't want any of it to be put to waste."

"Please. We're both starving, we can probably finish off a good chunk of it, and I'll be amazed if they don't have takeout boxes here." One of the menu items really catches his attention on a second skim through, and Claude snickers. "Actually, no, you know what? Now we definitely have to get one- look, there's a 'Big Cat' pizza. After your whole performance? We need that one."

"That is your reasoning?" Dimitri hunts through the menu himself to find where Claude has landed at. "There's so much meat..."

"Not a meat lovers kind of guy?"

"The taste isn't a problem. But if you insist on eating with me..."

"It's not a problem for me either. Come on, we can get sweet potato fries to break up the taste. And if it takes us a while to get through it, well, you can tell me more about other instances of Sylvain being banned from things. I have a feeling the list isn't a completely short one."

All Dimitri really needs is confirmation that Claude is also happy with eating pizza before he consents. And in the time it takes for their food to be made, and then for them to eat their way through it.... They just talk. Sure, they've gotten to talk a little bit during all of this, but nothing in-depth. Nothing like listening to Dimitri talk about how he's known Sylvain and two other friends ever since he was a kid, and all the stupid stunts they've lived through together. Nothing like telling Dimitri, in turn, about his own roommates and how it is living with them- how Hilda always gets him laughing, while Lorenz is so much fun to tease even if he's a good guy underneath it all.

It's a nice lazy conversation, a good back and forth. There's nothing serious, but there doesn't need to be anything serious. Not when they're eating pizza at a zoo while, far beneath them, sea lions lazily float along the water. Claude always tries to find some measure of joy in his life, something pleasant to relax in, and he likes to think he's gotten pretty good at it after over twenty years of just living... Yet he has to admit that he's never had a chance to relax quite like this. It really was a good idea to let Dimitri get out all his embarrassment from their first meeting in the form of fussing over him, including arranging the whole thing himself.

"And anyway, that's how Hilda got Courtney’s phone number, and how she ended up dating a fellow player in our community marching band," Claude finishes with his latest story, waving a hand airily and with no particular purpose. "Isn't it amazing what gifting a girl a flamethrowing trombone can do?"

Dimitri is leaning forward, utterly enthralled with Claude's masterful storytelling (if, you know, he can boast a little), but at this he makes a faintly offended noise. "I gifted a girl a knife once, and Sylvain has never once let me forget it! He said it was a terrible gift for a girl!"

"Maybe Sylvain doesn't know girls as well as he thinks he does." Claude grins a little. "And how did dating that girl go, anyway?"

The way Dimitri freezes, mouth scrunched up, gives away the tale. "She... did not go with me on any other dates."

Claude cackles delightedly at this for some time, which Dimitri waits out with patient exasperation. He even crosses his arms, as if silently asking if he's quite done. It’s only when Claude calms down that the blond speaks again. "Although, speaking of dates... I did want to ask about this one."

By their stomachs combined, they've made it halfway through the pizza together. Claude toys with the crust of one more slice, pondering if he has room for it, even as he looks over to Dimitri. His date has all of his attention on Claude. "Well, I'm certainly not holding you back from that. What's up?"

In contrast to the way Claude is leaning back, Dimitri leans forward even more now that they don't have food to occupy them. Instead, his eye is trained on Claude's fingers. "I was merely wondering... Are you enjoying yourself?"

You know, Claude had a feeling that things were leading here. He lets his smile soften, fond in a way he still suspects is far too subtle for Dimitri. "What, you can't tell?"

"I've... made assumptions before. This sort of thing is far too important for me to treat carelessly. So... I want to make sure. I want to hear from your own lips, whether or not you've enjoyed this date between the two of us."

There it is- that precious earnestness. The kind that everyone else should have too, because what's the point otherwise? Even if he hides a lot of things himself, Claude has to admit that he wishes there were more people with that kind of bone-deep honesty. It's... nice. Maybe if there were more of it, plus a couple other things, the world would be a little bit better. "Well, let's see.... I got to cuddle up in the warmest coat I think has ever existed. The escape room was cute and fun, especially when I convinced you to hop on one foot." His grin brightens up, in contrast to Dimitri's embarrassed huff. "To top it all off, I got to see you without a shirt-"

"I was wearing a tank top."

