cisco_ramon | (no subject)

Cisco's not that nervous. It's not a date, after all; it's just trivia, and Cisco's going to buy Matt a drink and then they'll see where it goes from there. So he's not nervous.

Okay, maybe just a bit.

Josie's is a standard sort of American pub, TVs on the wall and top 40 music playing over the sound system. The atmosphere is casual, which is a relief since Cisco went ahead with his standard t-shirt/hoodie combo, opting for comfortable. It's not like he can impress Matt with the way he dresses anyway.

Showing his ID to the guy at the door, he heads toward the bar, more and more butterflies coming to life in his belly as he gets closer. He spots Matt immediately, recognizing him by the set of his shoulders and his perfect, shining hair. Taking a deep breath, Cisco approaches him, hoping Matt will like the cologne he selected, the scent of his conditioner. He knows Matt's other senses will be stronger to compensate for his blindness, and he wants to give Matt something he can identify him by, something pleasant.

Moving to stand just beside him, Cisco carefully touches the outside of Matt's upper arm, saying gently, "Matt?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

cisco_ramon

"You've never gone to karaoke?" Cisco replies, and he nearly slaps himself as he does, because of course Matt probably wouldn't, considering the whole having to read the screen component. Of course that wasn't strictly necessary, assuming a person knew they lyrics to the song they were singing. Still, Cisco was going to have to pay more attention to the stupid things that came out of his mouth. "Honestly, a lot of the people who do it aren't great singers," Cisco pushed on, hoping Matt would forgive him his faux pas. "That's part of the fun."

Cisco, of course, just likes singing. Back when he was in high school he was in a choir, but he hasn't has much of an outlet for it since he graduated, at least not outside the caterwauling he does in the shower.

"And movies, I love all kinds," he replies, glad Matt was the one to bring up the difficulties he might have with such a thing himself (and thus keeping Cisco from putting his foot in his mouth again). "Do you ever have anyone watch with you, and describe the action?" he asks then, curious, wondering how much assistance Matt prefers with things in his day to day life.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

It's all right - Matt hardly takes offense. Sighted people operate a bit differently so while the idea of reading lyrics on a screen seems simple to them, it's a relatively foreign concept for him. But he doesn't want to draw as much attention to his own inability and presses on with a smile of his own. "That does sound like fun, even if my singing would be considered a bit of a crime in some states," he jokes easily.

"Foggy has tried, but I'll admit his attention.." a faint smile, "gets a little scattered. And most of the services that come with a DVD or BlueRay are a little lacking when it comes to describing what's going on." But if Cisco were to offer? Matt would absolutely take him up on it, if for the sole reason of listening to his voice as he describes what is going on.

"If you're a Tolkien fan you may be on the hook for the entire trilogy," he warns with a chuckle.

From:

cisco_ramon

Cisco has a feeling that Matt's singing voice isn't as bad as he says, considering how pleasant and resonant his speaking voice is, but Cisco knows better than to overzealous with compliments at the beginning of a relationship. "If you ever want to give it a try, I would be happy to take you to the place I like," Cisco says instead. "The do two dollar drafts on karaoke night, so if the singing doesn't work out, at least there's cheap, good beer."

Really all Cisco wants is to spend more time with Matt; if he gets to sing (and Matt gets to hear his voice), that will just be a bonus.

"Dude, I love Lord of the Rings," he says then, before Matt can say anything else. "I've seen those movies at least two dozen times a piece. At least," he adds with a laugh. "I could describe the hell of out those movies for you," he assures. "If you wanted me to, of course," he amends.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

A warm laugh. "Two dollar drafts? Sounds like they're providing a little liquid courage. Which might not be a bad thing." He may not want to get up and sing, but he'd be more than happy to listen to Cisco if he chooses to sing.

"You know, I think that sounds like a great idea," he agrees. And just like that they had at least two potential dates planned. Like everything else with Cisco - it was effortless.

"You might not even have to read the Elvish subtitles," he offers. "I may have read a lot of Tolkien's work on languages when I was a teenager."

From:

cisco_ramon

"Oh, that's definitely what they're doing," Cisco replies with a chuckle. "I don't get up there and sing until I've had at least two beers, and I was in choir in high school."

