Yvette, Sooraya and Angel - Panic Stations

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

Backdated to January 27: Sooraya and Angel calm down a panicky Yvette and get her ready for her date.



"Okay."

Angel rested her hands on her hips, giving her slightly spiky friend a Look. "I know you're worried Yvette, but don't be. You're an awesome person and Fred's lucky he gets to go out with you. Plus, you know, if something goes wrong and he hurts you, I'll set him on fire. That'll be fun to watch, right? Help me out here Sooraya."

"She is right, Yvette. You'll be just fine. He would not have said yes if he didn't like you." Sooraya was seated nearby, sorting through some of the things Yvette used for her hair with a gentle smile on her face. "I don't know Fred that well, but I have seen enough to know that he has liked you for quite a while. And that he is probably just as nervous as you are right now."

"But I don't want you to set him on fire!" protested Yvette. Now the euphoria had gone, she was realizing just what she'd done. Between the nerves and the excitement bubbling up inside her, her control was sadly lacking, and she looked rather like a red hedgehog. "It is just... I have never gone on a proper date before! I do not know what to do!"

"Yvette..." Sooraya stood up from and took a seat next to her friend, just far away enough she knew it would not bother Yvette. "You have spent time together before, right? Doing things you both enjoy and getting to know each other better in the meantime? You have always enjoyed that. This won't be any different."

"But..." Yvette quavered, looking a little embarrassed under the spikes. "When we spent time together before, it was usually working on the grounds, or training for the X-Men. Not so much the social things."

"Did you have fun when you were spending time with him even when you were doing worky stuff?" Angel asked gently.

"Oh, of course. I would not have asked him out if I did not like spending the time with him." Yvette realized she wasn't getting her point across. "But the reason I am worried is because I have never gone out with him for the social time. I am not sure what to do or what to say!"

"Dating is about getting to know each other better and to see if you would enjoy spending more time together, right?" Sooraya drew from her own fairly limited knowledge on the subject. "You can maybe ask about things he has told he enjoys doing, or what he likes to watch or listen... But the most important is... he said yes because he likes you, Yvette. I think you should try just to be yourself."

"Exactly that," Angel agreed. "You enjoy spending time with him even when you're doing work-like stuff because it's him and it's you and you like each other. Going out somewhere with him doesn't really make a difference, except you're in a restaurant instead of the Danger Room. He likes you because you're you - being in a different setting isn't going to change that."

Yvette nodded, trying to calm down and remember to breathe. Dates were supposed to be fun things, right? And doing things with Fred was fun, wasn't it? Of course, her brain went straight to the mistletoe kiss after that, which meant she was embarrassed and excited all over again. "Okay," she said, taking a breath, then another. "I am sorry. See, this is why it took so long for us to get this far! One of us would do or say something and someone - usually me - would be freaking out." She sighed. "I am such the doofus."

"Not a doofus." Sooraya disagreed firmly, but gently. "It's new for you, Yvette. It's normal to be nervous. I would be too. You are all already friends. The most important thing you already have."

"And again what Sooraya said," Angel said with a nod, then she grinned. "Besides, we're your friends, what are we for if it's not to talk you down when you start freaking out?"

"This is all so new," Yvette admitted, a bit embarrassed by her carrying on. "I mean, I have always been the little sister to people, even Kevin, who is giving me my first kiss. The idea that someone likes me in the romantic way... it is wonderful and scary, all at once."

"To be honest, I think I would find it a little scary too... The only one who ever really looked at me like that is Achmed." Sooraya told her after she leaned just a little a closer. "But this will work out fine. I am sure of it."

"First dates are always scary," Angel assured Yvette. "But Sooraya's right, it's going to be fine. You like Fred, he likes you-" Whoa, this was starting to sound like Barney, "and yeah, it's scary at first, but you're going to go out and have a fantastic time and then the night's going to be over and you're not even going to realize where the time went. It'll be great."

"Relax, have the good time." Yvette nodded. "I think I can try to be doing that." Now onto the Important Things. "What should I be wearing? I do not want to be too fancy, but I would like to be pretty for him, yes?"

"Well it's not like it'll be hard to make you look pretty," Angel replied with a wink. "But yes, clothes, that's a thing that needs to be happening. Let's do this!" And with that she whirled around and began leafing through Yvette's closet at a frightening speed. Within thirty seconds she had five different possible outfits picked out. "We're going to need to narrow this down, huh?"

"Hmm..." Sooraya surveyed the cloths for a moment. "You said you were going for dinner and a movie, right? I like that dress. Nice enough for some dinner, bu also comfortable enough for a seat in the cinema."

Yvette pondered the options, and nodded at Sooraya's choice. "I like that dress too," she said. "And it looks nice, even with the body suit underneath." It was an issue she had to consider for all of her clothing. "Do you think Fred will like it?"

"He won't be able to take his eyes off you," Angel assured her friend as she handed over the chosen outfit. "He'll probably even be speechless." If he was even half as nervous as Yvette he'd probably be speechless anyways. But that was another story entirely. "Here, put it on, put it on!"

Even though the body suit covered her up, Yvette still went into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, she shyly emerged, the simple dark blue dress falling in soft folds around her legs. "You do not think it is too short?" she asked, looking down at her exposed (although, yes, still covered by the bodysuit) knees.

"No, it's not too short." Sooraya shook her head firmly and took another moment to look her friend over. "Fred will love it, Yvette. You look beautiful. Now we just need to do something special with your hair and maybe a little jewelry?" Sooraya asked with half an eye on Angel.

"Okay." Yvette looked at herself in the mirror one more time, apparently a little more confident about what she saw. "I thought maybe we could put my hair up?" she suggested. "I have the spare gloves so you can touch it without hurting yourselves."

Angel clapped her hands together once more - this time in pure joy. "Perfect! You look absolutely great! And yes, hair. Hair, hair, hair. I have ideas. Do you have bobby pins we can use?"

"Oh, wait a moment, Angel. I have an idea." Sooraya disappeared in her room for a moment and then returned with what seemed like pieces of wire. "I picked those up during the Christmas season. Look." She held the wires under the lamp and they turned out to covered with tiny, faceted beads that sparkled in the light. "We should weave a few of these in your hair before we put it up. They will sparkle when the light catches it."

"Ooooh, yes!" Angel said happily. "That's awesome Sooraya! What do you think Yvette?"

Yvette beamed, eyes glowing happily. "I think it is the wonderful idea!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in delight. "They will look like the stars, yes?"

"Totally," Angel agreed, grabbing a couple pairs of spare gloves and handing one pair over to Sooraya. "It's going to be beautiful. Let's get to work, shall we?"