"-and we've just had some honestly pretty great pizza and conversation with quality to match. I've been having a great time." Honestly, a lot more fun than he could ever really have foreseen, when he'd first made the decision to text him back. Claude had always figured it was a possibility, but it was one among many, and he hadn't known Dimitri as well yet. Now, well... Now he's learned a whole lot about him. Enough to be pretty sure on what Dimitri is really angling for, what he really needs to hear: a simple confirmation that everything is going well. Even knowing all of that, Claude is surprised by the real honesty and depth he feels in his next words. "Such a great time, honestly, that I wouldn't mind doing it again sometime."

A faint but hopeful little smile settles itself onto Dimitri's lips. "Is that so.... Then, I couldn't be more glad. I was worrying about whether this would be good enough all last night, since I wasn't sure if it would be to your taste." In the back of his head, Claude wonders if it had ever occurred to Dimitri to facebook dive for him the same way that Claude did with him, and if that would have changed anything. "But.... Then, if that's the case, I feel there's something important for you to know, before we do anything else. Honestly, I wanted to bring it up earlier... It's simply that I was told such a thing is too up-front. So I thought I would at least wait until- or if- you seemed interested in anything beyond this one date, and after you'd been able to have lunch seemed like the best time." Gone is that little smile, and Dimitri still hasn't raised his eyes to meet Claude's gaze.

Well. That's sure a worrying thing to say. Claude shifts so that he's leaning forward as well, and he watches Dimitri's gaze flicker up and around them- checking to make sure no one is eavesdropping on them, or paying him too much undue attention. On that, honestly, Dimitri doesn't need to worry. While the zoo line was slow in the morning, business seems to have picked up more towards lunch time. The restaurant alone seems to have plenty of people whose combined conversational buzz almost guarantees privacy.

Still, Claude makes sure to keep close, regulate his tone, so that the other man can feel a little better. "Well, I'm here and all ears." Bad news comes in all sorts of forms. Claude has experienced more than a few of them personally. In fact, he's experienced more than a few of them while on actual dates, or in the aftermath of them. While he hadn't expected Dimitri would drop any on him on the very first date, he's also not as surprised as he could be. He watches Dimitri take a deep breath, steadying himself-

"I have schizophrenia."

Claude has a vast and... exciting dating history. One time, a person compared him to their estranged father. Another time, the date was full of nothing but talk of his date's ex. All this is to say that he's lived through a lot- from hypercritical hipsters who judged him on his taste in media to his date's exes party-crashing. This is a new one, something so unexpected that all Claude can do is blink as he stares over at Dimitri.

Dimitri still refuses to look at him, one hand curled tight under the other on the table. Hidden as it is, Claude can still see the way his fingers are shaking ever so slightly. "I don't particularly like to talk about it," he says quietly, digging his nails into the hand beneath them. He gives an attempt at a smile, but it's not nearly as convincing as he would probably like it to be. "I'm on medication, as well. However, I thought.... It's not the kind of thing I should keep quiet about, not if we're going to see each other again. You... should have all of the information available to you, before you decide to commit to this sort of relationship, however long or short it may last. I didn't want to seem as though I were tricking you."

Claude is fairly sure that Dimitri has a lot more to say; the guy can certainly talk when he gets into his groove. However, he interrupts him, because that? That isn't going to fly. "Tricking me? Dimitri, anyone you’ve just met who thinks you hiding a sensitive personal issue like this until you’ve gotten to know them a little is trickery was probably going to be a pain in the ass later on."

Dimitri jerks his head up, meeting Claude's stare for the first time since this whole conversation began, eye wide- God. He'd been expecting a rejection, hadn't he? He'd been preparing for Claude to walk right out of the date, or disappear under some paper thin excuse. In a flash, he can feel a sort of heat burning along the back of his heart. He has to smother it before the feeling becomes too open, too serious.