Cisco blinks then when Matt mentions his history with Tolkien. "Are you saying you can speak Elvish?" he asks, his tone awed. "And, like, Dwarvish and all that?"

From:

thoushaltnotkill

"To be fair, my Sindarin is a little stronger than my Quenya," he offers, rubbing at the back of his neck with a smile. "They never translated any Dwarven into braille so I never really had the chance. When I was learning braille, I had a tutor who got his hands on some rare copies when he found out I liked Tolkien."

"I'll make you a deal," that smile is back again. "If we watch the movies and I botch any of the translations, I will do karaoke. And sing." Why not make it a little interesting, right?

From:

cisco_ramon

The words Matt's coming up with make Cisco's eyes go wide, and it's not that Cisco didn't believe that Matt was really a fan of Tolkien, he's just ridiculously impressed. He read the trilogy when he was a kid, but he doesn't have that many details still floating around in his brain, probably too much other random stuff in there now to hold onto it.

"Okay," Cisco replies with a wide smile, not so much because he's eager to see if Matt can successfully translate Elvish (though he is excited for the demonstration) but because it means they're absolutely, for sure planning a second date. "You've got yourself a deal."

From:

thoushaltnotkill

Okay, now Matt can't help himself. His voice pitches a bit lower, taking on a melodic note as he recalls the verse. "I*nimwaloth i bain a phant, I laiss in end calen nadhras,
A egennir galad vin lant, En elin vi uialthiliol." The words sound almost vaguely Gaelic, a quiet singsong lilt to the verse. It doesn't matter that they're in a bar and it's nearing time to pair off for trivia, he has a feeling that Cisco is one of the very rare few who would appreciate at least a snippet of the Sindarin.

"There, ah, weren't that many books to read at first. So I tended to read the same ones over and over." And Matt hopes that it wasn't too much as he takes a moment to locate Cisco's hand and loosely tangle their fingers.

From:

cisco_ramon

Cisco isn't expecting it, so when Matt begins to sing he inhales a little gasp of surprise (and though most people probably wouldn't have heard it over the ambient noise the in bar, Cisco has a feeling Matt probably does). The timber of Matt's voice is rumbling and resonant just as Cisco had predicted, though Matt is mostly speaking in a more singsong way than actually singing. Still it's not an unpleasant sound, and while Cisco doesn't remember the lyrics of the song in English, the fact that Matt's reciting it to him, here in a bar, makes Cisco's heart skip a few beats.

His pulse only flutters more when Matt twines their fingers, and he almost wishes they weren't here for trivia, because he doesn't want to have to stop talking to Matt, to share him with Matt's friends. "Do they make more books in braille now days?" he asks, his eyes falling to where they're fingers are tangled, easy and comfortable.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

Well at least it isn't an unhappy sort of surprise judging by the sound of an indrawn breath and the slight stutter of his heartbeat. Trivia is almost forgotten, Matt would much rather spend his time and attention talking to this very remarkable person beside him.

"Not as many," he admits. "Most of them are converting text to speech. It's less expensive to have a computer read the words, even if you lose a lot of the magic that way."

They've been talking so easily and Matt almost winces at the sound of the microphone and the announcer stating that trivia will begin soon. "Hey.. do you want to get out of here? I mean, I know we came here for trivia but I think I'd rather skip it tonight."

From:

cisco_ramon

Cisco frowns softly, and he wishes there was something he could do to help Matt get a hold of more books in braille. Though even as he thinks it he wonders if he might be able to build a machine that could read the text of a book and then print braille, pins that would automatically press the indentations into the paper. He doesn't know exactly how braille works so he'll have to do some research first, but the idea feels completely doable. He can probably even ask Hartley for help, considering the project is to help someone with sensory impairment.

He doesn't say anything to Matt about it, not yet, not wanting to get Matt's hopes up, just in case. "Do you ever listen to anything with a good voice actor at least?" he asks instead. "Like, someone with a really sexy voice?"

