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Shiloh showed up at the lighthouse with a grin on his face. His first instinct at the prospect of date night had been to text Ian back immediately with just how excited he was, but he’d dialed it back, in favor of saving face and also in favor of his inability to resist a well-executed joke. Not wanting to worry Ian too much, however, he’d saved the messages for just as he was about to reach the lighthouse, making sure his entrance didn’t delay too far behind their arrival.

Ian had said to dress nice, and Shiloh delivered, wearing a pair of black slacks that fit in all the right places, his grey V-neck sweater layered over a neatly pressed white dress shirt, a dark jacket tucked beneath his arm while a pair of brown oxfords completed his date night look. He’d tried to tame his hair as best he could but it was too short now to pull into a ponytail and the thought of putting gel in it sort of mortified him, so he left it down, blonde strands and the last vestiges of pink framing his face.

“There he is,” he gushed a little as he caught sight of Ian, still grinning widely. “Hello, handsome guy.”

Shiloh’s heart was all a flutter; it had been that way since the first text Ian had sent him. He’d never been on a real date before let alone a[/] date, period, so to say he was excited would have been something of an understatement. It didn’t lessen any as he reached the lighthouse, and it certainly didn't get any better when Ian drew him closer, Shiloh sure his heart might thump right out of his chest.

But Ian smiled, sweetly as he always did, and kissed him and Shiloh smiled back as he pressed his lips back against Ian’s, the smell of Ian’s cologne tickling pleasantly at his nose. “Not so bad yourself,” he teased as Ian drew away, though it was also a severe understatement, as Shiloh’s eyes travelled over the Mist Hunter. Handsome guy was right, Ian was downright gorgeous all dressed up, if Shiloh allowed himself to think so forwardly. For as nice a guy as Shiloh was, he couldn’t deny that even he wasn’t impervious to levels of attractiveness and while it wasn’t everything that he loved about Ian, he couldn’t believe how lucky he’d been to catch the eye of someone so utterly out of his boy-next-door league. It was enough that by the time Ian’s hand had caught his, Shiloh was finding himself flustered, not even able to gather enough wits for a comeback to Ian’s awful, but endearing, cheese.

“Yeah.”

Shiloh bit his lip shyly, trying to tame his own smile but it was no use and he tugged at Ian’s hand, bumping into him gently, happily. They were really here. They were really doing this. He was going on a date, with a guy, a guy he very well might love. Shiloh was ecstatic.

kuroopu

Shiloh didn't have time to protest Ian's compliment, pulled through the portal and in a flash they were somewhere that was not Deus at all, it was it was bright and bustling and wonderful. Shiloh took a moment to orient himself, smiling as Ian introduced him to the city with a laugh, looking around and trying to absorb all the colors and lights. the sights and the smells. It was like a breath of fresh air, refreshing and invigorating and he breathed it all in with awe. He'd always been a small-town boy, he'd been to big cities but nothing like this he'd never been immersed in it and he'd never gone with the feeling of excited butterflies in his stomach, had never looked forward to the trips like he was looking forward to this one right now.

It wasn't New York, New York, but it didn't need to be as Ian slipped his arm around his waist and Shiloh let him, the pair of them not even remotely interesting compared to the rest of the foot traffic on the sidewalk and he relaxed, settling into an easy gait beside his boyfriend, his eyes dancing as excitedly as the blinking lights around them.

"DuMont's? " Shiloh repeated earnestly, tiptoeing for a moment to peer ahead, as if he might be able to see over everything and spot it. He'd never heard of it, but then again he'd never been to Brooklyn, so it wasn't surprising, but he was almost jittery next to Ian, the smile on his face constant. "Sounds delicious, and good thing too, I'm starved."

“Ian,” Shiloh chided, but it was only in jest as he leaned back against the wall for a second, catching his breath. Only his reprieve was short, as Ian kissed him again, quickly, and his hand found his and Ian was tugging him away, towards the doors, with out a chance to say a word, his protests of being amazing dying on his lips. He’d definitely get his boyfriend back later, Shiloh decided, but for now he was content to follow, a big silly grin on his face as they stepped into the restaurant.

“Mac and cheese huh? Sounds delicious,” he answered, though his eyes weren’t looking at any sort of food as the host left to clear some tables. They were in fact, glued on Ian, handsome in his outfit, in the way his hair fell waywardly over his face, in the way that face was lit up with excitement. It was simultaneously catching, and intoxicating and Shiloh felt like he was practically beaming. Ian could have taken them to the hot-dog vendor down the street and Shiloh would have been happy, Ian could have taken him anywhere and so long as it was Ian doing the taking, to Shiloh it would be perfect.

As it was they were at DuMont’s and when he finally peeled his eyes away from Ian, Shiloh took in a quick look around the place, the coziness of it, the pleasant bustling atmosphere. Shiloh smiled to himself, and gave Ian’s hand a squeeze. Their first real date, he couldn’t wait.

Shiloh had scooted away from the patting with an incredulous look that was almost believable, except that it was Shiloh, and his ability to pull off any sort of con was entirely non-existent, only seconds passing before he was laughing, ushered into the restaurant.

The waitress led them towards the table and Ian was making rather grandiose assumptions about food, and it all felt so normal, so wonderful, like it was just another night out, the two of them, like they did this all the time. They didn’t of course, they hadn’t – this was, after all, their first real date, and the butterflies in Shiloh’s stomach confirmed it. He wasn’t anxious, however, just excited, hopeful. It made him wonder what life would be like if they lived here instead of the island. As he slid into the booth across from Ian, he leaned back against the plush seat, thinking that such a thing might be paradise. No monsters, no scary division leads, just the two of them and a plate of mac and cheese. Maybe they’d get a dog or a cat, maybe they’d have a little apartment all their own.

“A Stella, if they have it,” Shiloh smiled, moving his foot under the table to nudge at Ian’s before picking up his own menu. Domestic, he thought, that’s how this felt.

It was wonderful.

Shiloh never considered such notions but he had the advantage in the situation over Ian, he'd never had to deal with the hardships of relationships, had never had to deal with what Ian had. So he was cheerfully optimistic, boldly playing footsies with Ian where no one could see, a smile on his face that widened at the waitress and remained as she left to get their beers. Deus couldn't reach him here, only Ian, only good thoughts.

He peeked over his own menu at Ian, staring thoughtfully for a moment.

"I, uh, what do you want to know?" he said, his brow furrowed a little bit. He was good at conversation, really, until things turned to him, self-introspection being something he was never particularly good at, or fond of. But it was just a question, and this was Ian, he wasn't prying, he wanted to know. Shiloh, it's not a big deal, idiot, just answer the question, he thought, setting his menu down.

"I've never been to New York before," he offered glibly, with a grin.

"I'm not cheeky," Shiloh protested, holding the menu up to hide his face from the rest of the restaurant as he stuck his tongue out at Ian. "Or cute. You're cute."

He laughed though, as Ian leaned back and spread his arms, settling into the cushions of the booth himself. It was the truth, that he'd never been here, and the thought of taking it all in, of doing all these new and exciting things with Ian, made him smile broadly as he picked up the menu to read again. "A merry old time sounds just perfect," he said, all cheekiness aside, turning that smile on Ian. "Thank you for bringing me here."

The waitress appeared not long after, and Shiloh glanced back at the menu, still not sure what to order. Ian, thankfully, took the lead and placed his order and when the waitress turned to him, and he gave Ian a quick glance before smiling up at her.

"I'll uh, you know what, I'll have that too, thanks!"

Then to Ian, "It sounds delicious."