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When Elliott called it hanging out, it was easier to come up with ideas-watching X-Files, cooking dinner or just seeing Crypto was one thing, but calling something an actual date was another. It left Elliott drawing a blank, even though fundamentally nothing changed. Well, that wasn't true, was it?
Elliott's cheeks tinted red, remembering the warm, full lips and wanting to just keep kissing him. Would bringing that up as one of the first things seem desperate? No, of course not, but what if that's what Crypto thought? 'He kissed me first though.' Elliott reminded himself, and was ninety percent sure it wasn't a hallucination.
The other fifteen percent was sure Crypto is just screwing with him.
Shaking his head, Elliott decided with how lacking in places which were romantic, or even just not-unfinished, it was even harder figuring out how to make a date different from simply 'hanging out'.
Elliott snapped his fingers. "I'm a genius!" he grinned, and almost jumped over his couch in order to reach his kitchen.
-
7:15 You, me, and the most amazing date ever. Be there at 7:30.
Crypto glanced from his phone which showd the time to 7:31, in time to hear the knocking on his door. It was doubtful anything on this half-made settlement can be considered a nice place to visit. "You're late."
Mirage huffed in a deep breath, frowning at him as he leaned against the door. His cheeks were flushed, but it looked more from having run. From where? "By like, a mi-mn-no I'm not!" he brushed off imaginary dirt from his coat. "Anyway, ready to go?"
"Yes." Crypto waited for some remark about wearing his game outfit again, but Mirage gave him a once over and he grinned.
"Great, we're kind of going to be outside." he said and stepped back, turning on his heel and gestured to the hall.
'Outside?' Crypto thought, and waited for his drone to follow after him. Hands in his pockets, he fiddled with his puzzle cube. "You didn't say where you're taking me."
"It's a surprise." Crypto stopped, and Mirage halted when he noticed. His brow furrowed, and comprehension came quicker over his features than expected. "Oh, right. You probably don't like surprises either." His brow furrowed, and he rubbed his beard. "We're going to that place," he pointed at one of the buildings, "and, uh, having dinner."
"You brought me out here for a picnic?"
"It's still dinner!" Mirage's face flushed a deep shade of red. He folded his arms over his chest. "Can we hurry up before it gets cold?"
Crypto shook his head as he followed after him. "You didn't have to go to all this trouble."
"This is like, our real first date, you know? I-I just wanted to do something special." Then Mirage grinned and winked at him. "You're planning the next one, so try and take notes."
Crypto rolled his eyes, and the assumption this wasn't a picnic fell flat when he saw the blanket spread out on the concrete floor of the building. A second blanket lay folded under a box. The room was yet to be insulated, though the windows kept much of the cold out. His drone scanned around the room, finding nothing which could be bugged. It did beep though, and his gaze snapped to the area beside the box. A flashlight? "What is that for? You expect us to stay out here that late?"
Mirage huffed, and sat down to turn on the flashlight. It was pointed at the ceiling, which Crypto realized was open to see the sky through the clear covering which passed for a roof to show the stars above them. "No, I'm not sleeping out here. It's just to, ah, set the mood?" he rubbed the back of his neck. "I couldn't find any candles."
Candles? 'He really is trying.' The thought came with a rush of surprise. He stamped it down, and sat with his gaze on the floor. "This will suffice." he said evenly.
Mirage unboxed their meal, and the only familiar thing about this side of him was their meal. "Promised I wouldn't make pork chops last time, but well, this is like the time after." he grinned, and handed him one of the plates. "I also made hot chocolate and cobbler for dess-des-after."
"Thank you." Crypto said politely, and it earned him another charming smile.
"So, kid, have we known each other long enough I can finally ask questions?" Mirage asked.
"You can ask," he said, "whether I answer is another matter, old man."
Mirage snorted. "Yeah, yeah." he paused, and took another bite of his meal. "I gotta know-how old are you? For real."
Crypto could end this particular back and forth with one simple answer, but then again... "Old enough."
Mirage let out a sound between a short laugh and a huff. "Fine, I'll get a real answer out of you soon, kid." he tilted his head, peering at him. "Your hair, where did you get it done?"
"My hair?" Of all the things for Mirage to ask, that wasn't high on the list. Although, given how concerned the man was about his appearance, perhaps it shouldn't have come as a surprise. "I did it myself." There was no way he was letting a stranger near him with a razor, let alone have his back to them.
