Breakfast for Two [Goblin]

[Zero Undead]

No amount of excitement over his first date in what felt like forever could make five in the morning not seem hellishly early. Sure, Maddy probably could have gotten away with sleeping in just a bit later, but he had set his alarm extra early so he wouldn’t be late. It turned out to be a good thing, because he spent almost half an hour in the shower trying to wake up and another hour indecisively rummaging through his closet for a good breakfast date outfit.

Most of his clothing was scene stuff, meant for wearing out in the evenings to clubs and bars and parties.

Picking out his clothes was harder than he thought. Maddy agonized over balancing cute and flirty versus blatant invitation. He hadn’t been so nervous about making a good impression in a very long time. Actually maybe never, since most of the men that paid attention to him favored blatant invitation and slutty.

Halvard was different than most of the men he met, though.

That alone was enough to make butterflies dance around his belly. Maybe it was time to try something different. His typical choice in men had never worked out for him, those aggressive guys that were quick to paw all over him and take and take and take from him always ended the same way – with Maddy hurt and heartbroken as he desperately broke free from a bad situation.

Of course he jumped headfirst into that same type of relationship over and over again, but maybe Halvard was just the wrench he needed thrown into the mix to break that negative cycle.

Finally Maddy settled on hip-hugging jeans with rips in the knees (fashionably of course) and a cute pink V-neck with three-quarter sleeves made of a thin, bordering on sheer, material. A pair of hi-top sneakers and some colorful bangles on his left wrist finished off the look of casual but cute.

It was maybe five minutes before seven when he pushed through the AHOW doors, red eyes darting around nervously as he smoothed down his shirt, even though there weren’t any wrinkles to smooth. Maddy’s heart was thrumming with little flutters as he worried about dozens of insignificant things, like Halvard not liking the way he parted his hair that morning or thinking his outfit wasn’t dressy enough or another perceived imperfection.

At least he didn’t have to worrying about the possibility of being stood up, because his eyes came to rest on his date, sitting with coffee at the same table they had briefly spoken at before. Maddy’s tummy did a little flop as he tried to saunter over with as much confidence as he could muster.

“Good morning, Handsome.” Maddy chirped as he slid into the seat across from Halvard, a flirty smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

[GoblinFae]

Halvard was a man of routines and habits. His alarm went off at 0430 and he was rolling out of bed without even hitting snooze once. Coffee started automatically while he stepped into the shower. Under the warm spray he slowly was able to start becoming fully alert and mentally going through his checklist for the day.

There was going to be a break from his usual schedule though that actually made him pause and smile bashfully. Halvard Stone had a date. He scrubbed the soap along his body a little harder and put a bit more effort into being extra squeaky clean. It was hard enough for him to get out of his shell and people most days let alone have people actually interested in spending time with him when he had a few moments to spare.

He went about his morning as he normally would save for the frequent checks at the time. The news was read a bit less thoroughly than normal perhaps but time still seemed to crawl at a snail's pace. By 0630, he had had enough of waiting though. He was out the door and weaving through the streets to his favorite haunt before he allowed himself to spare the time to think on it.

Halvard was comfortably settled in his usual spot with his usual pot of coffee even if some of the waitstaff were surprised to see him there quite so early, or so late perhaps in his case. With the drink of medieval gods in hand, he was able to relax and zone out to pass the time. The soldier was fifteen minutes early but in all his experience it was better to be early than to be on time. It would have been incredibly rude to keep the other man waiting when Halvard had been the one to initiate things.

It was a relief when Maddock arrived, looking cute and put together in ways that made Halvard wonder if he hadn't dressed appropriately himself. He smiled and bobbed his head in greeting, his cheeks slightly flushed at the greeting he got in return.

"I ordered coffee already, I hope that's alright," he commented quietly while tugging nervously at the cuff of his flannel button up. "Thank you for coming. You look nice." He cleared his throat and coughed into his fist, feeling incredibly fidgety as he sought for the words to continue conversation and alleviate the tension he was feeling.

Was he really this nervous? Had it really been so long since he'd been on a simple date? Gods both he was doomed!

