crowspace | heyyyyyyy you know who

Aneko is pretty much always okay with chatting with Drinker. She doesn't see why this time should be any different, and she answers with the same bright and cheerful smile as usual.

"The kind of fancy looking one? Sure! I think I walked past it the other day."

She seriously thought about going in, but it didn't seem right at the time. If she was going to go to a place that nice, it should be for something special. And just trying it for the first time didn't quite seem special enough...

"Would you like to accompany me there tonight?" Drinker asks, smiling even more brightly than usual. "-He's on board with the idea, before you ask."

It's rare that they're in total cooperation about something, but asking Aneko out is definitely something they agree on.

"Ah... tonight?"

Something about this feels different from when Drinker usually invited Aneko to do things together. Especially that it's something both of them agree on! She doesn't quite put it together, but she does seem a little nervous anyway.

"Well... I'm not busy tonight. If you really want to go..."

Her heart's racing, but she's pretty sure it's just something Drinker wants to do as friends. Still... it feels really nice to be asked.

"Nothing would please us more," she replies. "It's excellent date material, don't you think?"

She's getting around to the direct asking out part. Right now is the extremely blunt hint stage.

"Um... yeah, I guess it is."

There's a slight blush tracing her cheeks. The hint didn't exactly fly over her head, but she can't believe that's what's going on here. Drinker's far too cute to be interested in someone like her. There's no way both Drinkers would agree on something like that. They're both technically way too old for her. There are so many reasons! So she needs to stop those butterflies in her stomach and the pounding in her chest... this is clearly not the time to be all nervous and excited over a simple invitation.

Aneko is so cute, it warms Drinker's heart and makes her laugh, light and airy.

"And I'll only accept the best for my dates. Especially with someone as beautiful as you."

Aneko gives a quiet, slightly nervous laugh of her own.

"Right... of course you wou-"

Suddenly, she stops, eyes wide at the realization of what else Drinker just said.

"With... me? You... w-we're...?!"

The new information starts to sink in, and it hits her that Drinker may have just asked her on an actual date. Not just hanging out as friends again. And it's tonight.

Oh, there's the realization. Drinker smiles slyly.

"Unless you have some objection to that?"

She would let Aneko back out if she wanted to, of course. There's no point to making someone go on a date if they don't want to.

"N-No, not at all!!! I mean, I'm not saying no! Th-That is..."

Oh jeez, she's already making a huge mess of this. Time to take a deep breath...

"I'd still like to go! If it's okay..."

She's blushing super hard, but she's awkwardly smiling too. This is all so unexpected, but a date with Drinker sounds... really nice.

Ah, wonderful. Exactly the response she wanted.

"It would be more than okay, it would be wonderful," Drinker answers with a wide smile. "I'll make him dress up extra nicely for it."

She'll probably let him get a suit, even.

'Him'... that's right, she said the date would be tonight, so it'll be with the other Drinker. She'd said they both agreed on it, too. Did that mean Aneko would be dating both of them if this continues? Weirdly, she's actually kind of happy at the thought of not having to choose only one or the other...

"Dress... ah!"

Suddenly, she jumps, eyes wide.

"I-I'll need to get a new dress!"

She has a few nice dresses already, but Drinker's already seen all of them. The girl Drinker even helped her shop for most of them! It doesn't seem right to just settle for one of those.

Well, Drinker won't argue that it's a very special occasion worthy of a beautiful dress.

"I'm sure you'll look lovely in whatever you choose. But I suppose I can't help you shop this time."

It would ruin the surprise!

"Shall I see you later, then?"

Exactly right. Sayaka taught her how important it is to dress appropriately for every occasion! (Of course, in this AU, she was only a close friend and not Aneko's fiancée. But her influence is much the same in every other way!)

"R-Right... I'll do my best!" Her cheeks redden a little as she realizes how important it is to her to look nice for Drinker. It'll be a challenge doing it on her own, since the girl Drinker has such great taste in fashion, but she has to try!

"Yes, definitely! Later!"

With one of the happiest smiles Drinker has ever seen on Aneko, the girl gives a small wave and immediately turns to leave. ... She's so swept up in planning how to prepare for the date, she forgot to ask when and where they should meet.

That's alright, if a bit inconvenient, because Drinker will find her later, wherever she is, just before dinner-time. He's got a nice suit on, very modern, very chic, and he waves one hand at her.

"Yo. You ready?"

