D(ate) Day

[alderwitch]

She tilted her face up, listening. Although he hadn't been a hero, her dad's father had spent countless afternoons playing board games with her as a child. When she'd been confined to a family member's home, he'd started teching her to pass the time and eventually it had become a dearly beloved hobby. Something special that they both shared. Alex squeezed his arm, stopping him on the way to the theater with a little tug, "Can you show me? I'd like to see your granpa more than the movie."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Thank you," said Mark with a simple smile, looking very grateful for her interest. "He's this way." Jimmy Lucas was memorialized in a bronze statue near the rear of the exhibit devoted to the heroes of the Golden Age of superheroing, placed alongside such memorable figures as Star-Wave and the Scarlet Spectre. Even cast in bronze, Jimmy was instantly recognizable as a Lucas family member, his smile very much akin to Mark's. The black and white picture nearby was a bit more informative, showing a smiling young man with cheeks thickly dusted with freckles and what must have been a brightly-colored bowtie. Jimmy Lucas had died in 1988. Mark stared up at his grandfather for a moment or two. "Hi Grandpa," he finally said, "this is Alex. She's a special girl."

[alderwitch]

Alex gave a little wave to the statue and leaned into Mark's side as she took in the display. Some heroes she recognized, others she wasn't as familiar with but there was something both inspiring and humbling standing in front of the homage to her predecessors. That's really what the difference was, she mused, the last time she'd stood here it had been as a citizen of Freedom but they'd all taken the steps towards becoming heroes themselves now. It gave her a bit more perspective on it, and a different level of respect for the faces and names.

After a moment of standing quietly, "It's a little strange, you know, to think of them as people as well as heroes. I mean, at one point they were just like us and just starting out. It makes you wonder, who was nervous and who was eager, and how they all changed through it." Alex mused thoughtfully before she smiled, "You have his smile, you know."

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark was pleased at this turn of events, especially since he now had his arm around Alex's shoulders in a companionable sort of way. Not much for introspection, he nodded along with her as she shared her thoughts on the heroes of the past. "It's hard to believe any of these people were ever like us," he admitted. He played tour guide as they walked through the various halls of the museum, using his phone to take a few pictures of the various exhibits he liked the best, even persuading a passing tourist to take their picture beneath the statue of the very first Lady Liberty. Mark had never projected the air of being a particularly knowledgeable student, but here among his childhood heroes he was perfectly at home, and eager to share his happiness with Alex. In the various movie theaters, his arm found its way around the back of her shoulders in the classic style of a boy on a date with a girl he liked.

[alderwitch]

Alex was an enthusiastic coversationalist and, as the night progressed, was obviously more herself. She blushed when his arm slipped around her but leaned into his side as they walked and asked curiously about the trivia that he knew. She'd been relatively sheltered from super-hero exploits with her mom's touchy attituded towards her contemporaries so she found Mark's take on it pretty fascinating. An affectionate person by nature, she slipped her hand into his easily once past her initial shyness, or rested her head against his shoulder while watching the films. Mark even found himself all but dragged once or twice when something especially interesting caught her eye.

[Avenger Assembled]

Eventually they both became conscious of the passing of time, not to mention the fact that they hadn't had any supper. Mark suggested they eat at Champions, the theme restaurant attached to the museum with branches all over Freedom City. A bit like a more sedate TGIFridays, the restaurant was fairly quiet as the museum reached its closing hours. "I'd recommend the Rick Lucas Nacho Fries," said Mark with a smile over his menu, "but I suppose I am biased. They really do go great with everything. I'm going to get the White Lion Steak Burger myself."

[alderwitch]

One sandaled foot tapped under the table as she skimmed the menu. Alex couldn't believe how quickly time had flown. She smiled faintly at the names of the items, running a fingertip down the list, "I believe you on the nachos but I don't think I'd be able to finish anything. The portions here are kinda large. I'll just steal some of yours."