"Look... I appreciate your trying to look out for me. And it is a pretty important thing to know about, so I can understand that. But..." And he slides a hand over, fingertips touching Dimitri's hands. He grins. "Try to give me a little credit. Don't act like I'm going to ditch you after what has been a perfectly amazing date. Honestly, now I'm more worried about how I'll live up to my half of dating you."

"What? Why?"

"I mean, I don't know exactly a whole lot about this kind of thing." Dimitri's hands have stopped tensing up beneath his, Claude notes. "Now I'm worried that I might say something insensitive, or be a huge asshole without meaning to. So how about this-" He winks. "You tell me if I'm being weird, rude, or a prick, and I'll do the same when it comes to you. You know, the exact same kind of thing we should be doing while dating anyway, and that we've already done together." Because now that he's looking back over the last couple of hours, Claude is already pretty sure he messed up. No wonder Dimitri had kept checking things, and had gotten so annoyed when he'd read that escape room book wrong. At the time, Claude had agreed to not do it again to placate him. Now... Now it's a more serious promise.

Dimitri is still staring at him; Claude definitely prefers that more than aggressively avoiding eye contact. Then, so slow and small and faint that it could be a daydream, Dimitri smiles. "...Then, a second date?"

"Well, the first one isn't over yet," Claude says coyly, sliding his hand back. Dimitri does his best not to be too obvious about it, but he still looks a bit like a puppy that's had a treat taken away. So he's definitely one for physical affection; duly noted. "Want to get a pair of boxes to put this pizza in, and then we can see what else we haven't covered in the zoo?"

He looks over to the pizza as though he’d completely forgotten its existence- which, frankly, he probably did. Claude can't blame him after a conversation like that. "Oh, yes. Well... I don't think I should, even if I did like it. Do you mind...?"

"You don't need to twist my arm or anything to get me to take this delicious pizza with me back to my apartment and my ravenous roommates." Grinning still, Claude waves over to where their server is. "I didn't see any desserts on the menu. Want to snag some ice cream while we wander? I think I can probably still fit some."

"Even after all of that?" At least he's smiling again, a small and casual little thing. Claude is starting to realize there's more weight to it than he was ever aware of. Also, Dimitri already has his wallet out.

"Listen, don't you know there's always room for dessert?" Claude clicks his tongue in exaggerated disbelief. "But I'm paying for it, or else I'm going to start feeling like a sugar baby at the rate we're going."

"A what-"

Their fun and exciting new conversation topic has to be put to the side for a moment as their server comes back over. It only takes her a minute to go get a box for the pizza... and she sure does keep glancing over at Dimitri for a few seconds as she sets down the receipt. Claude is wondering what the deal is when she says, "Are you... the person who was playing tug of war with the lions earlier?"

"Well look at that!" Claude laughs even while Dimitri starts to sink into his seat, narrowing his eye down at the table before he remembers to take a breath. "You're a local celebrity already, Dimitri."

"I would really prefer not to be," Dimitri says, voice a little bit strained.

"It's nothing bad!" their server protests. "I just thought that the two of you would be interested to hear about the enrichment game that they're doing today. It's, uh, they're giving pumpkins to some of the animals, lions included. It usually happens not too long after the lunch hour, so...."

That Dimitri isn't further being teased for his little tug of war stunt is almost disappointing, but that's fine. Claude is surprised to find that he actually likes the way his date brightens up almost as much as he knows he’d enjoy some casual teasing. The forced casual tone as his date tries to restrain his excitement is adorable, too. "Really? Then perhaps it would be worth backtracking a bit..."

Dimitri is always obvious when he's glancing at someone. With only one eye, he has to notably turn his head to look at Claude and gauge his reaction to the idea.

Well, hey, they were looking for something more to do. "Sounds like it'll be hilarious."

Dimitri might be the one who pays for the main meal after he inputs some more things into his phone, but Claude makes sure that he's the one who leaves a generous tip behind for their oh-so helpful server. He also gets them some ice cream at a stall that's clearly doing slow business on that end. It honestly is a little cold to eat ice cream. But here’s another point to consider: ice cream is delicious. There are some things one is willing to suffer for.