Oh! She gives a little squeak of surprise when she sees him there waving. She immediately straightens up, fidgeting with her hands behind her back while that nervous smile and blush come back in full force. She'd certainly found a cute new dress though, as well as wearing her hair down with a little white flower clip on one side. She'd opted for heels too, which make her even taller compared to Drinker than she normally is. But since when have either of them cared about that?

"Ah, hey!"

The suit is definitely something very different from what the girl Drinker would normally dress them in, and has the added effect of making Natsuru look even more feminine by contrast. Surprising herself a little again, she doesn't mind that so much right now...

"Yeah..." She nervously tucks her hair behind her ear as she answers. She's been on very few dates in the past, and this is the first she's actually willingly agreed to. She's going to be nervous for a while, but at least it's a happy kind of nervous.

Drinker looks her over once and - damn it, he's blushing a little too, that's so embarrassing.

"You're gorgeous. Have I told you that? 'Cause it's true."

He offers her his arm to hold. Might as well make an attempt to be a gentleman.

Time to surprise herself again, by actually taking the compliment.

"... Thanks."

Aneko is certainly familiar with the gesture from formal balls and parties too, so she takes the offered arm. She keeps being reminded that she's the girl here... for the moment, at least. But it's surprisingly nice, being escorted like this by someone she genuinely likes.

"You look amazing too! Really cute..."

Suddenly, her blush deepends even more. "I-Is it okay to say that?" Since he's a guy now, she's not sure if 'cute' is really coming across as the compliment it was intended as.

"Fine with me. I know you remember I'm a guy."

With other people, he might take offense, but since it's Aneko Drinker's sure that she can keep the two of them straight.

"Wanna get going? We've got reservations."

Of course.

"Sure!"

She's actually really excited! In case he can't tell by how she clings a little to his arm. It takes a second for one detail to sink in...

"Ah... you made reservations too?! ... I didn't know it was that kind of place..."

"Shouldn't be that busy, but just in case, we didn't want anything to spoil tonight like a wait."

He knows he gets impatient about long waits at restaurants. It's a character flaw.

"I don't think I'd mind waiting if it was with you."

That slips out before she can really process what she's saying. Once she realizes it, she blushes. But, surprisingly, she doesn't awkwardly fumble over trying to take it back or explain it.

"B-But, I'm glad we won't have to! Thank you..."

It's not even a big gesture, or anything. But it's nice, and she appreciates it.

He definitely caught that. "You're sweet, you know that? I don't mind spending time with you either - I mean, probably wouldn't be trying to date if you if I did."

"Y-Yeah... I really like spending time with you too. Both of you..."

This is just getting more embarrassing, and she can't stop it. Still blushing, she glances around to see how close they are to their destination. As if getting there would make her heart race any less or the butterflies in her stomach go away.

"Um... how long have you... thought about dating me?"

She can't help but be curious, with all the mixed up feelings she's had for Drinker since they met.

"How long? Huh..."

He has to think about that one.

"Snowball fight. Not as much as I want to date you right now, but I started thinking about it way back then."

It's not that he hadn't thought Aneko could get down and dirty before, but he hadn't thought about it at all. Knowing that she could enjoy herself and relax had made her cooler.

"Wow... that long?!"

Another part of her is thinking about how she was a total mess that day. She didn't look her best or most poised at all. But... they did have a lot of fun that day, didn't they? It brings another smile out of her, thinking about it.

"Was it the same for her? I think... it was for me. With you, I mean."

It's confusing when the person you're going on a date with is only one side of the whole. She's pretty sure she's had a bit of a crush on the girl Drinker ever since they met, but something about spending more time with the guy Drinker put him on equal footing there.

"A little earlier, for her. She's thought you were cute since she first saw you."

His girl half has a tendency to spot people she wants to go for and just go for them. He has a tiny bit more subtlety, and that's saying something.

Gosh, they really have been on the same page the whole time. She had no idea! It makes her wonder if she should have tried asking sooner...

"Wow... I'm glad you finally asked."

... That just slips out. It's kind of embarrassing when she realizes it. Maybe if she changes the subject quickly, it won't be too weird?

"Um, so what is your favorite dessert, anyway?"

Perfect. She's so good at this dating thing.

He chuckles, not feeling awkward at all. "Man, you're really putting me on the spot here! We've both got sweet tooths... uh, I guess fudge? Hard to mess up fudge."

heyyyyyyy you know who

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/judges self for forgetting only one work name

pats

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