She smiled over the menu at him before setting it down, "I'm getting the Dr. Atom Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Maybe a shake."

[Avenger Assembled]

He sat down his menu too. "Mm, me too. The Halogen Special is pretty good and it's strawberry;' they put this dye in it that makes your teeth light up under blacklight." He smiled at her, both of them pausing their conversation to briefly give their order before looking at each other again. "I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to introduce you to my parents yet," Mark admitted. "They picked a pretty funny time to go off on vacation." He grinned wryly. "I thought I had it pretty rough when I had to go back to school in the summertime...but lately, I've been thinking I was lucky after all." He reached across the table to lightly squeeze her hand. "Meeting you, and everybody else."

[alderwitch]

Alex's smile softened and she laced her fingers with his to squeeze his hand back, "I'm really glad to have met you too. I dunno if we'd even be hanging out if you'd joined back up in the fall with everyone else. I mean, I bet you have lots of friends to normally hang out with."

She tilted her head, her smile slightly shy, "I.. we'd miss out on having you around." Her humor bubbled back up and she added with a laugh, "I don't think there's any other leader that everyone would put up with for one."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Oh, I'd think you'd be a good leader," said Mark with a warm smile. "You're certainly a lot better than I at making plans and stuff." He didn't sound too bothered by his lack. "And everyone else...well, they have their own strengths in their own way," he said diplomatically. "Some of them stronger than others." He gently stroked the top of her hand with his thumb. "I'd miss you too," he said quietly. "It's been a while since I've been out with anyone, and never with someone who I liked as much as you."

[alderwitch]

Alex blushed, glancing down at their linked hands, and caught her lip between her teeth nervously. The friends aspect of this date she could totally handle, the more romantic aspects however were making her stomach jump around with butterflies. Her first instinct was to play down the whole plan making part of the conversation, hide behind humility and all that, but she wasn't here to keep skirting nervously around, right?

"I like you a lot, too, Mark," she said quietly when she found her voice, "This evenings been really nice. I've had a lot of fun."

She moistened her lips, trying not to wince at how akward that all sounded and forced herself to relax. Alex glanced back up, her expression vulnerable as she searched out his eyes, "Honestly, this evening's been wonderful."

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark gave her a warm, honest smile as he met her eyes. "I really like you too, Alex. This has been a wonderful night." He leaned in close across the table, their waitress luckily dawdling a bit with their food. "I really like spending time with you. At school, and at places like this, when it's just the two of us. I'd like to do it again sometime. What do you say?"

[alderwitch]

She was too distracted to worry about whether or not her palm was sweaty, or if her words were all jumbled. Alex looked at him with wide, solemn eyes as she leaned in to answer. She hesitated for half a second, trying to keep her heart from pounding out of her chest before she smiled - one of those beaming-so-very-Alex smiles - and squeezed his hand, "Yes. Yes, I think I'd like that awful lot.

[Avenger Assembled]

Their food arrived about then, luckily ending the moment before it could drag on any further. He had to let go of Alex's hand to eat, but Mark could still feel the remembered touch of her fingers on his. The evening was going very well indeed, and it wasn't even over yet. "Here, you want to try a bite of steak?" he offered her, cutting a piece and holding it on his fork. "It's pretty good, it's loaded with daka sauce. Which is mostly A-1." He grinned.

[alderwitch]

Alex paused in pulling the pickles off her sandwich and glanced from him to the fork. "Sure!"

Trusting that even if she clumsy, he was too darn lucky for this to all end badly, she accepted the piece of steak confident it was not going to result in daka sauce everywhere. She sat back with an expression of pleasure and licked the last bit of sauce from her lower lip. With a laugh, she commented, "Clearly I should just have copied your order. That's downright sinful. It's what I get for ignoring the voice of experience I suppose."

