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Pascha could only laugh at being dubbed a mega genius. Oh, he liked that! But it would really, really be entirely too arrogant to agree. Out loud, at least. As Hasan continued, Pascha shook his head. ”I don’t think you’re dumb at all. And since I’m a mega genius, I’m pretty sure I’m right.” he proclaimed with a broad grin splitting his face; it looked like he was agreeing out loud after all. He didn’t feel wrong around Hasan at all and he didn’t feel bored like he did with some people who were, well… It wasn't nice to say people weren’t smart, but some people really couldn’t hold an interesting conversation if they tried with both hands.

Hasan was definitely not boring. And Pascha was always fascinated when others displayed their abilities. He may or may not have been a mega genius, but no amount of thinking would have allowed him to summon a rock to his hand from the fountain. Shaping stone was just a matter of having the right tools, of course, but that didn’t even compare to watching the stone change before his very eyes under the force of Hasan’s will. Pascha watched with obvious glee in his sparkling green-blue eyes; it hardly even mattered to him that the end result was rough. He was thrilled by the display all the same.

”How big can you go?” queried the excitable blonde, already letting his imagination run ahead of him. Could Hasan shape a boulder? Wouldn’t it be neat if he could shape a boulder into a little hut? Everything would be stone, even the furniture! Was that something he could do? What if he could do that with crystal? It would be just like… Well, alright, maybe he wouldn’t want it to be just like the night the entire school changed to crystal. That had been strange and a bit frightening. But that didn’t make it any less fascinating, if he was honest with himself.

”You are not a delicate guy.” Pascha agreed with a nod. ”But I don’t doubt that you will get there. You have a lot of willpower. Patience and a delicate touch can be trained and practiced.” Looking at Hasan as a whole, Pascha knew that the man was no stranger to training himself in one way or another. He was really an impressive specimen of a man. If he put the same effort into sculpting stone and crystal as he put into sculpting his body then he was bound to master his art. And Pascha couldn’t wait to see the results!

”It’s a really nice shirt.” Pascha agreed with a smile, though he still thought the really nice shirt might burst at the seams if Hasan lifted his arms above his head. At the mention of his pantsless escapades, Pascha laughed freely, completely unphased by his own fashion faux pas. ”I guess I wouldn’t be let in either! But it’s not like I was naked; I had boxers on. And my hoodies are really big! Besides, who wants to sleep in pants?” Pascha made a face as he imagined that unnecessary discomfort.

Opals were lucky? Pascha hadn’t known that at all! Well, how lucky for him that he really liked them, as well? He wasn’t sure they really balanced his emotions very well, though. Maybe he needed to wear them more often for that to work…

The waiter took their orders and Pascha could barely wait for him to leave again; he wanted to talk to Hasan more! And fortunately Hasan actually did like talking about rocks because Pascha’s imagination had been caught by them. But when Hasan explained that it was all made up, Pascha looked thoughtful, tapping his chin.

”I do know that a lot of beliefs people hold are made up and passed down for years and years until someone finally realizes they make no sense. At least not on the surface. But some nonsensical beliefs people hold are based on factual phenomena that can be observed, recorded, and quantified. And like you said, there’s something to be said for the sheer power of belief. So even if it isn’t real, I like to think about it. I like to research and learn. Haha, maybe I’ll leave the Siscians out of it if they will just tell me none of it is real anyway… But maybe it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask the question. Sometimes, I think… at least for me, sometimes I think just asking the question is even more important than getting an answer. As long as there are more questions to ask, there is more room to grow, more things to achieve. At least… that’s what I think.”

Pascha finally began to feel embarrassed, not because of being pantless before, not because of onyxes and depleted sex drives, not even because of revealing that he was a virgin, but because he felt a little silly getting so passionate over his love of Asking the Question. It was a bit much for the conversation, wasn’t it? He wasn’t even sure where all of that came from! He meant it, but maybe he hadn’t needed to say so much.