He will say he was totally right: watching the lions mess around with pumpkins is a hilarious affair. The perfect way to continue their date, and an even more perfect way to watch from the corner of his eye as the tension in Dimitri's shoulders begins to loosen. Also there's honestly nothing quite like seeing a lion try to gnaw through inches and inches of hard gourd before she just gives up. While they watch, she runs away to hide with it under some of the denser foliage. "I can't tell if I'm terrified," Claude says as she snarls around a mouthful of fiber, "or about to bust my gut laughing."

"She's doing her best. Give her some validation."

The lions give the gourds their full attention for a good fifteen minutes or so, with a fourth lion eventually coming out to investigate all the fuss; she even goes chasing a pumpkin all the way into the water. She paces along the edge, complaining the entire time, until a scarred blond with teeth to match the lions themselves pops his head up over the enclosure wall.He pokes the pumpkin back to shore with a long stick, into the grateful paws of the lioness.

After that...well, there are still a few exhibits to browse through, including an enormous petting zoo area. The petting zoo advertises peacocks, who clearly have almost no patience for the amount of attention they get. (Claude makes sure to snap a picture to send to Lorenz, with the caption "ran into your parents at the zoo!") But the day is starting to wane, sun making its slow and sure trek towards the horizon while taking what little warmth there was with it. Dimitri seems to recognize this, stopping at fewer and fewer exhibits as the two of them wander along even before Claude suggests they both take their leave for the day.

Their last stop is at the souvenir shop. There, Dimitri picks up a jacket sporting the image of a lion head with a rainbow mane, laughing to himself. There's a pun here, but only for the two of them, in the context of a date. Claude knows he could be further spoiled, if he asked, but he doesn't go for anything pricey. All he does is laugh, grabbing a bright yellow shirt that says "WELL KOALAFIED" on it in bold letters. And once they leave, Claude expects the invitation to escort him to his car even before Dimitri makes it.

"I’m happy with the shirt but I thought knives were the traditional first date gift from you," Claude teases as they navigate the jungle of the zoo’s parking lot.

The dusting of pink on Dimitri's face isn't due to the chill. "It's a nice and practical gift, I don't see why it's a problem," he grumbles. "Now two people aren't going to let that go." He stops his complaints soon enough, perking up when Claude begins to veer very definitively towards one car in particular. "Oh- yours, then?"

"Yup, that's right." Pausing by the driver's side door, he gives the roof a fond slap. It's pretty well worn, with how long-lived it is, but he's pleased with it anyway. "So this looks like my stop. I'm going to assume you'll be wanting this back." At some point after lunch, he'd taken to buttoning Dimitri's long blue coat up. His fingers don't even go further than the first button before Dimitri's hand lights gently on top of his.

Much like in the restaurant, Dimitri isn't looking up into his eyes but instead down at his fingers. Unlike in the restaurant, there's no nerves, no waiting for the next shoe to drop. All there is would be the presence of a tiny smile. "You.... don't have to," he says quietly. "It might still be a little chilly, don't you think?"

Standing there in front of Claude in the parking lot, Dimitri really does look... warm and soft, which is a look Claude doesn't think he's gotten to experience much in most of his recent dating ventures. Most of them took place at night, after all. Or maybe it has nothing to do with the time of day, and everything to do with the fondness he feels for this guy already. Shit, he doesn't remember the last time he got it this bad.

Still, he doesn't have it so bad that he still can't give one of his usual sly grins, bumping the back of his knuckles into Dimitri's hand. "Chilly in the controlled temperature of my car?"

"You'll still have to leave your car to walk to your apartment," Dimitri argues before he slumps with a quiet sigh and a smile. "And.... Perhaps it would be nice, to have an excuse to see you again."

Despite knowing Raphael, Claude is still kind of suckerpunched by how cute someone this tall and this buff can be. He laughs under his breath. "You might need a search warrant more than an excuse. With how nice this coat is, I might steal it."

"Ha." Dimitri's fingers slowly fold over Claude's, holding onto him a little more properly now. "...I did have a nice time. Thank you for... giving me a chance."

