theattic | THE SANDBOX

Krem watches, taking a moment before realization strikes. Oooooooh.

He laughs, because honestly, he can't be too surprised. JW had mentioned before that he had been one stoned teenager growing up. "Gotcha. Sorry, I'm used to the other kind of poison."

Though that does make him think, "Do you make them yourself?"

JW filed that bit of information away for later, but didn't comment on it. He just nodded.

"Of course! What kind of baker do you think I am? Buying other bread wizards' baked goods. Please."

Another lazy, slightly gap-toothed grin was sent Krem's way.

"Bread wizard." He repeated, unable to help his own smile, leaning back in his chair and giving JW a look.

"That's cute."

JW's smile accordioned itself up into a scrunchy little frown and his ears turned slightly red. HE WAS NOT CUTE. HE WAS RUGGED.

"Mine are better anyway. We even?"

"I've had your brownies, I know they're good." He offers just to maybe get that smile back, though he appreciates the red ears. That way he at least knows that he's getting right through to him, just like he wants to.

"We are, though...I was wondering." Krem swallows, tapping his cup nervously on the table, "You um, you interested in going out tomorrow? The boy's and I usually go to the bar after work." He takes the last sip of his latte, knows how nervous he must sound, must look, but at least he's getting words out. He had asked JW to dinner over text. Actually asking him to go out in person was harder, even if it was easy to talk to him.

"It'd be on me."

Krem was swiftly rewarded. JW perked up instantly at the mention of going out and even went so far as to start opening his mouth--but then the needle scratched all the way across the record and the baker was met with a dilemma.

He very much did want to see Krem tomorrow--and he was curious about these friends of his. If they were anything like him, he was sure they'd be a blast to hang out with. But, alas, there was the issue of that deep-seated trauma associated with the smell of the bar.

It took a moment for him to realize he still had his mouth open. JW had to make a quick save. He leaned forward again, elbow on the table--cool, conversational, not at all shredding his napkin with his other hand.

"You know, I would like to go out tomorrow but--y'see--I'm not really...a bar kinda guy? If that makes sense?" INVOLUNTARY SQUINT.

Krem felt good about that initial reaction. And then he didn't. It was so quick, but JW's mouth was open, like someone had just pressed pause on him, even if he could see in his eyes that his mind was still moving. What had he said to fuck it up?

He was about to apologize, for what ever it was he had done, but then JW was opening his mouth again, words actually coming out, and he felt something in his stomach twist a little. Well. That was okay. He didn't need to go to the bar. They could change it up a little. It was fine.

"Oh. Well that's fine! It doesn't have to be a bar." He isn't sure what he's suddenly so wary about it, but it might be the fact that if he ever brings JW back to his apartment, the amount of wine he has in his kitchen is enough to stock a bar proper. Maybe he's just imagining it.

"What about the park? Fresh air without the monster swarms," JW offered, and instantly felt lame for it. THE PARK? Really? Were they teenagers? But...it was the furthest thing from a bar he could think of and he panicked.

"I'm not sure I can convince them to go to the park, but we can go after." Since he's sure if JW suggested it, he did actually want to go. And he had said he liked taking walks, hadn't he?

"we're all usually kind of ravenous after work. Comes with the occupation of beating the life out of things, so I know a restaurant we all like, doesn't really have a bar." Which is a good compromise he thinks. He isn't sure if it's the alcohol or the bar atmosphere that makes JW want to avoid it, but the place he's thinking of is pretty family friendly, so hopefully that would help.

Krem looked like he was really trying to make this work so JW dipped his antlers in agreement. A restaurant. Far less likely for there to be chairs sailing overhead or anyone getting murdered. And the smells of delicious food could probably drown out the smells of other things.

"Sounds great, where is it?"

To be honest it might not be hard to see chairs sailing over head with the Chargers, but they were just rowdy sometimes. They meant well. Aside from the time Bull had saved him from the man hunters on the border, no one had ever really died or gotten into a scuffle. They kept to themselves, even if some of them flirted with the waitstaff too much, but Bull usually kept them all in check.

"Hows about I pick you up at your bakery and we can walk there? It's not too far." Since he didn't have a car anyways. Unless he wanted to try and fit into the company car with the rest of the chargers. The company bus more like with how many they managed to squeeze in.

"Basic burgers and fries place, nothing special. We'll probably still be in armor anyways."

JW seemed to roll that around in his head for a moment before nodding again.

"Haven't had burgers in a while." He broke into another toothy grin. "It's a date. You know when I close."

And when he opened.

The phrase 'it's a date' gets a nervous little laugh out of Krem he hadn't expected. He should have though, since he laughed like that when he had asked JW out the first time, just there was a distance between them and text to hide behind. He coughed to try and cover it. "Good, I'll see you then, though...um."

How come asking was so hard? He could talk, not trip over himself too much, smile his dashing smile, and yet whenever he went to ask for something he wanted, it came out stupidly. "I was wondering also, you know, if you wouldn't mind too much. I could walk you home, if you were heading home after this anyways." Smooth operator.

The laugh only made JW grin wider. YES. He was back on top of this fluster wrestling match. The grin didn't fade when Krem made his offer either. It softened and turned less shit-eating and more genuine.

He hadn't...ever had anyone walk him home that he could remember. The last guy he dated was also a roommate so that didn't count. And he had to admire Krem for slipping that in. It put those worries that screamed 'oh no this brave ripped solider is going to realize I'm an ugly sick broom and bail' to bed once again.