When asked if he had kissed anyone, Pascha shook his head in the negative. ”It’s really nice of you to say that. I don’t even really know if I’m all that good looking… I mean, it’s obvious with you; you just are objectively very attractive. So symmetrical and muscular; very aesthetically pleasing. In comparison I imagine my appearance is very average. I suppose that is better than unappealing, though. I don’t actually have much practice talking to others in a social setting. Coming to Utopia marks the first time I’ve actually even been enrolled in a school. I’ve always been so busy; I don’t even know very many girls, yet. I’ve never even asked a girl on a date before. Haha, I think today is the closest I’ve ever had to a date, actually!”

It really was kind of like a date, wasn't it? The thought fluttered through his mind briefly before being dismissed. Hasan was really very nice to him, but there was no way he would have asked Pascha on an actual date. For one thing, Pascha was not a woman. He wasn’t even particularly pretty to make up for it. It was too bad, though… If they were on a date it wouldn’t be strange at all that he thought about kissing oh no he had thought about it again. Pascha felt his cheeks grow a little warm and he rubbed them briskly with his hands.

”Um… maybe forget I said that last part…”

Hasan only mentioned it for a moment, but the thought of him using his abilities to fight for his life lingered in Pascha’s mind. It was no wonder he was worried that Pascha might not know even the basics of defending himself; that must seem like the height of foolishness to anyone who had been in a life or death situation. For him, the idea of hucking boulders sounded like something fun and fascinating! He had not even considered that Hasan might have learned to do so offensively. It was still fascinating, though. And now that the war was over, Hasan could find more enjoyable ways to use his powers. Like the stone bird he had made!

”You don’t have to thank me. It’s just objectively true.” It was very easy to compliment people who deserved compliments. It would be much, much harder if he didn’t believe it at all. Had he ever complimented anyone who really didn’t deserve it? Pascha thought about that for only a moment before concluding that he hadn’t. Why would he? That would just reinforce mediocrity. Still, he could understand why someone might be tempted to. People really liked receiving compliments and it actually felt good to make someone he liked feel good.

Pascha tried to imagine Hasan actually wearing pants to bed. But of course he imagimed pajamas that only fit about as well as the shirt the well built man was wearing and the mental image almost made him burst into laughter. The only thing that held back his mirth was not wanting to explain just what he was laughing at!

”I’d definitely like to see your collection sometime. That would be interesting in and of itself! I’ll bet there are all sorts of minerals I haven’t even seen yet, let alone learned anything about.” Pascha was endlessly curious and Hasan had laid out fine bait to catch his interest. A collection of samples backed by his personal knowledge? Pascha was definitely all the way in!

The stone gear that Hasan set on the booth cushion drew his eye, but Pascha set that interest on the back burner when Hasan began to speak. He was very accustomed to speaking very candidly about others, but it actually caught him by surprise when Hasan began listing his more attractive traits. Each one seemed objectively true even by his own reckoning and yet he had never considered himself particularly attractive. He had certainly never had anyone describe him as such. And for all the thoughts that raced through his head in that moment, the only sound the prince could manage to utter was, ”Oh!”

Girls liked that sort of thing? And so do some guys.

What was the difference between what they were doing now and a date? Pascha blinked when Hasan asked him that question and in the brief time that it had taken for his eyes to close and then open again, he had processed all of his thoughts on the matter. Granted, he did not know very much about dates at all and would not have expected detailing his thoughts on the matter to take very long.

What Pascha knew about dates amounted to this: a date was a private activity between a man and a woman meant to encourage romance and/or determine compatibility. Hasan had invited him to a private activity. The restaurant lighting and seating was clearly conducive to couples’ dining. And while he had not considered compatibility during their conversation, they had been ‘getting to know one another’. He could argue that it was not inherently romantic, but again their surroundings would suggest otherwise. The only difference was that they were both men.

That begged a question; of course. Did it matter? Pascha had always assumed that it was natural for a man to be attracted to women and not to other men. That was the conclusion he had drawn from overhearing conversations between the older men that he worked with. He had always dismissed any observation that a man was attractive as merely that; an observation and not an indicator of personal interest. But could he really say that was true when it came to Hasan? After all, he was the one who kept thinking about kissing the man. Even if he excused it as just an experiment, his continued interest suggested that perhaps that was just an easy excuse.

