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rapunzel

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He gives their first date a lot of thought. He talks to people. He does research. Finally, he manages to settle on a little Italian place that's got great ratings and reviews, that's fancy without being overbearing. He wants to give Rapunzel a chance to dress up, if she wants to. He doesn't have a suit made by her, yet, but he goes shopping again and finds a dark suit and shirt combo that he thinks works.

He's inexplicably nervous as he climbs the stairs to her apartment and knocks. In his hands, there's a bouquet of flowers, carefully chosen -- he'd gone with wildflowers in pinks and purples, flashes of yellow. They'd seemed more fitting for her than something more formal.

God, he wants this to go well.

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“Yes, I’m ready to go,” she tells him, nodding and signaling for the server and asking her to box up the desserts and bring them the check.

Once she takes the plates away, Rapunzel turns back to Keys with an excited, almost coy smile, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

“This was a very good choice,” she tells him, reaching out to touch the back of his hand.

She touches the back of his hand and a little electric shiver goes straight through him. It's doesn't seem to matter how many times it happens; the feeling is still the same.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he says, turning his hand so that he can curl his fingers around hers. "I... Yeah. I'm having a great time."

“Good.” They stare at each other for a long moment, and Rapunzel feels a charge in the air, something like static electricity. Maybe it’s just the sparks between them.

She doesn’t look away until the server brings their check and a neatly packed to-go bag, and Rapunzel thanks her before looking at Keys with a wry smile.

“I don’t suppose that you’ll let me pay half.”

"I absolutely will not let you pay half," says Keys, picking up the check and glancing at it before he shifts his butt in his chair so that he can get at his wallet. "We can argue about who pays next time then but this one? Is absolutely on me."

He nudges her door with his. "It's my pleasure, honestly."

And it is. No matter what else the evening holds.

“Okay, I won’t argue,” she says with a pleased smile, biting her lip as she watches him sign the receipt. She stands up and pulls her coat back on, shifting her hair over her shoulder and picking up the takeout bag.

“Thank you,” she adds sincerely, almost eager to get out of the restaurant. She wants to be alone with him, even if the thought makes her nervous. But it’s a good kind of nervous that makes her feel warm, with butterflies in her stomach. “Ready to go?”

"You're welcome," he says, and doesn't offer to take the bag, even though his fingers kind of itch to. Once he's in his coat, he slips his hand into hers before they step out onto the street.

"Honestly," he says, as they walk towards her apartment. "I think this is the best date I've ever been on."

It’s now even chillier outside, especially after the warmth of the restaurant, and Rapunzel shivers and presses in close to Keys’ side, holding onto his hand tightly as they walk. The words make her smile, cheeks flushing as she looks up at him.

“It’s not over yet,” she promises, feeling that same flush of excitement. No, she still doesn’t think that she’s ready to have sex yet, but she wants very badly to be kissed. “You still owe me a dance.”

When she shivers against him, he shifts position, letting go of her hand so that he can slip his arm around her and tugging her in against him instead.

"I definitely haven't forgotten," he says. "Believe me."

It isn't a long walk back to Ocean View, and once they're back in her apartment, Rapunzel enthusiastically greets Pascal and cuts him a teeny piece of chocolate cake from the leftovers. This seems to mollify him, and he gives Keys a nod before curling protectively around his little dish of cake. Rapunzel laughs and kisses the top of his head, then takes off her coat and kicks off her shoes as soon as she's back in the living room.

"Here, give me your coat," she tells Keys. "I'll hang it up for you."

"Yes, your highness," he says, fondly, shrugging out of his coat and his suit jacket too, leaving him in shirtsleeves and dress pants. Once he's handed over his coat, he bends to unlace his shoes, too. From the look of it, Rapunzel intends for him to make himself comfortable. And he does owe her that dance.

"Hey, Pascal," he says, waving in the chameleon's direction.

"At ease," Rapunzel jokes, smiling at him as she goes over to hang up his coat, listening as Keys greets Pascal and earns himself a few more points in her book. Pascal lifts his head from the cake and squeaks his own hello, nodding at him before shoving his face back into the frosting.

"Do you want something to drink?" She asks as she slips out of her cardigan and tosses it over the back of a chair, nose wrinkling as she reaches up to tug at the tight braid on top of her head, trying to loosen it a little. "I can open a bottle of wine."

"Wine would be great. Thanks." He's not entirely sure that he should be drinking more, not if he's going to behave here, but he also doesn't want the evening to end. He rolls his sleeves up and walks after her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and tugging her back against him. "I'm having a great time, by the way."

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