"Sure. I need to get home anyway and see if that box came."

That was a good look Krem was sure, sitting up from his chair and tossing his cup easily enough, and the wrapping of his sandwich. He doesnt head to the door just yet though, waiting patiently for Jw to get up before he made a move to the door.

He could be a gentleman, and yet Iron Bull said that courting and taking it slow was all a waste of time.

JW made a short show of getting up, bowing his back and stretching his long arms high above his head. He wasn't ripped like Krem but he hoped his sheer height could be...cool. Or something. He was trying. When he was done with that, he dipped back into his usual slouch, grabbed up his bag, and headed for the exit.

"Hope you're ready for a walk, I live in the sticks."

Regardless of how not ripped JW was, Krem was kind of wishing the man had the same problem with his shirt as he did with his pants making a move like that. But, he doesn't comment, just lets his eyes wander before making his own way to the door. He holds it open for JW because he can and shrugs casually. "If a soldier ever tells you they're not up for a walk, they're probably a bad one." Because he can't imagine ever turning down any sort of walk or exercise, even when tired, he doubted he'd not able to, especially when he isn't even wearing his armor.

"You said you had a package coming in...anything special?"

YES, KREM. MARVEL AT THE GIRAFFE IN MAN-SKIN THAT IS JW.

And would you look at that, this boy does know his manners. JW lifted a brow at the open door and just grinned. He could get used to that. The walk wasn't nearly as long as JW made it out to be. When you got out of breath as easily as he did, a quick trip to the post office felt like an all day thing. Soon enough the businesses and houses thinned on either side of them and gave way to more trees and residences.

"Well aren't you nosy," JW nudged Krem in the ribs with his dagger of an elbow.

"You brought it up," He returns, coughing a little when JW nudged him with his DAGGERS. It was like those companionable claps on the back that the Bull gave, caught you off guard and practically knocked you clean over. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Still, with the sudden impulse to touch, Krem glanced to the side, measuring up Jim, though realizing that he was also like his boss in the way that it was impossible for him to put his arm around his shoulder. Too short. Hmm.

Krem's plan shot down, he casually looks away and "accidentally" brushes the back of his hand with JW's. He thinks he's so smooth.

JW knew it good and well and his grin didn't go away. Playing keep-away with information was the best. As long as it was him. He'd turned to look ahead and keep an eye on the street names when Krem's hand brushed his.

It surprised him and he glanced down with his good eye but didn't jerk his hand away. Now he was curious. Just how brave was this brave soldier boy?

There was something about not having the courage to ask, but thinking that you should, and yet wondering if it was weird to even bring it up. Was he four? Did he need to ask permission to hold someones hand? Or would it be rude to assume that JW wanted to?

He still had plenty of time to pretend it was an accident, in fact he had all of forever, and yet that wasn't what he wanted. He felt nervous, and yet, so very, very stupid. If he could kill a man with a giant rock on a stick, why couldn't he hold a man's hand without having all this inner dialogue?

"What street are you on?" He says all too quickly, because maybe it will just make JW not comment on the fact that he just grabbed his hand. His own is just a little sweaty with nerves. Maybe he should have wiped it on his pants before hand...can't really change it now.

The taller man's brows lifted. He went for it! JW leveled his chin and looked ahead, attempting to hide the very different grin that had formed on his face. MAYBE KREM WAS TOO SHORT TO SEE.

"Oh, it's a ways on back there--we turn here though."

JW pulled ahead, his own bony hand tugging Krem in the right direction. He took some long-ass strides too, just to be a shit. Is this a test? YOU JUST DON'T KNOW, KREM.

Well, Krem isn't too short to see, he's just avoiding eye contact. Or he was until JW's stride picked up. His pace is a little quicker, and for a moment Krem just wonders if he's walking faster since he's almost home, but it's fairly obvious that's not it when those steps of his get further and further apart. Krem's fast walk almost can't keep up. Not that it's winding him, he can keep up, but he just has to try harder. Each of Jim's steps is at least two of his own.

He'll be a good boy for another block, that's just fine, but he's giving JW one hell of a side glance right now, his irritation levels are low, but his grin keeps getting wider. He's got an idea forming and he's not sure it'll go over well, but JW keeps tempting him with ever long step of his.

Another few minutes of this... "You make it hard, you know?" He finally speaks up, "to behave, I mean."

"Oh, what, I thought you said soldiers liked to walk."

JW kept dragging him along, past decorative mailboxes and fences and finally they started to go uphill. There, beyond a few other smaller houses and perched high so that it could see most of the neighborhood was a two-story mess of a dwelling surrounded by a jungle of weeds.

Krem isn't familiar with the neighborhood, wonders if JW talks to his neighbors, but secretly hopes he does, just so he can maybe hear him gripe about it afterwards. He's been half dragged thanks to Jim, and he thinks, if that's JW's house, he can pay a little back in the final stretch.

"We do, though I'm missing something..." His fingers curl a little more tightly around the other man's hand, stops dead and gives a tug backward. It's not rough, he doesn't want to hurt him, but if there isn't much of a struggle, he'll heave him over his shoulder, his other arm coming around the back of his thighs so there isn't any chance of dropping him. "There we go, needed a little more weight." He'll pat his oversized load and grin, continuing on in his walking, and everything was right in the world.

"That one yours on the end, Wonderful?"

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