Interrupting him before he can get self-depreciating, Claude snorts. "Shouldn't I be thanking you for spoiling me all day?" He tilts his head to the side. "And it even came with me having a pretty good time myself. Now I'm really looking forward to the second date."

And there it is.

In contrast with the setting sun behind him, Dimitri's slowly spreading smile is a sliver of moonlight in the shadows. All this time, Claude knows Dimitri's been holding back, been keeping himself in reserve, and, shit, after lunch it's very clear why he's been doing that. So to see all that worry and self-imposed, self-punishing control be lifted for a brief second? To see Dimitri be happy? It really feels like Claude has done something really good for someone. And just as much as that... But he wants this, too.

While Claude's committing the expression to memory (while also trying to quell his fluttering heart), Dimitri pulls his hand upwards. His lips are a little chapped, a little dry from worried biting, but they're warmer than hell itself where they press fleetingly against Claude's knuckles. "Then I will do my very best to make the second one as good," he says, before he lets go of Claude's hand and begins to weave through the maze of cars.

Claude waits until Dimitri's tall blond head disappears out of sight, presumably into his own car, before he slumps against his car with one hand on the roof and his other- the lucky, kissed one- over his chest. "What the fuck," he laughs breathlessly to himself. Chivalry is dead? No, chivalry is alive and well- at least in one outlier who shouldn't be counted, whose name is Dimitri Blaiddyd. He's almost surprised there's not some armored steed tied up in the parking lot for him to ride off on. Still laughing, still flushed, he digs out one of his phones again.





↣ upDATE to my beautiful bff hilda

↣ was not murdered in a sanitized white basement

↣ am not in the trunk of the car that my stunning good looks have finally gotten me kidnapped into

↣ can't wait 2 tell you all about it

↣ i got a surprise





"GUESS WHO GOT A SUGAR DADDY!" Claude sings at the top of his lungs, swinging open the door with one hand while his other proudly fluffs up the luxurious fur resting right besides his face. You know, after he puts down his box of pizza, souvenir shirt balanced on top of that.

Lorenz is on his feet already, exasperated in that very unique and extreme way that only Lorenz can manage. It's one of his many fantastic skills, besides knowing a million lawyers and cultivating a disdain towards all the right people. "Claude. I know it's only late afternoon, but really now-" Aaaand then he pauses, taking in the new article of clothing that has taken up residence on Claude's body. It's a better show than anything Claude could find on television, how frustrated exasperation begins to shift through analytical surprise into wary concern. "...This is one of those instances where I cannot tell if you are indulging in your usual and terrible sense of humor, or if you might actually be serious." He straightens up, taking a deep breath and holding one fist to his chest. "If it is the latter, please tell me that you did a background check first."

Behind Lorenz, Hilda has her hands raised to her mouth, but her fingers aren't nearly enough to hide her own delighted grin.

Kicking the door shut behind him, Claude draws his comfortable fur hood all the closer around his face with yet another sinful grin. "Don't worry, Lorenz, Hilda looked him up on social media." Lorenz's groan says he's cottoned on even before Claude adds, "And it's not a sugar daddy arrangement. For one thing, he's not nearly that old, so it would really be more like a sugar brother, or a sugar cousin. Some other form of fun incest-play."

"So he just gave you a whole coat for no reason?" Hilda asks in delight, draping across the back of their couch while Lorenz scrubs at his face (but, you know, elegantly).

Shucking out of his shoes but keeping his extra coat on, Claude just smiles. "He was worried I was so fragile that I'd faint from the cold-"

"Yes, well, for how much you complain of it, I can imagine why one would walk away with that impression."

"I am of but delicate constitution," Claude says primly, making sure his shoes are out of the way. It was one of the rules Lorenz had made sure to establish when they'd all moved in together. Their own rooms could be however they liked, as long as they didn't emit any sort of foul odor. But the entryway? That had to be clear. Claude had been fine with giving that one to him. He's also fine with giving his roommates more information as he makes his way through the apartment, snagging his new shirt off the pizza box as he does so. "Anyway, he was just looking for an excuse to see me again. Which he told me up front, as a matter of fact."

