Toni’s hand slips on the door handle as he goes to close it, nearly making him conk his head on the jamb. Fixing his glasses, he coughs into his hand and tries again, ignoring the familiar reminder of being out of time. “Yeah,” he mutters, giving her a smile that only looks a little tight. “Probably give him a heart attack if he saw me now.”
She reaches out to touch his hand on the gear shift. “Surely you haven’t changed so much. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” Letting go, she pulls a lock of hair over one shoulder and plays with it, combing out non-existent tangles with her nails. “What’s awesome about this place?”
“There’s a waterfall for one,” he chuckles, starting up the car. “It’s kinda an old place considering Ty used to take me here, but I think you’ll like it. It’s homey.” Pulling out of the garage, Toni looks over at her for a moment and bites his lower lip. “You’re not old.”
“Oooh, a waterfa—what? No, Toni, pay attention to the road.” Summer combs her nails harder through the inoffensive lock of hair. Her stomach feels odd, vague fear swirling around in it. “What do you mean, I’m not old? Not compared to the Captain, maybe, but I’m still almost twice your age.”
“Surprise,” he hums, walking them to the car with a small smile lingering on his lips. “I promise it’s not some rinky-dink joint with a one-eyed server named Jo, if that makes you feel better.”
That makes Summer laugh. “Even if it was, I’m sure there would be something awesome about it. Best hot dogs in town, or something like that.” She has to let go of Toni’s arm to get in the car, buckling up with habitual speed. “Maybe the one-eyed server named Jo is your old best friend from high school.”
Toni’s hand slips on the door handle as he goes to close it, nearly making him conk his head on the jamb. Fixing his glasses, he coughs into his hand and tries again, ignoring the familiar reminder of being out of time. “Yeah,” he mutters, giving her a smile that only looks a little tight. “Probably give him a heart attack if he saw me now.”
She reaches out to touch his hand on the gear shift. “Surely you haven’t changed so much. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.” Letting go, she pulls a lock of hair over one shoulder and plays with it, combing out non-existent tangles with her nails. “What’s awesome about this place?”
“Is that — ” Summer clears her throat and tries again. “Is that what’s happening here?” She looks down at his arm linked with hers, then back up at his face. “I’ll be honest, I have no idea what is going on here.”
“I’m attempting to woo you,” he answers honestly, meeting her eyes over his frames. “I want to try and have a relationship with you, Summer. If you don’t want that, then I won’t push and we can just go out to dinner as good friends. What do you want?”
She closes her mouth, which had fallen open, looking slightly stunned. “No. I mean, yes. I mean — yes, I want to try to have a relationship with you.” She shakes her head a little, sharply. She’d been convinced he didn’t like her that way. “Where are we going again?”
“Surprise,” he hums, walking them to the car with a small smile lingering on his lips. “I promise it’s not some rinky-dink joint with a one-eyed server named Jo, if that makes you feel better.”
That makes Summer laugh. “Even if it was, I’m sure there would be something awesome about it. Best hot dogs in town, or something like that.” She has to let go of Toni’s arm to get in the car, buckling up with habitual speed. “Maybe the one-eyed server named Jo is your old best friend from high school.”
“Is that — ” Summer clears her throat and tries again. “Is that what’s happening here?” She looks down at his arm linked with hers, then back up at his face. “I’ll be honest, I have no idea what is going on here.”
“I’m attempting to woo you,” he answers honestly, meeting her eyes over his frames. “I want to try and have a relationship with you, Summer. If you don’t want that, then I won’t push and we can just go out to dinner as good friends. What do you want?”
She closes her mouth, which had fallen open, looking slightly stunned. “No. I mean, yes. I mean — yes, I want to try to have a relationship with you.” She shook her head a little, sharply. She’d been convinced he didn’t like her that way. “Where are we going again?”
“Oh, I trust you to be entirely yourself, Toni.” Summer shakes her head, slightly. “It’s me I don’t trust. You’re /you/, darling, and — oh, how do I even explain this?” She looks at him, and presses her lips together. “That particular joke — it’s not a joke to me, it’s — I’m not gorgeous, Toni, I’m short and skinny and sharp-tongued, and to be quite honest I’m over thirty years old and no one has ever asked me out on a date before.”
“My first relationship was with an abusive prick,” he shrugs, scratching his nose when he felt a swell of quick panic. “I babble too much, I talk too loud, I like to flail my arms a lot and I’m from 1994. Believe me, you’re going to work harder at trying to drive me away.”
“I didn’t know that,” she says softly. “Okay. Okay. I’m here, and obviously I’m dressed okay, and we’re both nervous.” She chuckles briefly. “Let’s just pretend I didn’t say any of those stupid things, and you tell me where you’re taking me.”
He gives her a brief smile, leaning in to peck her cheek before looping his arm through her own. “Ah, but if I told you then that would ruin the whole surprise,” Toni chuckles. “I promise it will be fun, though. I’ve never had someone complain about my wooing skills.”
“Is that — ” Summer clears her throat and tries again. “Is that what’s happening here?” She looks down at his arm linked with hers, then back up at his face. “I’ll be honest, I have no idea what is going on here.”
The breath rushes out of her in a whoosh. It doesn’t help the way her stomach is turning over, especially now, and she’s so closed up and tense there’s no way she could have known without him saying.
” … Toni, for fuck’s sake.” Summer leans her forehead on his shoulder.
“I take it you can’t take jokes all too well anymore?” he chuckles, trailing a careful hand through her hair, before pulling back slightly to look her over. “You know, I get the feeling that you don’t trust me.”
“Oh, I trust you to be entirely yourself, Toni.” Summer shakes her head, slightly. “It’s me I don’t trust. You’re /you/, darling, and — oh, how do I even explain this?” She looks at him, and presses her lips together. “That particular joke — it’s not a joke to me, it’s — I’m not gorgeous, Toni, I’m short and skinny and sharp-tongued, and to be quite honest I’m over thirty years old and no one has ever asked me out on a date before.”
“My first relationship was with an abusive prick,” he shrugs, scratching his nose when he felt a swell of quick panic. “I babble too much, I talk too loud, I like to flail my arms a lot and I’m from 1994. Believe me, you’re going to work harder at trying to drive me away.”
“I didn’t know that,” she says softly. “Okay. Okay. I’m here, and obviously I’m dressed okay, and we’re both nervous.” She chuckles briefly. “Let’s just pretend I didn’t say any of those stupid things, and you tell me where you’re taking me.”
