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"Why are you so nervous?"
"I'm not nervous..." Stiles says, shaking his head.
Jackson snorts before he smiles. "I can hear your heartbeat, remember? And you are nervous. I just don't know why."
"I told you. You are not allowed to use your..." Stiles waves his right hand like that's going to explain what he's saying.
"Abilities?" Jackson offers.
"Yeah, exactly, your abilities with me. It's not fair."
"I can't help it and you've never cared before. Besides, I don't need them to know how you feel. I know you. And you're anything but relaxed right now. What's going on? This was your idea. I thought you wanted this."
"I do. I want this... You're gonna laugh, okay?"
Jackson rolls his eyes dramatically before biting his lips. "Well, you are, in fact, hilarious sometimes but I doubt this is one of those times, so just tell me... What is it?"
"I know this date was my idea and all... but now that we're actually here, alone, in this place... with the candles and the music... it's like..." Stiles licks his lips as he calms down, "very real, y'know? And I've never been on a date before, that I remember I mean, and I never thought I'd be on a date with you and you look so good in that suit... and I don't know, I look at you and I wonder what I'm doing here, which doesn't make sense, I know... but yeah..." After everything that has happened, sometimes it still feels very surreal. Stiles can't help feeling like that, no matter how hard he tries and how much he learns about his past.
"You chose this place. I thought you liked it but we can go somewhere else. I don't want you to be uncomfortable." Because yes, Jackson can see how this restaurant might be a little too romantic for Stiles. "Do you want to go?"
"Oh god, no. We're not going anywhere. I'm the problem, not the place. Kane recommended it and he says the pasta is really good so yeah, we need to eat and talk and we're staying." It's just hard to imagine Derek in this place. That is, the Derek Stiles used to know.
"If you had told me we were coming here I could have... maybe suggested somewhere else. It's not the first time we've been here. I asked you to choose the place because I wanted you to feel okay and not--"
"I'm fine, seriously," Stiles interrupts him, "just don't listen to my heartbeat anymore, okay?" Stiles says, waving his arms.
"Yeah, I can do that. Let's order dinner." Nothing like food to calm him down and focus on more important stuff. "And just stop thinking about this as a fucking 'date.' This is just you and me going out on Friday night like we have so many times before."
"That's easy for you to say," Stiles says, grabbing the menu.
And really, this is everything but easy for Jackson. It brings back a lot of memories but he had decided not to think about that and focus on the present and that is what he's going to do. And the truth is that looking at Stiles right now, seeing the way he's looking intently at the menu with a normal heartbeat, that's an image Jackson never thought he'd get to see again. He thought that part of his life was most probably over and just being here feels weird and back to normal at the same time.
Jackson snorts. "I'm the same person, y'know? I'm your husband. I'm not someone you need to impress or whatever... I'm already in love with you. If anything, I'm the one who should be nervous here."
And what do you say to that? The way Jackson says those things, they should shock Stiles, they should make him uncomfortable, but the truth is they don't. They don't have that effect on Stiles anymore, and if Jackson can see that at least he'll realize that some things have really changed while he wasn't around... maybe he'll see that he's changed.
"This place is kind of pricey..." Stiles says, frowning, trying to change the subject. "Kane sort of forgot that part."
Jackson smiles. "It's fine, don't look at the price," he says, looking at the menu for the first time. Not that he really needs to since he already knows what he wants.
"It's a little difficult not to when it’s right there..."
"Look, I know what's going on. You're thinking that you've never paid this much for a steak or whatever, but believe me, you have... many times... so don't second guess it. I work hard and you work hard... so we can afford it and we deserve it. And most importantly, we need it once in a while because I need some time out with you to stay sane and the last thing I need is somebody's children screaming at a nearby table. You know what I mean? So yeah, this is our time. Order whatever you want."
We deserve it... Our time... Jackson always knows how to make his point.
"Okay, I can't decide, so you choose for me. Is that something we do?" Stiles finally says, raising his eyebrows.
Jackson snorts because yes, that’s happened more times than he can remember.
"Sure.” Jackson nods. “I know what you like."
[Read the notes if you haven't.]