After that quick blink, Pascha replied with a directness that belied his sheepish smile. ”I think that depends entirely on whether or not you are included in ‘some guys’.” It was so embarrassing to say something like that out loud! But why should it be? Was he ashamed? No, that wasn’t it. No, it was more that he was… unsure. He was stepping into territory he had thought was forbidden and if he had misread what he thought were clues from Hasan, then it was likely to end badly for him. What if Hasan was offended? What if they could not be friends anymore? He didn’t want that. But he would be lying if he said his heart hadn’t fluttered when he considered for even a brief moment that this really could be a date. So he definitely didn’t want to be the one who said it wasn’t one.

”If I am honest… I would like it to be. I just… I hope that won’t make you angry. Because I like you, whether this is a date or not. If it’s not a date, I would much rather you laugh at me and tease me than to be angry and walk away.”

Pascha blinked as Hasan reached out to grasp his hand, but this time his mind did not supply line after line of rapid fire thoughts and analysis. No, this time his processes were all muddled and nothing sensible came out. He was at once a little giddy and also chastising himself for it. Hasan was just checking the time again, after all. Though if he was still willing to touch Pascha at all, that at least had to mean that he wasn’t angry or disgusted, right?

Fifty two minutes? Well, that was not the time, exactly. It was a period of time. The obvious question was apparent in Pascha’s eyes even as Hasan gave his hand a brief squeeze before releasing it. Glancing at the watch curiously, Pascha could only determine that it had been about fifty two minutes since Hasan had arrived at his door. But it was a really odd time to mention that, wasn’t it?

It had taken him fifty two minutes to realize that he might very well be on a date. Which he was. ”Oh… Oh!” Pascha could not help laughing despite how pink and flushed his face was. Hasan had managed to completely catch him by surprise! He must have sounded so silly gaping like that, no real words coming out, but no amount of thinking quickly could help him when he was caught flat footed and had no thoughts to process. ”Wow, fifty two minutes is a really long time! But in my defense, I really thought men only asked women out on dates. At least, that’s what I learned from listening to the older engineers.” Not that they ever told him anything directly; everyone always said he was too young. It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand words; what was he supposedly too young to know?

”I do?” Pascha tried to think of what he might have said flirtatiously. Well, he had said that Hasan was attractive, but that was just objectively true. And yet, when the same observation was turned on him it had scrambled all of his processes. In a good way. Was that what Hasan had meant? Did he feel all scrambled, too? Pascha smiled just thinking about it.

Did he understand what it meant to taste someone? He was pretty sure! Well, at the very least he was doubly sure it had nothing to do with cannibalism. ”It means kissing, right? At least… that was the only thing I could think of. I, um… I thought about it a lot.” Even when he was trying really hard not to! But it was alright to think of kissing someone he was on a date with. It had to be.

Pascha opened his mouth to answer Hasan’s question… but then the waiter arrived. ”You have uncanny timing.” Pascha remarked without thinking. It was at least the second time that the waiter had appeared just as he was about to say something he would rather Hasan be the only one to hear. But it wasn’t like he could be mad at someone who was bringing food! Pascha grinned excitedly as the plates were set before them and he couldn’t resist popping one fry into his mouth immediately.

”Mmm, tasty!” But he hadn’t forgotten what they were talking about, and how could he have? As soon as the waiter walked away again, he smiled sheepishly at Hasan. ”I’ve been so worried that I am making things awkward and reacting strangely whenever you touch me or I think about what it would be like to kiss you. I didn’t want to do anything that would make you not want to talk to me anymore. But it’s not unusual at all if we’re on a date, right?”

Pascha then had a sudden look of realization and had to laugh at himself, shaking his head. ”You’ve been teasing me this whole time. Holding my hand, helping me down from the carriage, sitting at this secluded table… Some genius I am; I thought I was strange for noticing! But… you are not still teasing me, right? Do you… actually like me?” This time Pascha reached across the table to tentatively take Hasan’s hand before raising his head to look the older man in the eyes.

”I really liked it. All of it. So I don’t want you to stop. It’s a real date, right? So it’s okay if I think… I might like you in that way?” His heart was racing and his ears felt hot again, but Pascha ignored all of that. He couldn’t explain it and nothing he was feeling seemed strictly logical. He was so happy when Hasan said it was a date from the beginning; he should have been annoyed that the chocolate man tricked him, but he just wasn’t. He wasn’t annoyed at all. In fact, he just wanted to… Well, he wanted to do something… It felt like his words weren’t really enough, and maybe words couldn’t be enough for a feeling that wasn’t entirely logical.

