thousandyard | (no subject)

[ there are no major crises in the world, or at least none that anyone expects captain america to solve, and so steve doesn't text tj to cancel and instead spends a good hour getting ready for a date. ( he hasn't really done a lot of dating, despite natasha's frequent attempts to find him a date. )

by the time tj rings the buzzer, steve's dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a blue button down. they're both modernly cut because natasha threatened him with bodily harm if he kept "dressing like you get your things from goodwill, really" and he's learnt to pick his battles with her. letting her go shopping for him had seemed like a small price to pay, in the end, even if the shopping experience itself had been somewhat of an ordeal. he's also, admittedly, nervous.

the comms function on the buzzer isn't good enough to pick up on that nervousness, though, when he asks ] Do you want to come up or should I just come down?

[ do they have reservations? for when? are they in a hurry? dating is not his forte, it never has been. ]

[ Tempt though the offer is, TJ decides to try for a good impression. The invitation has a very specific connotation for him, one he’s sure Steve doesn’t share. ]

Come on down.

[ Seeing Steve’s apartment is an idea they can revisit as the evening progresses. He’s trying to make an effort and do this whole dating thing rather than his usually getting high and falling in to bed thing. Not that he would mind falling into bed with Steve. He’s handsome enough, but somewhat endearing, too. There’s an earnestness TJ senses about him from their text exchange and he wonders if it’s real.

Guess he’ll find out over dinner. ]

[ if tj had decided to come up, steve would have offered him a cup of coffee or a beer and failed at making smooth small talk because he is not good at that kind of thing, for all that his media tour prepared him for it at least somewhat.

but tj asks him to come down and so he does that instead, after taking a moment to pull on a blazer over the button down. he manages to resist the urge to run his hand through his hair.

all in all, it's maybe three minutes before he's down, opening the door and smiling at tj, corners of his mouth curling up a little. ] Hi.

[ he'd known that tj looks a lot like bucky, he's seen pictures and videos released by the press; he follows the news, but- it hits him anyway as he takes in tj's experience.

instead of letting himself linger, he focuses on the relief that he seems to have picked an appropriate outfit. ]

[ TJ’s not very sly in his once over. Surely it’s clear to Steve by now that TJ’s more than a little flirtatious. A warm smile settles of his lips and he nods in greeting. ]

Hey there. Sorry for the rush, I’m famished. If I don’t get some food soon I might just resort to cannibalism.

[ He pauses to nod toward his car, then looks back to Steve. ]

Do you drink? We could get some sake while we’re there.

[ steve doesn't mind the rather obvious once over, per se — it makes him a little self-conscious, certainly, because for all that he looks like the supersoldier he is now, he spent most of his life in a body far smaller than this one. the smile after is reassuring, though, and he smiles back. ]

I doubt anyone wants that. [ he is aware that somewhere in there is an innuendo, but he's not trying to find it. quite the opposite. ]

We can. I can't get drunk, though.

[ Well, he didn’t mean the double entendre, so he’s glad Steve opted to ignore whatever pervy innuendo could be found. Whatever relief he feels is short-lived, replaced by surprise at Steve’s admission. TJ pauses while opening the car door for him (who says he’s a bad date?) and blinks. ]

For real?

[ steve is getting a lot better about recognising innuendo these days — natasha and sam are either a good or a terrible influence on him, whichever way one wants to argue.

he mutters a thanks when getting in the car, and then smiles ruefully at the surprise in tj's tone. ]

Yeah, really.

[ That must suck. TJ’s sure there’s times when everyone wants a drink or ten to take the edge off. ]

Huh. So much for my master plan. [ He chuckles on the way to the car and flashes a grin to let Steve know he’s joking. ] Well, it’s just sake. You’d have to have like a pool’s worth of it to get drunk anyway. The food prep is the real star of this meal. Prepare to be amazed.

[ after bucky's fall — that's when steve had most wanted and needed a drink and while he'd emptied almost an entire bottle of scotch, it hadn't affected him at all.

he'd rather not think about that while he's on a date with someone who looks so much like bucky, though. someone who looks so much like bucky and is — definitely flirting with him, right?

well, they are on a date. it still amazes him a little bit, every time it happens. ]

I'm looking forward to it. The way you talk about it makes it sound pretty amazing. [ a beat, and his lips curl into a grin. ] I hope it lives up to my expectations, now.

[ TJ doesn’t know as much about Steve as he should. He knows his name, a little of the mythology surrounding him, but that was it. He also knows from experience that when others start telling stories, they don’t always get it right. Which means, he’s pretty sure there’s something they left out. It’s what makes him keen on getting to see the real Steve rather than treating him like the national icon he’s known to be. ]

Well, if it doesn’t live up to your expectations, I’m not sure what will. It’s like… [ A little crease furrowed his brows and his lips puckered in thought. ] It’s sort of like fireworks, but with food. It’s pretty cool. Or I’m just lame, which is completely possible. If you don’t like it, you can pick what we do next time. Deal?

[ Thankfully, the place isn’t far, maybe fifteen minutes in traffic and there’s a valet to park so there’s no roaming around looking for a coveted space in the car park. It’s a little dark inside, but the whole place is full of murmurs and conversation, the sounds of dishes and silverware clanging and scraping and the distinctive smells of Japanese cuisine. The décor is the same as if to make one feel they’ve stepped into Japan. TJ’s pretty sure they actually have rooms where you can sit on the floor and eat, but he’s not really keen on that. The hostess seats them at a table with a few others and within minutes tea and water are brought to the table with menus. ]

You had much in the way of Japanese food, Steve?

[ steve's experiences with the media haven't been as bad as tj's, overall, but steve knows a thing or two about living with the attention, with people thinking that they know him when they know captain america, and just a fraction of who captain america is at that. ]

I'll take that deal, even though I'm sure I'll like it.

[ it's a lot fancier than the things steve is used to, really, so he follows tj's lead. ] Not really. Hardly any, actually.

[ he frowns a little. ] Is there anything I should know? [ is he going to mortally offend someone by not having the right table manners? ]

[ TJ scrunches up his face in thought, then he looks over to Steve with an earnest expression. ]

Don’t play with your chopsticks. And don’t stick them in the rice bowl, either. Apparently it’s kinda rude. And miso soup is a little bit of an acquired taste, so if you don’t care for it at first, that’s okay. They serve chicken broth, too, if you’d prefer that.

Right. No sticking my chopsticks anywhere. [ he nods, and decidedly does not pick up the chopsticks to fiddle with them. ]

I'd like to try it. The miso soup, I mean.

[ TJ can’t help a little smile creeping over his face. When he was younger, he didn’t like trying all the cuisines his parents wanted him to taste. It was nice to see Steve wanting to dive in and not have the most Americanized versions of whatever. ]

Oh! If you absolutely can’t manage the chopsticks, just ask for a fork. I’ll end up with one half-way through. It’s like a universal inevitability.

[ That said, TJ opens his menu and starts looking over the options. He’ll most likely go with the tried and true hibachi steak. Everything’s pretty self-explanatory, with names, descriptions, and prices beside them. Since it’s TJ idea, he’ll be footing the bill. ]

I know you can’t get drunk, but you split some sake with me?

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ignore that journal change pls

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