Mikey Way - The Trick Is To Keep Breathing - Nine

It turns out that Michael didn't have to formally ask Rachel out on their first date. Unarranged and completely by chance, they see eachother a few days later at the park a few streets away from Sparticus. Rachel is standing next to the 'Don't Feed The Ducks' sign, staring out at the empty pond, when Michael sees her and walks over, stopping directly behind her.
"It's too early for them," Michael comments and Rachel jumps slightly before turning around to look at him. They smile at eachother before Michael explains, "They go wandering at this time for food. They'll be back in about an hour."
Rachel shakes her head, still grinning. "Do you know everything?"
"No," he answers solemnly. He leans across and kisses her. "Hi."
"Hello. So, please elaborate. If you don't know everything, how do you know off-hand that the ducks will be back 'in about an hour'?"
"Coming to see them enough times to know when they will and will not be around." Michael shrugs. "Experience."
"Ah, so, if you're so experienced in regards to the ducks and you know they won't be here at this time, why are you here?"
He had actually been on his way to one of the group sessions but when he crossed the street and saw a figure's back he recognised very well, had decided to make a detour. Now, staring at Rachel's flirtatious smile and the way she looked up expectantly at him, Michael resolves that he can go to the group session on Monday. "I was just in the neighbour hood," Michael finally answers, " taking a walk. Saw you standing infront of the empty pond and thought I'd come over and say hi... so, yeah... Mission accomplished."
"Well, I'm glad you did come over because I was going to call you when I got home anyway. Now I don't have to. Funny how that works out."
"Yes, it is rather convenient," he remarks absent-mindedly. Despite willing himself to, so as not to look like a completely love-stricken fool, he has not been able to look away from Rachel's face, particularly her eyes, for what he is sure has been at least a good few minutes now. His self-consciousness slowly dissipates, however, when he realises that she has been looking right back. Perhaps, he thinks, not with the same intensity at which he has been staring at her but still, quite a good sign. Slowly, he moves his eyes from hers to her lips before quickly looking away from her altogether, nervously at his hands shoved in his pockets instead, and clears his throat. "So, uh, if I hadn't come over, you'd have called, huh?" She nods. "And what would you have called for? Or would it just be to talk?"
She hasn't looked away from his face yet even though now, having glanced away, he hasn't quite been able to meet her eyes again. "Initially just to talk but with a hidden motive to arrange to do something with you."
His gaze quickly shoots up to her face and he is able to maintain the look once more. A small smile he is unable to stop from forming makes him blush, well aware of how eager he must appear just to spend some time with her. Rachel chuckles at his blushing before turning and slowly walking away from the pond. When she looks with raised eyebrows over her shoulder at him, he quickly hurries to catch up to her. As they walk side by side, he enquires, "So, these arrangements would be along the lines of...?"
Having been staring straight ahead as they gradually make their way out of the park, she glances quickly at him and then down. However, she is not looking at their feet as they walk, she is watching their hands. Still watching, she replies, "Hm, I don't know. Suggest something."
Not missing how she phrased it to be a demand, not a request, he quickly thinks and obliges. "Um..." God, he is really not good at this whole dating scene. "Er, how about a movie?"
Rachel wrinkles her nose. "No."
Taken aback by her forthright response, Michael opens his mouth and emits a surprised "oh" at which she laughs quietly but without his notice, as he is distracted by the way she keeps on bumping his hand with her own. Was it on purpose? "Um... want to go to the library?" She shakes her head. "Right. Sorry. Uh, how about mini golf?"
Unable to prevent it from escaping, Rachel snorts derisively. "Going through your mental book of date clichs, are we Michael?"
He drops his eyes to the footpath before them and sucks his bottom lip between his lip, thinking hard. Eventually, he sighs. "I give up. What would you like to do, Rachel?"
She smiles. "Follow me."

"I haven't eaten here in years," Michael states, an hour later. They are now occupying a booth in Burger King, Michael holding a burger and Rachel sipping on a strawberry thickshake. He looks over at her before taking a bite and then lowers his burger. Looking at what is before her, he asks, "Are you sure that's enough?"
She smiles at his concern. "I am certain."
"I don't know how you don't eat meat," he declares, picking his burger up again, "I would never be able to give it up."
Rachel watches as he takes a bite. "I used to think that, when I first decided to become a vegetarian. But, really, a thickshake and my fries is all I need."
He chews thoughtfully and then says, but not before making sure to swallow all his food, "I don't know about that. These are really damned good."
No sign of repulsion, disdain or superiority evident on her face, she continues to watch him eat his burger, occasionally sipping her drink or eating a fry. "Have you ever been to a slaughter house before, Michael?"
"No," he replies, almost guiltily.
"It's horrendous," she tells him but still without inclination of thinking herself better than him. He slowly chews a mouthful. "I went with my gran when I was fourteen. I hated it, I really did, and that's why I decided to become a vegetarian."
As he finished chewing the second last mouthful, Michael couldn't help but think Well, yes, that's horrible... but what kind of grandmother takes her grand daughter to a slaughter house?
"Don't get me wrong," Rachel continued, shaking the last few fries out of the paper container and putting them all in her mouth, "each to his own. I don't condemn others for eating meat, I just don't. And I don't want you to think that I want you to change your eating habits specifically for me."
He smiles, "Good," and then eats the last of the burger. When they are done at the fast food restaurant and are exiting its doors, Michael looks at Rachel out of the corner of his eye. "So, what to do now ..." She raises an eyebrow, an indication that it is his turn to decide. "Want to catch that movie now?"
"Okay, fair enough," she answers as they walk, swinging her arm so that her hand deliberately bumps into his again. He grins widely at her answer.
"What would you like to see?"
"Anything. You pick, actually. Remember, the whole movie-date isn't my thing." She stops bumping her hand into his, guessing that he hasn't clued onto her subtle suggestion. Looking up at his face, she adds, "And that means that, for our next date, I get to decide what we do again."
"Sounds good to me," he responds before linking his fingers through hers and kissing the side of her forehead, smiling against the warm skin and soft hair there. She smiles aswell and squeezes his hand in hers.