Acting on a whim, Pascha drew Hasan’s hand to his face and kissed the knuckles. Hasan definitely wasn’t a woman, but if they were throwing those rules out of the window then why couldn’t he kiss a man’s hand? Still, questioning blue eyes sought out Hasan’s as if to silently ask if it really was alright. He was starting to really wish he had eavesdropped more when the older guys were talking about their dates!

If Pascha could have read Hasan’s mind, he would have agreed that he was undaunted by the prospect of dating another man. He knew that it was something considered deviant by many if not most people, but that was just not a concern for him. Mostly because he really saw no reason why it should matter to him except when it came to the matter of succession. And if it came down to it, he could always enter a political marriage for the purpose of fathering an heir. That was probably something that would happen anyway, given his position. But was that any reason that he could not have feelings for someone else? And if succession was secured by other means, did that person really have to be a woman? Perhaps by societal standards, but logic would dictate otherwise. As far as ‘deviancy’, that was only a concern if his business was made public; wasn’t that true of all nobles? Why should he be any different?

Perhaps it was a situation that should require more thought, but Pascha decided to run that process in the background for now. He wanted to be present in the moment. ”You taste with your tongue.” Pascha replied reflexively only to then think about the words he had actually said. So kissing, but with your tongue. He had only ever really kissed his sister or mother on the cheek and definitely didn’t use his tongue for that. And of course he knew that kissing someone romantically was different, but he had not realized how different! ”Oh… You will have to demonstrate for me, then.”

Pascha had to smile a little when Hasan warned him not to let anyone touch him in a way that he didn’t like. It was not the first time that Hasan had spoken to him in such a protective way. It made sense, or at least Pascha thought so, given that Hasan was an older brother. He knew that sometimes he would talk to Sonia the same way, instinctively making sure she understood what to do in a bad situation. It was kind of touching, though he did hope Hasan didn’t think of him as a younger sibling. That would be strange.

Did Hasan actually like him? Pascha really wanted to know. It was a date, sure, but he was asked on a date to tease him. Maybe that was all it was; a joke that Hasan had played on him to see if he would notice. Pascha wasn’t angry at the thought, but he did want to know for certain. He didn’t want to look forward to something that wouldn’t and couldn’t happen with Hasan. He would be disappointed, sure but it was better to face that now than after his fledgeling feelings had fully taken flight.

Hasan seemed… nervous. It was impossible not to notice when Hasan swallowed heavily and looked as though he might choke. The other man’s fork clattered to the table but Pascha ignored it in favor of watching for any other signs that maybe he was asking for too much. It was already really nice of Hasan to spend any time with him at all; he shouldn’t be greedy. But he was maybe a little greedy; he wasn’t going to let go of Hasan’s hand until he had an answer one way or another. The look in Hasan’s eyes made him hold his breath; he didn’t even know what he saw there, but it made his heart rate accelerate.

Then Hasan smiled, touched his cheek, ruffled his hair and the strange, mysterious connection was broken. Pascha chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair once before giving up on straightening it. The tension of the moment was gone and Hasan gave an answer that honestly made sense. Pascha nodded, still smiling as he finally released Hasan’s hand. ”Ha, you’re right… Not everything has to happen fast.”

It was time to eat; Pascha didn’t need to be told twice! He tore into his burger with his usual insatiable appetite, though he did at least eat neatly. He didn’t dare make a mess when he could still picture his old governess staring at him in disgusted disbelief! ”I’d like a stroll. It’s supposed to be good for digestion. And I get to spend more time with you.” the inventor replied between bites. He was having fun and he wasn’t in any rush to go back to his room.

Pascha was incredibly clever with his hands and had already determined that he could construct a primitive trebuchet with the tableware and a napkin, but he was utterly hopeless at understanding other people. While Hasan fretted over the change in their dynamic, the blond was oblivious to any potential pitfall. He was still having a great time. Who would have thought he would be going on his first date with one of his classmates? Who would have thought he would be going on his first date with a man? It was all pretty exciting and unexpected!