[Avenger Assembled]

"I'll steer you down the right path," Mark promised with a knowing smile. The food was good and the company was better, everything in the evening was just going as well as he'd hoped. Better, even. He lingered over his shake and the last of his burger, reluctant to bring the evening to an end. "When would you like to go out again?" he asked her, perfectly willing to let her make those sorts of plans. "I'm free most any night we're not in training."

[alderwitch]

"What about Friday?" Alex suggested cheerfully, neatly setting her napkin to the side. She'd finished her food, and had her arms resting lightly on the table, her fingers interlaced under her chin. Alex's eyes sparkled with good humor. It had been a very pleasant evening and so far, not a single akward stumble except for a few occasional stutters on her part. She would have to tell Erin that she had been right. "We could go see a movie or something?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Sure thing," said Mark equitably, leaving his credit card out to pay the waitress as she came by. "I think we'd better clear out of here now, though, they're prolly gonna start closing things soon." He left behind a good, solid tip when his card came back, remembering his parents' lessons about that very well. "Have you seen the new Harry Potter yet?"

[alderwitch]

Alex blinked as he paid, pausing in the act of reaching for her purse. She glanced up at him, and considered offering to pay for half but that might seem rude. Nibbling on her lower lip she considered before giving him a smile and saying simply, "Thank you for dinner."

Standing up, she shook her skirt out and smoothed it down to make sure it hung correctly and came around to join him as they left the table, "No, I haven't had a chance to, yet. I've been looking forward to it, though. Would you like to go see that?"

[Avenger Assembled]

"The asker should always pay for a date," said Mark. "But you're welcome. It seems only fair." He smiled at her as they got up. "Sure, if you'd like to. We'll figure out what time it's showing, I guess, then work out a time?" He joined her in heading out of the restaurant, still enjoying the ambiance as they reached the night outside. "That'll be great." He beamed at her. "We'll have a magical evening, I guess. As long as you don't mind the occasional terrible pun."

[alderwitch]

Chuckling, she bumped his shoulder with hers playfully as she kept up with him. Alex tended to take short quick strides as most of her life she'd been trying to keep up with the much taller Mike, so it was easy enough to fall into step with Mark as they walked back to the car. Playfully, she teased, "I dunno... Just how terrible are we talking? I mean, like ha-ha pun or like the wicked pun-master kinda puns? Cuz, you know, there's a line."

[Avenger Assembled]

Greatly daring, Mark decided to go for broke. What was life without adventure? "The worst," he promised with a laugh. "But maybe with you around, and the two of us watching the movie, I'll be able to think of better things to do with my time." He gave her a teasing smile as they headed for the car. "You do tend to bring out the best rather than the worst." He unlocked the car as they approached, the parking lot occupied with the last couple of museum patrons.

[alderwitch]

Alex laughed, a bright cheerful sound as she bumped against him again. She paid little attention to the other musuem patrons making their way back to their cars, her attention focused more on her date. She rested a casual hand on his arm, still chuckling, "I bring out the best, hunh? I don't know about that. 'Sides, what else is there to do while watching a movie?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark smiled down at Alex, enjoying the moment with her thoroughly. She was cute and sweet, and a very good companion. I make my own luck, he thought, half-listening to her talk. When she finished, he took this opportunity to strike out in new directions entirely. "I think we'll find a way to pass the time," he murmured to her. At that Mark bent his head, ducked down a little, and kissed her on the lips. It was a quick kiss, as befit a quick peck on a first date, but a kiss nonetheless. This was not Mark Lucas' first time on a date with a girl, by any means.

[alderwitch]

He managed to catch Alex entirely by surprise, although she would later put together what exactly 'other things' could be done that watch a movie (and possibly blush herself silly), she had turned her face up towards his automatically as he leaned in. As he pulled away, she blushed and half raised a hand to her lips as if to hold the warmth of her first kiss in. Rarely did Alex ever find herself speechless, but as she slipped her hand in his for the rest of the walk to the car, she didn't really have to express herself in words. In fact, the entire parking garage was treated to the happy-bubbly emotional response of one of Claremont's most promising psychics.