Chapter Text
Steven took a step back to admire his work. An old blanket from his flat was laying out on the lawn of a park nearby. He had to move the blanket a couple times and reset the whole thing as the sun moved, taking the shade away from his little setting. Steven planned on cooking something, but he sucked at cooking. He always ended up burning something… or himself. Instead he stopped by a local French café and bakery and gotten some bread and jams/cheese. He worried if it looked like he was trying too hard. Was this too much for a first date? He decided not to bring alcohol, he didn’t want to give the wrong impression. Plus, he was worried that being inebriated would draw out Marc. Speaking of Marc, Steven looked into the cheese knife he had to check his hair and also to get a glimpse of his alter. As planned, Marc was already watching like a hawk. Setting down the knife, Steven glanced around the park and wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers.
A couple walked by him, and he waved to them as they passed. “Hiya” he said. A woman pushing a baby stroller passed going the other way. “Hiya, I’ve got a date soon” The woman politely nodded but continued walking. He picked up the bouquet of flowers he had bought for Layla, wondering if he could finagle one of the glasses into a vase to put some of them in. He decided against it when he realized the ground was uneven. He decided against the chocolate box this time, as they weren’t that good, especially after eating a whole box of them. Steven glanced at his watch, seeing it was about the time Layla said she would get there.
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Layla kept messing with her hair, styling it up, then down, then half up half down. She settled on the half up half down, as it was kind of windy and she didn’t want her curls to be in her face. She looked in the mirror. Layla was never the type to wear super “feminine” clothes, but she was quite proud of her outfit. She was wearing a floral, mustard yellow midi-skirt, and a simple off-white cropped-tee with an embroidered scarab on it. She put on some perfume, some lipstick, and grabbed her purse before quickly heading out the door as she realized Steven was probably waiting. She walked to the park, and as she got closer she felt more and more butterflies in her stomach. She was giddy, smiling and giggling to herself. And as the spot Steven had chosen entered her field of vision, her heart was beating hard in her chest. He was sitting there, looking around at the sky and at people passing by, even waving at some of them. She made her way to him, her face hurting with how much she was smiling.
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“Steven!” Layla called out. He perked up and looked around to see her walking towards him. Steven immediately stood up as she got closer. He didn’t know what to do with his hands. “Wow…I mean wow. You look absolutely stunning, love.” He said softly. Layla smiled and tucked a loose hair behind her ear. “Oh, are those for me?” She asked, noticing the bouquet of flowers he was holding. “What? Oh! You mean these? Yea yea they are for you, do you like them?” He held them out to her. She took them and brought the flowers to her face to smell them. “Steven, these are beautiful!” He was relieved she liked them, and as soon as she sat down on the blanket he followed suit.
“So, what’s all this?” Layla asked, setting the flowers down gently next to her to gesture at the food Steven had prepared. “Ah so it’s an assortment of French bread and cheeses, as well as some jams.” He waited for her to choose something to try. Layla grabbed some of the bread and cheese, and Steven did the same. She must have noticed how nervous he was because she said “You know Steven, you can relax a little, I don’t bite...” He sighed with relief and took a bite of the bread. “…Unless you’re into that sort of thing.” Layla continued with a wink. Steven almost choked on his food, coughing and digging through his bag to find the water he brought. “I’m sorry- what?” He managed to say after a couple long sips. He knew he was probably blushing, but any feelings of shame or embarrassment disappeared when Layla laughed. “Oh Steven, you’re too sweet” “Well that’s a good thing, innit?” he responded half jokingly and half sincerely. “Yes, Steven, it’s a good thing.”
Steven and Layla carried on their conversation effortlessly, and time went by quickly. All of the fear and doubt Steven had just seemed to disappear with every passing second. After eating they laid down on the blanket next to each other and looked up at the sky. Layla told him about her dad, about his adventures, and Steven absorbed every word. After one story about her father, Layla went quiet, and Steven rolled his head to the side to look at her. Several tears started to form on her lower eyelids. He glanced down at the space between them, and without thinking he reached for her hand and took it.
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Layla’s breath hitched when Steven’s warm hand grasped hers. He was so gentle and kind, and it reminded her of how her father would act towards her mother when she was younger. She wiped the tears off her face and rolled her head over to look back at Steven. His face was filled with concern and empathy, and Layla wanted to say something but she couldn’t form the words. She subconsciously glanced down at his lips, lips she had just kissed that morning, before remembering what Marc had said. She didn’t want to rush things with Steven, so no matter how badly she wanted to kiss him right then, she resisted the urge and sat up instead. She squeezed his hand. “Come on, the bookstore’s right around the corner,” and after packing up their things they headed to the bookstore, still holding hands.