”Hey!” Pasha exclaimed in surprise as Hasan snatched a couple of the fries from his plate. Not that he could really complain since Hasan was treating him in the first place. And the fries were really tasty; who could resist? Just thinking about them had Pascha stuffing a couple of them into his mouth happily. Crispy and golden on the outside, hot and fluffy on the inside, and perfectly salted! Pascha made a soft hum of appreciation and licked the excess salt from his lips.

Hasan spoke up then, offering him a choice of where they would take their stroll. Pascha briefly considered the options as he sipped at his milkshake; delicious multitasking. Going to a park when it was too dark to see anything sounded a little dangerous. Maybe he should rule that one out. Perusing shops would be fun and maybe he could buy some trinket to commemorate his first date, but that would be rather public. Pascha wasn’t particularly bothered by that except, well… they probably couldn’t kiss in a shop. And well, he really wanted to try kissing. He really had thought about it a whole lot.

”Let’s go to the riverwalk. It’ll be a little more private without being too dark to enjoy.” Pascha replied as he playfully slapped away Hasan’s hand when the man grabbed another of his fries. ”Don’t worry, I always have room for dessert! My metabolism is too fast; I almost always feel a little hungry. I try to ignore it most of the time. But no need to ignore it at all when there’s chocolate cake to eat! And a chocolate man to eat it with.” Alright, so that one was deliberate. Was that what it meant to be flirty? Pascha wasn’t sure, but it made him smile to say it!

Hasan pouted when his hand was slapped away and Pascha had to stifle a giggle. Mostly. It was hard not to find the expression a little amusing. It seemed almost out of place on Hasan’s face, yet at the same time perfectly fitting. Pascha decided he would not try too hard to explain to himself how both could be simultaneously true. Instead he would just enjoy the moment and lose the battle with his mirth when Hasan nursed his ‘injury’. They both knew he hadn’t slapped that hard.

Pascha pretended to really think hard about whether to allow Hasan to have any cake. He tapped his chin and tilted his head exaggeratedly, mimicking others he had seen taking their time to consider. Nothing ever took him that long to think about, of course, but this exaggerated exchange was just so funny to him. ”I suppose I could share. I wouldn’t want poor old Hasan to go hungry.” He couldn’t even say the words without grinning from ear to ear at how silly it all was. He slid the milkshake closer to Hasan; it was better to let the man have some while there was still some to have! Pascha didn’t joke around when it came to drinking milkshakes!

This time Pascha was more excited to see the waiter return if only so that they could order the really tasty sounding cake he had picked earlier. But he was also excited for the server to go again, leaving him alone with Hasan. The man was refining the stone gear he had made and Pascha scooted his chair closer to watch with fascination. It was always so interesting to witness powers that had a direct effect on the physical world around them. How did it all work? Machines were easy to understand, but powers were something of a mystery.

This date was special? Pascha looked up at Hasan with surprise and a broad smile spread on his lips in spite of himself. He gave himself a quick mental reminder not to put the cart ahead of the horse; Hasan just really wanted him to have a good time so he made a special effort. It didn’t mean that Pascha was special. But it did kind of make him feel that way, if he was honest about it. ”I really am, so mission success! But I hope you are, too. That would be the best thing, if we both have a really good time tonight.”

Soon the cake arrived and Pascha’s eyes were possibly as wide as the plate it was on. It was truly a thing of beauty. And yet when Hasan hoped aloud that it was as good as it looked, for just the briefest moment it wasn’t cake that Pascha was thinking about. For just a moment! Not even a full second! Still, pink cheeks betrayed him as he picked up a fork to try a bite of the chocolatey confection.

”Oh wow, it’s so good! You have to try some!” Without thinking, Pascha put another bite onto his fork and offered it out for Hasan to eat. By the time he realized how strange that was to do, he had also decided it was too late to reverse the action naturally so he would stand by it. Besides, Hasan could always laugh it off and use his own fork instead; it wasn’t like he would be offended. ”It’s even better than it looks!”