Hilda is scrutinizing him carefully, nose scrunched up. In the meantime, Lorenz places one hand at his chin in pleasant surprise. "Well, what a gentlemanly act. I was under the impression, from what I had heard, that he was something of a brute."

Claude makes the decision not to talk about Dimitri taking off his shirt in a zoo to play tug of war with a lion- primarily because he feels he would inevitably end up revealing how that sight made him want to get railed against a wall, hard, by the viking he's now made the commitment to go on another date with. He likes teasing Lorenz, sure, but he also won't make him suffer the details of his love life- fantasies included. (Yet.) Instead, he shrugs and heads towards his room. "Well, it was a date full of fun surprises, I'll say that much. Anyway, I brought back some pizza, if you guys don't mind tons of meat. "

"Free dinner! Perfect, I didn't want to cook anyway."

Even as he heads down the hall to his room, Claude can hear Lorenz's sigh. "You never cook regardless, Hilda."

Well at least they're having fun. Claude just closes his door behind him, fingers still rubbing along the fur of Dimitri's coat.

Usually, he hasn’t had to think too hard about the dates he's gone on in the past. Sometimes, sure, but not often. It's not that he always has really shallow dates or anything. It's just... They're meant to be fun, and relaxed, and nothing to really get serious about.

Going on the date with Dimitri certainly filled out a lot of those definitions, Claude reflects, making his way around the numerous books (and magazines, and pamphlets, and zines...) that cover the floor of his room. He'd had plenty of fun looking at all of the different animals, most that he hadn't seen in person in years, and that’s not even mentioning him and Dimitri going through the zoo's cute little escape room. Eating pizza while talking about his friends and looking out an enormous window down to see how the sea otters were doing, that had been a whole new level of relaxing. Honestly, the whole thing had just been a nice break from it all: a job that leaned towards dead silent or nonstop work with no inbetween, lots of organization and work for the band, the repetition that always seemed to happen with most of the other dates he went on... Nothing against his past dates, of course. They'd all been fun, adding something new with every iteration. He just supposes that, no matter what new toppings you put on it, you're going to get tired of pizza if you have that all the time.

His room isn't the largest in the city, or maybe even their apartment building. It only feels smaller with how much he's stuffed it with everything else, from computers to a couple instruments to...well, you know, his own miniature and horribly organized library. Yet there's still enough room on his chair for him to drape Dimitri's coat over it- if only because he hasn't figured out a way to properly stack books on a chair's spine yet.

Shimmying out of his jeans, Claude lazily adds them to his growing laundry basket pile along with his souvenir shirt. His sweatshirt? He opts to keep that on, flopping backwards onto his bed and disrupting at least half a dozen other books that he'll have to remember to put away before he falls asleep tonight. Just, he can do that later. Later, when he's not turning his head to look at that brilliant blue now on his furniture.

He really, truly hadn't been expecting his feelings to hit as hard as they had. It's almost sort of funny, he reflects, folding his hands behind his head. Then again, maybe he had been expecting something. 'Something' was what had driven his curiosity forward in the first place, fascinated by the glowering menace of a guy whose mouth didn't know how to flirt and whose texts were so embarrassingly polite that he actually bothered to include periods. The only other person he knows who does that is Lorenz.

...But it really all does make sense, when he takes in what Dimitri told him over lunch. He can't empathize with the exact experience, but he can certainly sympathize enough. So much stress over how other people would perceive him.... "Ha," he says to his empty room. "Who knew we'd have that in common?"

It's almost like looking into a fun house mirror. Him, he takes things slow, reveals things to the right people at the right time- or at least, if he feels he can. That goes double for the things close to him, for the important things. It's not weird or anything; what kind of person reveals everything about themselves right off of the bat? The answer to that question is apparently a tall, muscular, blond viking who can beat an actual lion in a strength contest. (Dimitri would probably protest it was a temporary, fleeting victory, but Claude’s going to cling to this, thank you.) Even when he thought it could end badly for him, even when he hadn't been sure, he'd still wanted to be completely honest with Claude.

