A GAP in Baltimore, Friday Evening

[myownface]

It was a date, if you could possibly call an outing to the mainland to buy yellow socks and archery gloves a date. At least Alec and Sparkle were following up their shopping trip with dinner, or at least that was the plan. Sparkle had scoped out the cheap restaurant situation before they'd left, and he'd managed to narrow what he could afford down to, like, a McDonald's on the way back to the causeway.

He'd worry about that once they were done picking up his socks.

And they'd pick up socks just as soon as Sparkle was done browsing.

"Oh, man. Look at these ones. They have stars on them."

Sorry, Alec.

[NFB for distance, and for that guy!]

Comments

[nottrivial]

They could have gone to a thrift store! Where they could have gotten three pairs of socks for eight dollars, but had the socks come with preexisting holes in them.

...Gap socks were probably better.

"Congratulations," Alec said dryly, "you can now be happy walking around with shoes again."

[myownface]

"Hey, socks are not a prerequisite for wearing shoes," Sparkle countered, giving his toes a wiggle in his sneakers. "They just... you know... make your feet stink less. Probably."

Was there some kind of mathematical equation to work out sock quality versus foot stench? Was Sparkle too lazy to figure it out?

Yep.

"I did kinda miss wearing good socks, though."

[nottrivial]

"And these are--" Alec paused to pick up one of the pairs so he could read the label-- "'one hundred percent cotton, machine-washable, one-size-fits-all quality footwear.' So I'd say you're set for a while now." That was a lot of good things for one pair of socks, after all.

[myownface]

"Fancy," Sparkle whistled, and then snatched one more pair of socks of the shelf. The requisite yellow ones, of course. They'd come to Baltimore for them in the first place, after all. "Kinda has me tempted to get a few more pairs."

He shot Alec a grin.

"But if I spend any more time staring at the sock wall, security is going to go into fits, I think."

[nottrivial]

"Will they?" Alec asked, turning around to see -- oh. Yep. That was a security guard eyeing the pair of them, yeah. "Well... if you want more pairs, get more pairs. I mean... you're going to pay for them."

[myownface]

"Yeah, yeah, of course I am," Sparkle replied, in that sort of non-commital way that suggested that maybe he'd actually already stashed a few pairs into his pockets while the security guards weren't looking, and they couldn't prove a freaking thing.

What?

"Anyhow, if we stick around too long, it'll be late by the time we get around to eating, too. I mean, not that I mind late, but, you know, I can only stare at the sock wall," with socks in his pockets, "for so long anyhow."

[nottrivial]

That made sense. Alec cracked a smile, remembering Sparkle's remark about how the fact that there was going to be food involved made it a date.

"Then let's go," he decided, starting to head for the counter. "I can now officially say that I've been shopping with someone who knows about clothes and things. Kate will be so impressed."

[myownface]

"I even work in a clothing store," Sparkle laughed as he followed Alec to the counter, his three not-smuggled pairs of socks in hand. "Fancy, huh? Though I don't know if it really counts unless I'm giving you tips on more than a pair of gloves that you're going to wear only when you're shooting arrows."

In fairness, Alec would have the most fashionable arrow-shooting-hands ever.

[nottrivial]

"Well, that does happen pretty often," Alec pointed out. "Sometimes with company. I'd say it counts."

[myownface]

"Bet she'd be way more impressed if you were to let me help you pick out a shirt to wear with them," Sparkle teased, leaning forward to poke Alec playfully in the ribs. "Maybe some nice dress pants. Some shoes..."

He wasn't trying to change you, Alec. He was just trying to make you prettier.

[nottrivial]

"She was actually saying she might take me to get some things," Alec admitted, kind of surprised and pleased by the casual touching. "Want to wait to see how that goes first? I can only handle so much shopping before I... turn into a mannequin, or something."

Look, you never know.

[myownface]

"That kind of thing only happens on Canadian children's television, or on Fandom Island," Sparkle replied, shaking his head a little, "but hey, if you're all shopped out, that's fine. We can pay, get the hell out of here before I get strip-searched or something, and find our way to some kind of reputable dining establishment."

So... probably not McDonald's.

