First date

[pitchslapped]

It's ridiculous. She has no idea why she's so nervous.

Back at Barden, they'd never actually done this. Yeah, they'd gone out to dinner together, obviously, but they'd never really bothered dating. After that first kiss at Lincoln Center, they'd just sort of fallen into being together, completely. No awkward dinner dates required. Still, Jesse wants to start over, and Beca can see the wisdom in that. They both different people than the other one remembers. They need to figure each other out again.

She spent most of the day looking for a dress. Hopefully, he'll like this one. God. Why is she so nervous?

Comments

[a_capella_boy]

"Also, how you tuck your hair behind your ear while you're trying to concentrate on something in front of you then something off to the side distracts you," he said, finding it hard to stop now that he's started. Jesse had lost her. Twice now and he didn't want to miss out on telling her these things again. "You tuck your hair behind your ear and glance to the side, like you're not looking but you're totally looking at whatever it is. And it's absolutely beautiful."

[pitchslapped]

"You get this look on your face when you're watching a movie you love," she says, leaning her chin into her hand and just watching him for a minute. "And I love it when you sing, when it's you and the Trebles, and your voice kicks in through the mic. I love that."

[a_capella_boy]

"You'll have to come watch me perform with the Clefs. We don't practice and rehearse as much as we did in college but we're not bad. It's coed too, you could totally join," Jesse said, although he could understand if she didn't want to. It sounded like that part of her life might be transitioning into something else. Besides, with Beca it had always been about the Bellas, not necessarily the performing.

"Or you can listen to me play my guitar and sing some of my terrible original stuff," he said, giving her a bit of a sheepish smile at the intensity of how she looked at him. It was a really, really nice way to be looked at.

[pitchslapped]

"I would love that," she says, means it utterly genuinely. "Listening to you play your own stuff, I mean. I don't know how into joining another a Cappella group I am. Even for you."

[a_capella_boy]

"I wouldn't ask you to be in the group. Unless we were super desperate and I couldn't find anyone else that actually wanted to do it, then I might ask," he said. Jesse was glad that she wanted to hear his original stuff though. "Did I compose much back home?"

[pitchslapped]

"You were actually really starting to make a go of it," she says, and she can't keep the little flicker of pride off her face. "You were composing for an Indie film, you had another couple of offers. Things were going to get really exciting after graduation."

[a_capella_boy]

"That's awesome. Can you also tell me that Luke got really fat and works at a burger place, even if you have no idea what happened to him?" Jesse joked. It seemed like things were going really well for them back home, even if she wasn't so sure about that. "I haven't even taken classes here. I wasn't sure there was even a point since there really isn't anyone making movies in town."

[pitchslapped]

"Which is why you decided to make your own," she says, popping a french fry into her mouth. "And Luke totally got really fat. I'm even sure the burger place will have him."

[a_capella_boy]

"Which is why I entered into a waking nightmare, yes," Jesse said. It honestly didn't take up a lot of his day to day time since it was all hurry up and wait, but it was constantly there at the back of his mind.

"And good, that means I double win. Checkmate, Luke. Checkmate."

[pitchslapped]

"Firstly, I was never into Luke," she points out. "Any appreciation of Luke that I may have had was purely aesthetic, because he was a complete douche-nozzle. Secondly, I have seen your abs, dude. You totally could have been a contender."

[a_capella_boy]

Jesse had been pretty sure that Beca had been a little bit into Luke but if she said she wasn't then maybe Jesse was just projecting. Either way, he had ended up with Beca so Luke could suck it.

"Yeah, but who wants to be the guy that's only wanted for his abs? I feel like I have a lot more going on for me that's better than my abs."

[pitchslapped]

"Oh, yeah, definitely. Absolutely," says Beca. She's finished her own fries and reaches across the table to steal one of Jesse's. "I'm just not complaining about the abs."

[a_capella_boy]

"Well, I'll be sure to keep exercising. I mean, I find the most interesting things when I go for a run," Jesse said, unable to hide his smirk. The idea that she was trapped in a net still really amused him, even if she still didn't seem to see the humor in it.

[pitchslapped]

"Did I mention that you're still an asshole in the future?" asks Beca, taking another one of his fries. "Because you're totally still an asshole."

[a_capella_boy]

Jesse grinned and held up his hands and made a heart symbol against his chest before reaching out to snag the fry out of her hand before eating it.

"You know, you can ask for my fries if you want, or don't they taste the same that way?"

[pitchslapped]

"Well," says Beca, warring with herself for a moment. "Can I have some of your fries?"

[a_capella_boy]

"No, you'll definitely enjoy them way more if they're illicitly obtained," he said, grinning at her as he ate another one of his fries before giving her a challenging look.

[pitchslapped]

"You're such a dick," says Beca, but she does lean in to take a fry, popping it into her mouth before Jesse can take it.

[a_capella_boy]

"See, but didn't that fry taste better for it's defiance?" he asked with a laugh, amused to see her take it so quick. "And don't get too full, we still need to dance."

[pitchslapped]

"Dancing then desert?" she asks, drinking the last of cocktail. "Before I get so wasted you have to carry me home."

On 6 August 2015 at 20:07, a_capella_boy - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

[a_capella_boy]

"Dancing, dessert, then you can get as wasted as you want, I promise. You're kind of tiny so I can at least carry you part of the way," he said, finishing up the rest of his beer. To be honest he really wanted to dance with Beca, although part of him was worried that it might be weird, that they might be out of sync or something.

[pitchslapped]

Beca gets up, smoothing her hair over one shoulder and then offers him her hand.

"You dancin', Swanson?"

[a_capella_boy]

"It... would be my pleasure," he said, standing up smoothly and taking her hand. Dancing to jazz wasn't his main thing but he was perfectly capable of it. Not only that, he had a lot of experience dancing here in Darrow, more than just dancing during performances.

"Just make sure you can keep up, Mitchell," he said, giving her a grin as he pulled her close to him before he started to move to the music.

[pitchslapped]

Beca isn't as much of a natural dancer as Jesse, but she has got a lot of rhythm and she can follow his lead. She rests her free hand on his shoulder, her fingers threading with his.

"I'd forgotten how good you were."

[a_capella_boy]

"I take it then we don't go dancing much?" he asked. He figured they might not considering they both danced for their groups and with how busy they would be between that and classes dancing might be the last thing they wanted to do when they were together. Beca was no slouch herself though, moving easily with him and he enjoyed having her so close, experiencing the movement and the music together.