Mirage's eyes lit up, or was that just the glow of the flashlight reflected in them? "Me too. No one can keep it how I want so I gotta do it. And really, why mess with perfection?" he brushed his curls away from his eyes, while Crypto let out a quiet scoff.
A small lapse ensued as they both finished their dinner, and Mirage took two cups out of the box with a thermos. The liquid was still steaming, and the heat warmed Crypto's hands. Mirage took a sip from his own cup, before he made a face and huffed out quick breaths as he likely burned his tongue.
Crypto couldn't help it. A soft chuckle slipped out, and he hid his smile behind the cup.
Mirage glanced at him, and for a moment he wondered if the man heard him. "So, can I only hold your hand when we're alone? Like, right now?"
"If you insist." Crypto said flatly, but his stomach tightened when Mirage slipped his hand around his, intertwining their fingers. Mirage's hand was smooth and warm against his skin and cybernetics. He glanced into Mirage's eyes, who stared at him with a dreamy expression. "You're about to tip your cup."
Mirage's eyes widened, and he shifted his other hand to set the mug on the blanket. He chuckled, eyes shifting as he glanced away. "I'd have caught it in time, no worries."
"You seemed quite distracted staring at me." Crypto replied. A strange and new concept he was still trying to process, if he were honest.
Mirage huffed. "I wasn't staring, you just got some sauce on your lip." His eyes widened when Crypto flicked his tongue to lick the corner of his mouth, and smirked at the flush on Mirage's face. "Y-you did that on p-purp-purpose!"
"Did what? I only cleared away the speck." he said.
Mirage's cheeks reddened again, before a sly smile crossed his lips. "No, you still got something there." he leaned in and pecked the other man on the cheek. "It was me."
Crypto was sure he nearly choked in stamping down the laugh for how corny and unexpected and how Mirage it sounded. "That was bad. It nearly killed me."
"Don't worry, I know mouth to mouth." Mirage said.
"I'm certain CPR is not a viable option for dealing with choking." Crypto retorted.
Mirage's hand tightened for a moment, before he reluctantly let go of him. "Well, if you're not dying after all, I made this awesome cobbler we can eat." he paused, and smiled nervously. "It's the first time I've tried making it, but I'm sure it's going to be amazing."
"That does not inspire confidence." Crypto said flatly. He waited for Mirage to begin eating before he did.
"There's something else I really want to know." Mirage's expression was more serious than it was before. "How come you haven't tripped with how you run yet? Is it magic? It's magic isn't it?"
Crypto let out a quiet snort. This was likely one of the things Mirage didn't remember from when he was drunk. And how it was something which Mirage liked about him. A strange reason even on reflection. "I have good balance."
Mirage deflated. "I like my thing better." he mumbled. "What's your favourite color?"
"Green."
"Sure is a popular color; first Caustic, then Octane and now you."
"Incorporating it into one's outfit does not indicate any likability to it."
Mirage huffed. "I can use fancy speech also. I just don't want to." he brushed bits of crust around his plate. "Do you like the cobbler? I used peaches."
"Yes, I know, Mirage." Crypto said. It was sweet, but not overly so and the crush not too hard or fragile. "It's good."
Mirage beamed, before his face scrunched. "You don't have to keep calling me Mirage."
"I know." Crypto said, quieter. He called the other man his real name, when he kissed the decoy. It was a moment of weakness, more still when Mirage sent him the letter.
Yet, he supposed that was the point of this. Something that was just his.
"Elliott." The other man's eyes widened, and so Crypto added, "Only when we're alone."
It got him a laugh, and Elliott asked teasing, "And what do I get to call you when we're alone? Or can I just call you some sappy nickname, babe?"
Crypto rolled his eyes. "Absolutely not." He let the silence stretch, and released a quiet sigh. Elliott wanted to call him something? 'Better the name they can't use to contradict the credentials I used.' he thought. "Hyeon Kim." Flat and monotone, like he was talking about someone else.
Elliott's expression brightened so much it could put the actual light in the room to shame. "Hyeon Kim." he repeated, soft and wistful.
And a curl of self-loathing tightened in Crypto's chest. He wanted it to be his real name, but that man was gone and far too dangerous and stupid to ever let it be known while in the thick of things. That reassurance didn't lessen how wrong this name sounded. It was what they knew would be his 'name', and they wouldn't catch him out.
Elliott still had that starstruck gaze in his eyes, but when his lips moved to say that name again, Crypto closed the distance to silence it. Elliott blinked once, and closed his eyes as he kissed back.
This was one way to end a date.