[nottrivial]

"I'd think that would alarm the average child watching television," Alec pointed out. "But. Yes. No need for... strip-searching."

Oh hey, Sparkle, did you have a need for any magenta socks before the end of this shopping trip? They'd match Alec's face right now, so...

[myownface]

"Yeah, well, Canadian kids aren't average," Sparkle bragged, smirking. "You put the magic hat on the mannequin's head and say the magic words, and he comes to life at night again anyhow. Everyone knows that."

You know, if they grew up on a diet of terrifying live-action 1980s Canadian kids show reruns.

"There's some stuff about singing mice in there, too, but, you know... That's the important part."

Kinda?

"You sure you don't want to see a strip-search in action? I can go hang around the cheap plastic jewelry or something, really get them wondering."

[nottrivial]

Alec laughed. "Let's not and say we didn't," he suggested. "I looked up the restaurants around here and there's a Chinese place not too far. Or pizza across the street, if you like that, or..."

[myownface]

Well, that was already a step up from Sparkle's plans, wasn't it?

"Pizza's good," he decided, stepping into the line and waiting for his turn at the till. "What kind do you like? Me, I'm good with anything, so long as there aren't mushrooms on it. Fungus, no. Noooo thanks."

[nottrivial]

"Whatever you want," Alec offered. He was so generous today, wasn't he? "Pay for those first," he said, gesturing to the socks, because really now, Sparks, "and we'll go. Apparently Baltimore pizza is supposed to be... an experience. Compared to New York."

Not a good experience, mind, but he was going to deal with it.

[myownface]

"You're saying this to a guy who has also never had pizza in New York," Sparkle pointed out, putting his three pairs of socks on the counter, and making a face at the cashier before pulling out a twenty and paying.

Those were some expensive fucking socks.

"But hey," he said, collecting his change and blowing a kiss at the looming security guard before making his way to the door. "Pizza's pizza, right?"

[nottrivial]

"Well, you know, it differs by city," Alec said, following him, "and there are the occasional gimmick restaurants that try to put chocolate on it, or my sister who tries to make it in a normal oven with butter, but... yeah."

[myownface]

"Chocolate pizza. Butter pizza? Seriously?" Sparkle glanced over his shoulder at Alec, eyebrows raised. "The hell? That's even worse than mushrooms. Okay, since it's your sister, I won't ask if you've eaten hers, but please tell me you didn't put a pizza in your face with chocolate on it? That shit is just wrong."

[nottrivial]

"The chocolate pizza comes from this gourmet place in New York where all the tourists go called Max Brenner," Alec shared. "I've never been. But I have had some... unusual pizza toppings at a diner my siblings and I go to called Taki's. They put cucumber slices on it sometimes that aren't bad."

Sounded kind of edible, right?

"Okay," he continued, trying that getting-to-know-you thing that first dates were supposed to feature, "what's the strangest thing you've eaten?"

Please don't make it weird, Sparks. Please?

[myownface]

Sparkle actually hesitated on that one, giving Alec a kind of weird sideways look while he contemplated just how badly he wanted this date to work out.

His honest answer would totally make this weird. So, at least this time around, he was going to go reaching for the less honest one.

"I totally ate a bug when I was like five," he offered. "Little beetle in the garden at the park. Just to know what it was like."

He'd never done any such thing.

"It crunched."

But it was way less awkward than what he could have answered with. He'd keep it.

[nottrivial]

"You know that's much stranger than pizza with any kind of topping, right?" Alec checked, giving Sparkle's shoulder a friendly bump before promptly becoming surprised at himself for doing it.

[myownface]

Even Sparkle was a bit surprised by the bump to his shoulder, blinking at Alec, and then breaking into a broad grin.

"Yeah, well, kids at like five years old aren't exactly known for having the most discerning tastes, you know. I mean, for a kid, I was totally refined. But still."

[nottrivial]

"Well, you are from Canada," Alec teased, grinning right back. "I guess I can give you the benefit of the doubt. Cultural influences, and all..."

He really hoped that teasing would go over well. It was okay to tease Canada for being Canada, right? People did that on bad sitcoms all the time!

He came to a stop at a pizzaria and pushed the door open for Sparkle. Such a gentleman, Alec. "Here, this is the place."