The Causeway, Sunday Evening

[myownface]

Sparkle bounced on his toes as he waited to meet Hernando on the Causeway for their date. He'd... kind of panicked. Being given a couple of days to come up with something good given the date that Hernando had arranged had left him flailing, and now he was second-guessing basically everything, ever. But it was too late to back out now, even if his choice for the evening was less about art and more about ambiance.

He desperately hoped that the place wouldn't be swamped with kids.

He also hadn't even gotten as far as making dinner reservations.

Tonight was going to be interesting, okay?

[OOC: For that guy!]

Comments

[myownface]

"Cichlids? Yeah, they're nippy. I wouldn't put them in the same tank as milady or anything. But apparently they're okay with, like, more cichlids."

Sparkle shrugged. He'd been googling. He was kind of serious about wanting more fish, since they were the one pet he could have that Atton wouldn't get weird about.

[hernando_fuentes]

"That would be interesting," Hernando said with a smile, "A whole family of fishes for generations."

He was tempted to get an aquarium for the apartment purely for Sparkle's enjoyment.

[myownface]

You would never get him to leave, Hernando.

"We'd have to, like, start tracing fishy family trees or something," Sparkle mused. "Because that sort of thing is super important to fish, probably."

The fish did not care.

Sparkle did not care that the fish did not care.

[hernando_fuentes]

That was a bonus that more than made up for having to clean a fish tank twice a month.

"Mm," Hernando agreed, "You would want to trace their lineage. Like horses for pedigree."

Hernando had little idea what he was talking about but it seemed a thing to say.

[myownface]

This was basically the correct way to carry on a conversation with Sparkle about nothing in particular, yup.

"Ooo, we could do little, like, fish dressage demonstrations..."

How would that even work, Sparkle?

[hernando_fuentes]

"Breed them for pretty colors?" Hernando guessed. "Perhaps introduce two pretty fish and hope they find each other pretty."

He frowned suddenly, "Also for personality. That is also important. It can't all be about good looks or you will get stupid fish."

[myownface]

"And how can we train the fish to jump over the hurdles if they're stupid?"

Sparkle was enjoying this conversation far too much.

[hernando_fuentes]

"There was a video online with a fish that played basketball," Hernando said thoughtfully, "Smart fish would be a good thing to have."

[myownface]

"... Ooh. What kind of fish was that?"

He required a basketball fish.

[hernando_fuentes]

"A goldfish, I think?" Hernando mused.

[myownface]

"I bet I could teach a betta anything a goldfish can learn," Sparkle declared.

Atton was going to think he'd completely lost his mind.

[hernando_fuentes]

"I don't see why not," Hernando agreed, "Perhaps we shall have to find you little sports gear for Milady."

Wouldn't that be some fun shopping.

[myownface]

"But where will we find tiny kneepads and sneakers for him?"

Because why have this conversation without letting it go utterly off the rails, right?

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando laughed quietly, "He would need legs and feet to wear them but I am sure you could make some and have them on the bottom of the tank in case he evolved."

Sparkle was a delight.

[myownface]

"Well, okay," Sparkle replied, nodding solemnly. "I suppose we'll have to settle for the tiny headband and work our way up to evolution from there."

[hernando_fuentes]

"Sweatbands for his fins," Hernando offered.

Then he leaned in to kiss Sparkle for no apparent reason.

[myownface]

Well, Sparkle wasn't going to complain about the progression of this conversation. Kissing was an excellent idea, after all, and so he was going to kiss Hernando back, a smile pulling at his lips as he did so.

"Yeah," he laughed when the kiss was through. "Yeah, that. Exactly."

[hernando_fuentes]

"If you get cichlids and have enough of them, you could teach them football," Hernando smiled. Corrected. "Soccer. Not the American kind. Too rough. Somefish could get hurt."

[myownface]

"It's true. Anyway, I don't think they make little helmets for fishes. Soccer it is," Sparkle decided, bumping his forehead lightly against Hernando's.

And then, a little more quietly, he added, "I'm enjoying this."

[hernando_fuentes]

Hernando smiled and nuzzled his nose against Sparkle's. "I, also."

[myownface]

"Good." And then another quick kiss before Sparkle added, "I'm glad."

Relieved. Sparkle was relieved.

[hernando_fuentes]

The relief caused a small worry for Hernando. Giving Sparkle's hand a squeeze, he tried to reassure him without it sounding as though he were doing that.

"I enjoy spending time with you."

[myownface]

"Just doing whatever?"

You know, not that Sparkle doubted Hernando was enjoying the aquarium. The excitement over the sea dragons alone had cleared that up.

[hernando_fuentes]

"Doing whatever," Hernando confirmed, "Talking. Being here with you, your hand in mine even if there were no talking."

[myownface]

Sparkle nodded a bit, and then sighed, and smiled, and bumped his forehead against Hernando's again.

"So next time I won't, like, worry myself stupid over the perfect date scenario?"

Sparkle, you had like three days' notice. Hernando hadn't expected you to arrange for Shakespeare at the Globe.