Pascha giggled, clapping a hand over his mouth to try to muffle the sound. Giggling like that only made him sound even younger than he already was so he tried to suppress the habit, but it was impossible to just not laugh when Hasan was being so silly. He never would have thought the chocolate man had it in him, judging by the night that they met. He had seemed stern then, cautioning them away from danger and showing his protective side. But with the danger now past, Hasan was proving to be playful and sly and quite good at surprising him. Maybe he was a little too easily surprised, but he could not complain when he was very much enjoying himself.

Fortunately, so was Hasan. Having never been on a date before or really even spent time with friends before coming to Utopia, Pascha had worried that maybe he would not actually be very good company. What was he even supposed to do to be entertaining? He could talk a lot, more than most people were ready for, but that didn’t mean anyone would care to hear what he had to say. But if Hasan was having a good time, maybe he wasn’t so bad at making conversation after all.

”Oh? How do your dates usually go?” Pascha asked curiously, even as he visibly preened at the compliment. He had just reminded himself not to start thinking he was special, but well… Hasan was definitely very good at making him feel like he was. Maybe that was just what was supposed to happen on a date, but even if that was the case it was really working.

Maybe it was fortunate that the cake arrived when it did as Pascha was completely distracted from his curiosity. He still wanted to know, but it could wait. Besides, he was more invested in how this date was going. The way Hasan was grinning at him made him briefly consider that the man could actually read his mind and see his unprompted kissing thoughts, but he already knew that wasn’t true. Maybe he was just that obvious that Hasan had guessed. Either way, he wasn’t admitting it out loud again, so there.

Hasan was definitely a little surprised to be offered a forkful of cake but he didn’t hesitate to eat it, his steadying hand around Pascha’s. And maybe Pascha thought about kissing for a whole second or even longer that time. Was it normal to think about kissing someone so much when he hadn’t even tried it yet? He didn’t even know if he would like kissing, though he sort of assumed everyone did. But really, did everyone think of kissing just because someone touched their hand?

Thoughts of kissing and hand touching took a back seat as Hasan contemplated words to describe the confectionary tour de force before them. Pascha grinned, but looked a little sheepish. ”To be completely fair to you, I think the only person I have met who can keep up with my sweet tooth is my little sister.” Sonia was so much more active than he was, so she probably consumed even more treats like this than he did. Not that anyone would know it from looking at her.

What was his favorite flavor? Pascha hmmed for a brief moment as he chewed another bite of the cake. ”You know, I think chocolate is my favorite, at least for sweet flavors. I like a lot of things, but chocolate pairs with all of them. Chocolate strawberries, chocolate cherries, chocolate peanuts, chocolate pretzels, chocolate with nougat, chocolate with caramel, chocolate and vanilla… Chocolate is just always good.” And now he was thinking about kissing the chocolate man again. It couldn’t be normal to think about it this much.
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Some time later, Pascha had eaten most of the very delicious cake with poor old Hasan having to survive on only a few bites. He was looking forward to a nice walk to aid in digestion and all that. Of course once they arrived, it became a little clearer to Pascha why the riverwalk made for a good date destination. There were a myriad of lights as promised, but the dappled shadows still made the walk feel close and intimate. The view of the river had the strangest slowing effect on him. It wasn’t even unpleasant; it made him actually want to just slow down for a while. It was a perfect moment to share with someone he liked.

Pascha glanced over at Hasan then reached out to intertwine their fingers. He smiled up at the man sheepishly, but he was nonetheless pleased with himself. Hasan had taken his hand to check the time twice, another time to help him from the carriage, and yet again when he had offered a bite of cake leaving Pascha flustered each time. But despite that, Pascha had enjoyed the contact and had decided he wanted to hold Hasan’s hand. No pretext, just his hand in Hasan’s as they walked along the river.

”I don’t think I have actually thanked you yet. I really am having the best time. And I am really glad it’s with you, so thank you for bringing me.” There was only one more thing he could think of to make the whole evening perfect. He definitely wanted to kiss Hasan. But he wasn’t going to rush it; not everything had to happen fast. For now, he would be happy enough with holding hands and enjoying the atmosphere. And when it felt right, one way or the other he was going to taste the chocolate man. Maybe he would be even better than he looked, just like the cake.