[Zero Undead]

Was he blushing? Yes, Halvard was definitely blushing. There was something extra adorable about a man that big and grizzled blushing, no matter how lightly. Maddy felt his smile growing even bigger as he was told he looked nice, and it was his turn to have his face flushing lightly. He must have done better than he feared at picking out his clothes.

“Oh I wouldn’t have missed this, and coffee is the nectar of the Gods and always alright.” It was early and while he was getting by on excitement alone for the moment, Maddy hadn’t had any coffee yet and would undoubtedly regret it if he didn’t fuel up on some caffeine soon.

Halvard looked so nervous, but he was so cute. Of course there was no speaking for his choice in fashion, flannel on a date? Well flannel anytime, but it was something he supposed he could live with. There was no such thing as perfect, after all. His handsome face and hot body more than made up for a bit of ugly shirt wearing.

Reaching for the empty coffee mug set out for him, Maddy fixed him a cup of java with furtive glances at his date. They were both clearly nervous. Luckily he had time to prepare for needing to break some ice.

“Have you seen the new Summoning movie? I think they’re on four now. I love scary movies, horror is my favorite genre. I love watching a scary movie in the dark, especially if there’s a handsome man I can bury my face against when it gets to a really scary part.” Maddy scrunched his shoulders slightly, letting heat rise in his cheeks as he flashed a sheepish grin before sipping his coffee.

[GoblinFae]

The big man breathed a small sigh of relief. He had not ruined things already from the get-go. Things were salvageable and Maddy seemed to be completely unfazed if his taking lead of the conversation was anything to go by. Halvard smiled slightly and nodded his head. For several moments he was entranced by the near hypnotic motions of the other man making a simple cup of coffee.

It was only once he realised that he had been staring that he coughed into his fist again and took a deep swig of his own scalding brew. The distraction gave him enough time to regather his wits about him again enough to form a coherent thought. Although Maddy's own blushing was doing nothing for Halvard's nerves. It only seemed to make him feel more jittery inside.

"I have not actually. Truthfully, I haven't seen any of them though. I haven't really watched many horror films, or many anything for that matter. It's not really my thing. At the end of the day I'd rather be doing something else rather than melting my brain over dumbass characters who reap what they sow, you know?

"But, you? Do you like them for the content or just...what you can get out of them?"

[Zero Undead]

Oh dear, that was a rough start, wasn’t it? Not that Maddy took much into consideration beyond raw attraction. At least he usually didn’t, but normal people looked for things they had in common with people they wanted to get to know better. Halvard clearly had no use for horror movies, which was one of the few things he actually did outside work and partying. His eyes raked over the handsome fellow across the table and he already figured the man wasn’t much of a clubber.

“Well the cuddling is definitely a bonus.” Maddy felt a small bit of self-consciousness at the question. Still, he was determined to be honest. He didn’t want to put on some act in a desperate attempt to gain the attention of this one. That never worked out well in the end. “I really do like them, though. I watch them alone a lot. Maybe the mind melting appeals to me. They get super campy and predictable, but that just means I can shut off everything else. Also the characters make me feel smart, and that’s a precious commodity most days.”

Wasn’t that the truth? It was a rare occasion where he felt smart about anything. Even now, sitting there at AHOW on a date with this hunk of a man, Maddy couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he thought he was doing. Halvard seemed so straight-laced. What did a guy like that want with someone like him?

“But what about you? If you’re not into movies what does the big, handsome stud like to do when he’s not drinking coffee alone?” He really wanted to know.

[GoblinFae]

Halvard grunted at the other man's response. It really didn't surprise him that a pretty-boy liked to spend his free time in front of a television all day. The fact that he claimed it was not solely for ulterior motives though still left the Solartan skeptical but really what business was it of his? None.

He downed more of his coffee in a deep gulp while eyeing this Maddy in thought. What did the other man think of him? Was he just another monster from one of his movies to him? Was he one of those guys with one of the odder range of appetites? He could only guess at what sort of things Maddy liked. It was always the innocent looking ones that were the kinkiest in his experience.

A shake of his head had him clearing his throat to refocus on the conversation at hand. These were certainly not thoughts for a first date. "I work," he stated plainly. "I work out. I don't really do much in the way of downtime. I like to keep busy, keep moving. My cup of coffee alone as you put it is my treat to myself I suppose.

"You? Or are scary movies your only thing?"