Claude... likes that, he realizes. He's always known he appreciates honesty like that in other people, but this is the first time it's been such a... a virtue in a person he's started dating. Not just during that conversation over lunch, either, although that had certainly been the bravest example of it. But everything before that, and after- Dimitri’s honesty had just shone through like he really didn't know what else to do with himself. Even at their first meeting, the reason he'd been such a dark cloudy mess had been because he'd been trying to hold himself back so much that he'd fucked up, and he had to run away blushing once he’d realized that still wasn't enough. In turn, that little trait just makes everything else shine too: his ridiculous old-fashioned courtesy like using his own coat to wrap Claude in, the way he'd put so much serious effort into a fun little puzzle with nothing on the line, going all out in a game with a big cat. None of that was Dimitri playing up anything. He's really just... like that, a thought so charming and adorable that Claude is grinning over at the coat before he can even think to stop himself. Before he can even want to stop himself.

That's really as good a sign as any, isn't it? He'd worried, for a fraction of a second, that maybe he was going to fall into a pity trap because of what Dimitri had told him. Yet for all that Claude might lie or hide things from other people, the one person he's always and eternally honest with is himself... and he knows that, even before they'd settled down to lunch and Dimitri had put his heart right there on the line, he'd already been feeling some sort of way about the guy.

It's been a while since he's seriously dated.... but he's feeling pretty serious now. Maybe it's time for him to put a piece of his own heart out there on the line, too.

A knock at his door snaps him out of his thoughts, and Claude lazily looks over to it. Only one person in their apartment ever bothers to actually knock on doors before they’d dream of entering a room. "Claude?" Lorenz asks from the other side. "I know you did just return from your date, so I am more than understanding if you would like to take a short rest in order to decompress. However, while you were gone, Hilda finally fixed the bit of difficult coding that was causing her problems, and our website is now properly revamped. I was hoping you could give your thoughts."

Ah, his work is never done. Swinging himself back onto his feet, Claude stretches his arms up over his head. "It's fine, Lorenz. It was a date, not a shift at the Golden Deer, Lorenz." He rummages around for where his clothes are, the dresser almost hidden underneath- you guessed it- even more books. "Give me a minute and I'll be right out."

Still, before he goes back to the living room but after he's put on sweatpants, Claude pauses. For that kind of guy, with such a tendency to worry.... He goes to dig his phones out again, which he would have had to do anyway. But now he uses the one he'd texted Dimitri with for one last text of the night. It's nothing big, takes maybe a second of internet searching, before he sends off a silly little gif of a lion missing a step and falling into its pool.

There. That ought to do it. Smiling to himself over a job well done, Claude heads out to the living room with his two favorite co-conspirators.





Throughout the entire drive back to his apartment building, a warm wave of feelings carries him, and Dimitri basks in it over the sounds of the podcast he has playing on low- more for the sound than the words. It's been a long time since he's dated. Years and years, really. Yet this is as good as it's ever gotten, the most connected he's ever felt. Is this what dates are always supposed to feel like? Maybe Sylvain's bad habits almost make a certain type of sense, then... although Dimitri knows for a fact that's not true. Things just... seem really good, at least when it's only him, and noise, and background scenery which keeps changing.

As is something he's almost become used to, reality stops feeling so warm when he gets out of his car, in the now long dark parking space for his apartment. Dimitri pauses as the... gray of it all weighs down on him. Or rather, it's not the surroundings that do it to him, but what he has to deal with when he finally makes it inside- when it's only him, alone, in an elevator whose metal walls warp his reflection. It's too empty, too suffocating when it's only him, and Dimitri closes his eye until he feels the elevator grind and jerk to a halt. Next time, he reminds himself, he'll go for the stairs. At least there's the comforting burn of movement to keep his body occupied and his mind lulled. It's when he's not doing something, when there's nothing for his mind to get distracted by, that it feels as though every thought becomes only a smear.

