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

[pitchslapped]

"What? Just so you know I'm not lying about you making me watch them the first time?" she says, shaking her head, swinging his hand slightly alongside her. "Because watching movies is...a lot of what we do, Jesse."

[a_capella_boy]

"No, because I love movies and want to experience them with you," Jesse said with a shake of his head. It would be kind of fun though to have her pick some of her favorites she wanted to watch again. Assuming she liked some movies.

"But there's a lot of other stuff here that I want to do with you. That I want to show you."

[pitchslapped]

"Like what?" asks Beca, turning her head and looking up at him. "What've you got planned for me, Jesse Swanson?"

[a_capella_boy]

"There is an awesome local music scene here and there are concerts pretty regularly," Jesse said, already thinking of several shows he would want to take her to as well as a few open mic places he would be playing.

"There's a bowling alley that's connected to a comic book shop that's pretty awesome and a million different awesome restaurants to go to."

[pitchslapped]

"As long as I get to hold your hand while we're doing it, I don't care what we're doing," she says, which was sappy as hell but totally true. She could do pretty much anything as long as Jesse was involved.

On 3 August 2015 at 19:22, a_capella_boy - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

[a_capella_boy]

"Wow. That was super sweet and kind of romantic. You don't have to go easy on me you know," he teased, but Jesse couldn't help but grin and squeeze her hand as he said it. It was kind of nice to have confirmation that she liked being with him. Really nice, actually.

[pitchslapped]

"I'm still not great at romance but someone's been working on me for four years - so I do my best," she says, bending her head and pressing a kiss against the back of his hand.

[a_capella_boy]

"I feel a little bit guilty that I get all the awesome benefits from this so early," Jesse admitted, smiling at her. It was kind of a complete role reversal, what with her being more comfortable with this sort of thing than he was. It definitely didn't feel like a bad thing though.

[pitchslapped]

"I figure you'll probably make it up to me later," she says, eyebrow raised, smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Hopefully."

On 3 August 2015 at 20:30, a_capella_boy - DW Comment < dw_null@dreamwidth.org> wrote:

[a_capella_boy]

"Oh, so I'm trailing behind now in the romance department, am I?" he said, unable to resist the urge to give her a hard time. While she was certainly the master of that Jesse couldn't help but give a little bit as well. "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to step it up a notch."

[pitchslapped]

"C'mon then, nerd," she teases, letting go of his hand for a moment so that she can walk a few steps ahead of him, walking backwards in heels with her hands spread in challenge. "Bring it on."

[a_capella_boy]

"Oh, so you think you're going to be able to handle me with my A game, huh? Well I've got news for you, after tonight you're going to beg me to bring it down to your level with the romance," Jesse said, grinning broadly. This was one of the things he liked about Beca, her ability to be ridiculous and playful while giving people crap.

[pitchslapped]

"You're forgetting that I've got three years on you, dude," she says, eyebrows raised, folding her arms across her chest. "I know all your tricks already. Grasshopper."

[a_capella_boy]

"How about a little wager then, Mrs. Miyagi. Loser cooks a meal for the winner. I bet I do at least one romantic thing tonight that shocks you," Jesse said. He actually did feel a sort of real worry that this would all seem old and boring to her but there wasn't really much to be done about that.

[pitchslapped]

"I'm willing to be shocked," she says, taking his hand again, guiding their hands behind her so that his knuckles bump against her ass as they walk.

[a_capella_boy]

Jesse was very, very aware of where she had moved his hand placement and thought that was really awful of her. Not in a genuinely bad way, although he would have to say something if she took it too far.

"You are terrible, you know that? Do I tell you that in the future that you're terrible?"

[pitchslapped]

Beca glances at him, all wide-eyed innocence.

"All the time," she says. "But I never, ever know why." And then she affects the most ridiculous pout that she can manage.

[a_capella_boy]

"That is the most unbelievable pout I have ever seen," Jesse said with a laugh. She looked kind of adorable but also so very wrong. Beca absolutely did not pout. The innocent look had been pretty good though.

[pitchslapped]

She squeezes his hand and leans her shoulder against his for a second.

"Is it much further? If I'd known we were walking miles I wouldn't have worn stilettos."

[a_capella_boy]

"Sorry, I forgot you're old and can't walk far. Lucky for you it's just around the corner," he said, pointing to a little place that had a sign out just down the street. The bar itself was in the lower level with a small flower shop up above it.

"The Blue Trombone," Jesse explained. "Fantastic food and even better music."

[pitchslapped]

"Jazz, food and dinner," she says and she's actually pretty delighted by the choice. "One day, I'm going to make you walk somewhere in heels and see how you like it. I know you've put on a vest and everything, but it's not exactly suffering is it?"

[a_capella_boy]

"No one made you wear those heels," Jesse said, although he could definitely appreciate how she looked in them. He imagined that by now she could probably do some pretty awesome dance numbers in shoes like that.

Helping her down the stairs Jesse opened the door to the club, the music snaking out into the street like a living thing. Since it was jazz, maybe it was. The club straddled the line between being swanky and run down. Nothing in the place was new but it was all lovingly cared for, from the polish on the wood to the people playing up on the stage.

"So what do you think?"

[pitchslapped]

"I think..." She pauses, scanning the room - the stage, the little tables, the warm glow from the wall-lights - and it just strikes her as such a Jesse sort of place that it makes perfect sense that this is where he brought her. "That it's a pretty perfect sort of first date place." She leans up and kisses his cheek. "So far so good, nerd."

[a_capella_boy]

"Future me is so jealous right now," Jesse said, following the hostess to a table tucked back in the corner. It wasn't too close to the band but that meant they'd be able to hear themselves talk better, which was a specially good trade off for a first date.

"So how is the job search going? Found anything that seems interesting or is it all looking like you're going to be the hot, snarky barista?"

[pitchslapped]

"I guarantee to you that future you is not jealous of dinner," she points out as she slides into her chair, arranging her skirt around her legs as she does. She immediately reaches for the cocktail menu. "Actually! I think I actually found something! Which..will totally still involve making coffee but there'll also be music involved."