xp_logs | Doug and Shiro

This is like, way backdated to before Shiro and Clarice's first date. I had this, and forgot to post it. A dumbass is me. Basically, it's Doug giving Shiro advice. It's pretty cute.

Shiro felt like the butterflies in his stomach were slowly mutating into Titanic Beasts of Evil. It had been difficult to stay relaxed throughout the day, and now that the time had come to get ready for his date with Clarice, he felt even worse. He was pacing his room so much that he was sure he'd leave permanent footprints on the carpet. He was muttering to himself in Japanese, heedless of the fact that his door was open and anyone could just waltz right in.

The door being open was practically an invitation for Doug to walk in. Having heard some of the things Shiro was muttering under his breath, Doug chuckled slightly. "Yoshida Shiro, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" he asked in Japanese with a smile to indicate he was just giving Shiro a hard time.

Despite his fourteen months at Xavier's, Shiro's first reaction to surprise was still to hold a hand out at the intruder and tap into the energies inside him. Thankfully he'd at least learned to ask questions first, blast later. "What? Oh." He turned around so that Doug couldn't see his reddening face. "Do you need something, Doug?"

"Actually, I was more checking to see if you were the one that needed anything," Doug replied. "The door was open, and I heard you cursing, so you're obviously a little worked up about something. Can I help you?" he asked.

Shiro hesitated, steeling himself for what he thought would be Doug's reaction. "What am I supposed to wear?" he asked, voice calm despite his anxiety.

The anxiety was rolling off of Shiro in waves, and Doug, conscious of it, was careful to smile reassuringly. "Well, it depends on what you're dressing for," he replied. "Where are you headed, and what are you going to be doing?"

"It is nothing big. We are just going to see a movie and grab a quick dinner in Salem Center." He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up and leaving it sticking up. "But I ought to look nice, yes? Since it is our frsdt." He trailed off at the end, unable to even pronounce the term 'first date.'

Doug was just as good at translating "embarassed teenage mutter" as actual languages, so he got the gist. "Yes, looking nice for a first date is a good thing," he said. "Dinner and a movie are relatively casual, so your best bet is probably slacks and a nice button-down shirt of some sort. A tie's a bit too much, though. Just a button-down with the top button undone. It's casual enough, but also dressy enough that she'll notice that you made an effort to look nice for her. Best of both worlds."

Shiro owned very little nice clothing of his own. About all he could find were a pair of khaki slacks and a red button-down shirt that Alex had lent him. Taking them out of his closet, he held them up to himself and looked questioningly at Doug. "This is neither too formal nor too casual?"

Doug nodded. "Looks good to me," he said. He paused for a moment, assessing Shiro. "You seem a bit...tense, Shiro. Try to relax a bit. She wouldn't have said yes if she weren't interested in you. So just try and have fun and enjoy her company."

Shiro lay the shirt and pants down on his bed and sat down at his desk. "I am beyond the apprehensions of her liking me. Now I am at the point where I am counting the myriad of ways tonight could go wrong, if not from my own mistakes then from external sources."

"Try to keep a positive attitude," Doug responded. "If something happens like an attack, you both know how to take care of yourselves, and Clarice can 'port you both out at a moment's notice. As for you doing something wrong, it's a first date. Honestly, girls are pretty forgiving on a first date, because they're usually just as worried about doing something wrong as you are."

"What do we talk about? During dinner, I mean," Shiro clarified as another worry popped into his head. "Is she supposed to talk the whole time and I just listen, or are there protocols for conversation?"

"Well, Clarice is a bit of a chatterbox, so I imagine she'll do a lot of talking. But at the same time, if she does _all_ of the talking, I suspect she'll get a bit annoyed," Doug said. "Whatever you talk about, be sure to pay attention. Nothing ruins the mood more than her asking a question and you stopping short because you weren't really listening."

"It sounds like class," Shiro said glumly. He could just imagine the big fat red F stamped on his forehead, the scarlet letter for failing to show a girl a good time. "This whole thing seems like a lot of work. The payoff better be worth it."

Doug smiled widely. "Oh, it is. One little goodnight kiss, and I suspect you'll be saying the same." He patted Shiro on the shoulder. "Cheer up. It's not going to be nearly as bad as you're building it up to be. It's not hard, it's not anything incomprehensible. It's just dinner and a movie with a girl you already know likes you."

"And maybe with less fire this time." He gave Doug a small smile and stood up, surveying the clothes on his bed. "I ought to get ready, then. Thank you."

"Glad I could help," Doug replied, standing up as well. "You're gonna have a great time, trust me." He smiled and headed for the door.