The hallway to his apartment is a bit better, although there's still a certain emptiness as he makes his way down it with his keys foraged out from his pocket. The choice of color for the walls and the bulbs for the lights at least makes it seem warm, and the window at the end of the hall shows the stretch of quiet lights burning all throughout the city. Still, it's not quite enough of a comfort to keep him from tensing up a little bit, jaw a little too stiff, as he prepares for the emptiness of his own home. It's not so bad when he's actually in it, accumulates to it like the temperature of water, but he never likes entering it. He especially doesn't like the idea of it at this time of day, when the dark seems to make more a home of it than he does even when he's flicked on the lights. In the end... He supposes he doesn't like being alone, even if it was his choice to start with.

Dimitri is still flicking through the keys on his keychain when there's a click of a door down the hall. "Dimitri?" says a familiar low voice, and he looks up. "Welcome back."

"Dedue..." He pauses in his key search. "I keep forgetting, you and the others live right down the hall from me now. Hello."

"Understandably, our schedules don't often mix." Behind Dedue, Dimitri can see all three of his lovers peeking out from the doorway of their apartment. Mercedes wiggles her fingers in greeting, watching him for all that her usual smile is right in place. There's no doubt that Dedue is fully aware of their audience, but he humors it, continuing on with the conversation. "I was told that you had a date, so I thought you would be out much later."

"It was only to a zoo. Not particularly a late night sort of date activity." It hadn't occurred to him how much that would benefit Claude if he ever got uncomfortable, Dimitri realizes in hindsight, but he supposes that can just be an unexpected bonus. Speaking of Claude... "It... was nice. I enjoyed myself. He even wanted to go on another date sometime, if you can believe it."

"I can." Dedue doesn't shy away from looking him straight in the eyes. "I know that the past years have been difficult, yet, ever since we first met, you have always been more than you give credit. That is still true, even now."

"Ha. I've never been able to get away with disparaging myself around you, for better or worse."

"Well, if you've come back so early, then that means you probably haven't had dinner yet, right?" Annette interrupts, opening the door wider so that the three of them aren't all squished there. "You should join us for ours, Dimitri! We were just about to have it."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," he tries to protest, already having a million reasons ready why it's a terrible idea at worst and rude at best. Unfortunately, excuses only work if you get a chance to say them. Mercedes takes the initiative, encouraged by Annette's own, as she strides past Dedue to take him by the hand. Smiling, she taps her cheek and Dimitri blinks before he smacks his free hand to his own. Once again, when he wasn't thinking about it, he began to slip into a glower. If anyone but Dedue had been speaking with him, they probably would have exited out of the conversation in a heartbeat. While he's hastily smoothing out his own facial expressions, Mercedes takes full advantage of this to steal him into the apartment.

"It'll be so fun. It's usually so hard to get all of us to dinner like this anymore, but now, at least with you, we can do it whenever we like."

But he can't really protest it, in the end. It's hard for him to refuse his friends, and harder still when it's so easy to fall into a pleasant rhythm with these four in particular. Dinner, in fact, wasn't about to be had, leading him to suspect Annette sprung it on him as an excuse. That's.... All right, in the end. He's glad for the relief, the company, being in an apartment that seems well and properly lived in, with plenty of plants thriving along shelves and books tucked into the spaces that are left. Dedue and Ashe are still as good as cooks as they've ever been, with all five of them able to have a comfortable dinner in a table that just barely manages to fit so many people at it. And when there's finally no excuses to keep him there, Mercedes hands him a large baggy of muffins she seems to always regularly have on hand for literally anyone.

All of it leaves Dimitri smiling, and unable to leave for another ten minutes as they all get wrapped up in good nights and accidental last minute conversation. It's enough to last him down the hall when their apartment door finally closes, and he's left in front of his own.

Getting his keys means pulling his phone out of the way. He finally realizes that he's received messages since he's arrived back at his building and been swept up in an impromptu invitation to dinner. It's only polite to answer right away... all the moreso when he sees the name attached to the message. It's nothing big, nothing important. Just... a little gif, of lions, being ridiculous. On his lips, his smile strengthens, and his heart aches fondly.

Entering his apartment doesn't seem like such a big deal, now.