righthemisphere | IC CONTACT

annnd...action.

Raleigh and Chuck spend a lot of time at each others places - back and forth, one to the other. There's a lot of attachment to both homes; Raleigh's is small and warm and they've spent a lot of time here, collapsed in October together, spent...most of the month here. Chuck's belonged to his grandparents, kinda - it's a replica, it's sweet but familiar, a reminder of good times past, the days where there was no war, no famine, no fight. Just tractor pulls, four wheelers, good times and good food.

So, they fluctuate - they go between both.

And, you know, Valentine's comes and goes and it's a stupid ass holiday, in Chuck's opinion, because it's commercialized and full of corporate Hallmark cards but it has, eventually, been brought to his attention that maybe his gifts were just...gifts. Maybe he needs to show more of his ass, show that he cares beyond watches and dogtags.

So he cooks.

He cooks, and he burns lasagna, and the salad could be better, but he's cooked and when he texts Raleigh to come over, his surprise is ready, well.

There's hearts. There's flowers. The bedroom is full of balloons. There's arches of hearts down the hall.

Strap in, Becket. This will be a very late Valentines to remember.

Sure Valentine's sucks but you got breakfast and nookie and a small furry daughter out of the deal so it can't be that bad, right?

Raleigh's moved on from the holiday. All is well in his world. He's trying to be an adult and not lose his shit teaching self defense, keep the houses clean and stocked, look after five raccoons and max and Chuck.. it's busy but hey, he's happy. He's happy and loved and doing his best to make amends with most people after that rat bite..

This, as he steps through the door into a face full of hearts on strings, is honestly so confusing.

Hearts.. everywhere. Flowers. Balloons. It smells like food. Raleigh clocks it all as he puts down his sword by the door. What in the hell.

"Chuck?" Calling with just a hint of worry. Has something happened to him? Some crazy February madness curse or something? This is all so unexpected and extra.

They've been though a lot this month, what with Raleigh being a possessive fuckwit and Chuck trying to salvage all his relationships that Raleigh was deadass set on destroying, because fuck Chuck specifically, apparently. And, you know, he's trying to make something nice for them, properly...court him. Or woo him. Something. All that talk with Wu about dates and wanting to take Mako out made Chuck realize he hasn't taken Raleigh out, not once.

"Kitchen!" He says, though it's a little strangled because he's definitely, definitely burned the lasagna and thank God the breadsticks were store bought because Chuck baking bread would've just ended up with dough and flour all over the place.

Raleigh takes his time skirting around all the decorations on his way to the kitchen. On the way he passes Max who's lounging on the couch with a big red bow tied around his neck. It feintly reminds Raleigh of the bows you see tied on the hoods of cars at a dealership, all lined up in a pretty row screaming take me home!

Stopping to run his hand along a portion of the balloon arch that sits in front of the kitchen, Raleigh finds himself trying to reason the situation out like a puzzle. What's happened. Why is this happening? What's wrong?

Not that he's complaining, because he isn't really, it's all just so...much... In their otherwise (almost embarrassingly) Spartan existence.

Raleigh runs his fingertip over a balloon and it squeaks under the touch. This must have taken Chuck all day starting at the crack of dawn when he left for his run.

"Hey," letting the arch go and coming into the kitchen.

"What is all this? Everything alright?"

"Shit, fuck--!"

He hisses, dropping the lasagna pan on top of the stove, waving his hand frantically, oven mitt smoking, just a smidge. Someone accidentally brushed the burner with the cloth mitt, oops.

"It's a date, obviously," he grumbles, tearing the mitt off and throwing it at the garbage can. "But I can't fucking cook, so that's trash."

..

...!!

"A date?" He perks immediately and comes over to Chuck's side.

Somehow all the balloons and shit make sense now. A date. Chuck.. maybe.. hasn't ever been on a date before? Does he know you don't need decorations for a date? Does he know you usually just go out to eat on a date?

But ah fuck that doesn't matter in the least now, this is fucking amazing.

"It's not trash, it smells amazing in here. Should I go get dressed?"

Change, he means. Do his hair and everything? Ha! A date! It makes him a little giddy out from under the stress he usually carries around, especially lately.

Chuck has no idea what you do on a date. He's literally just winging the fuck outta this and hoping for the best.

"I'm pretty sure it's burned--uh, yeah. You do that, actually."

Go get dressed and Chuck is gonna...try and see if this is salvageable. It smells good but he's pretty...sure the top isn't supposed to be that brown.

Well, maybe it's slightly Charmandered but Raleigh won't hold it against Chuck for trying. This is also the guy who spent a week practicing cooking duck so he's got some faith. And all this other effort he put in is, quite frankly, staggering.

"Yeah, okay." A smile and he squeezes Chuck's shoulder before going to do just that. Change his clothes and do his hair and appear back with a smile in the nice blue shirt that Chuck picked out for him.

"So what brought all this on?" as he comes back out, nice little swagger in his step.

This was more last minute than the duck ordeal - but, you know. He tried. It'll probably taste better than he thinks - a nice cronch on the top layer, but the insides will be nice and melty with good flavor and seasonings.

He perks when Raleigh comes back out, the table set, flowers in a vase, the lasagna cut up and bread on the table. He likes that shirt on Ray.

"I dunno. Just felt like we needed to do more date stuff."

"Well, you won't see me complaining," he smiles and comes to sit, admiring the spread. Admiring the work that's gone into it.

"This is probably the nicest date I've ever been on. Definitely the most considered. I've got some plans for us but they'll have to wait until it's warmer out."

"It won't be as nice as the duck," he warns, because he didn't have ample time to practice, this was very much an idea stolen from another couple so. Here they are.

"Plans, huh?" He grins, flashing a wink as he plops some burned lasagna on a couple of plates for them.

Veggie, of course, you HEATHEN.

No one stopped you from putting chicken in it, Chuck, but he appreciates the gesture.

He would have eaten it anyway, even if it was bolognaise.

"Yeah, a few. There's some nice scenery around here when it isn't covered in snow or monsters."

Or blood. Mostly the blood.

"There's a mountain.. and a lake. And one of those sinkholes has a beach in it apparently."

Chicken in lasagna? What kind of heathen are you, exactly? No. It's fine, it's just without meat. All red gooey pasta with some crunch because, burned.

"That sounds pretty nice. And I'd kill for a beach."

Chicken lasagna is a thing, don't shit on it until you try it.

He perks mid bite.

"Yeah? Me too. Do you wanna go?"

Weird.

"Hell yeah, I wanna go. That sounds amazing. I miss the heat. And the ocean."

IC CONTACT

because gifts aren't en OU GH dickhead

This is the most aggressive date in the world

get over here and LET HIM LOVE YOU

Why are you so aggressive

bc i love you baby

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