The announcement that trivia's about to start comes over the speakers then, and he's about to move to get up off his chair to head to the table for trivia when Matt stops him, fingers still tangled. He can't help the smile that comes out across his face with Matt's suggestion. "You read my mind," he says, feeling butterflies taking flight in his belly once again. "Your friends won't be too disappointed, will they?"

From:

thoushaltnotkill

"A few," he admits. "The Dresden books are pretty good, a good voice actor I've heard before."

Matt chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm sure it's fine. Foggy knew I was meeting you here." Likely he'll catch hell about it on the way in to the office tomorrow, but Matt was fine with that.

"Let's find someplace a little quieter." As Cisco settles the tab he picks up his cane. "Do you mind if I take your arm?"

From:

cisco_ramon

"Wait, that's James Masters, isn't it?" Cisco asks in reply. "I've heard a couple of those," he adds, then grins softly. "Do you think his voice is hot?"

Cisco returns Matt's soft laugh. "Did you tell him you had a hot date?" he jokes, sure that Matt didn't tell his friend Foggy anything of the sort. "And no, I don't mind," he tells Matt, shifting his arm so he bumps Matt's forearm with his elbow gently, letting Matt know where he is so he can hold on.

As Matt takes his arm and walks them out of the bar, Cisco's stomach goes fluttery again. He's not sure where Matt's thinking they could go, but quieter means they can talk more, which means Matt must be enjoying talking to him. He's definitely having a nice time with Matt.

"What were you thinking?" he asks once they're out on the street. "A cafe or a diner maybe?"

From:

thoushaltnotkill

His smile is vaguely sly. "Among others." Cisco's voice is warm and appealing and he would much rather spend time with him than hazarding guesses at trivia.

There's another chuckle as he can make out Foggy's voice, clearly they aren't escaping unnoticed. But that's all right. He's having a normal, regular night out which is a rarity. Pretty sure his best friend will understand.

The air outside is cooler, freshened by the breeze and he takes a deep breath, keeping his hand settled lightly on Cisco's arm. "There's that outdoor cafe a block down? They have good food and I don't know about you but I could stand to eat something."

From:

cisco_ramon

Cisco blushes, and his instinct is to think that there's no way Matt means his voice, but the way Matt says it, the little smile he offers, Cisco allows himself to feel a little flattered. The cool air feels good on his warm face, and he slows his pace from the way he usually walks, always in a hurry. He wants to savor this moment, strolling along with Matt on his arm, and he knows it's more necessity than chivalry, but it still feels nice.

"I think I see the cafe you mean," Cisco says, noticing a patio with chairs and tables a ways down with. It doesn't look busy and Cisco's glad; he's really looking forward to getting to talk with Matt more, getting to know him better.

It isn't long before they're there, and the hostess shows them to a table, Cisco stopping so Matt can find the back of his chair with his hand before he moves around to sit himself, the feet of metal chair scraping against the stone patio as he pulls it out.

"This is nice," he remarks as he picks up the menu in front of him, giving it a quick once over.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

The air outside is cool and fresh and it helps open up more sensations for Matt to track. The meals being served around them, the fresh coffee, the cool sharp scent of wine. An ideal place to sit and just focus on Cisco.

"It's a good place. I've been here once or twice." A slight wince as he hands the menu to Cisco. "And they don't have anything in braille."

The wince is replaced by another smile as an idea strikes. "Although you did pick a pretty good beer at Josie's. Maybe I can trust you to pick out something else good?"

From:

cisco_ramon

Cisco frowns at himself. The menu is just one more thing he takes for granted in a world that doesn't really accommodate the disabled, one more thing he didn't even consider until Matt made a comment about it. He doesn't know how far this will go beyond two dates, but Cisco makes a note to be more cognizant about all of these things, prepared to offer assistance whenever he can.

"How hungry are you?" he asks, starting simply. "Are you thinking maybe appetizers, or something more substantial?"

From:

thoushaltnotkill

It's simply a facet of his existence. Matt can tell that the man two tables down is one more creme brulee away from heart trouble but he can't read words on paper. "How about something simple," he suggests. "Protein heavy is good, and um, no olives."

Matt is well aware he's asking a lot as it is and tries his best to reassure him. "I'm used to it. I'm not that picky, really."

From:

cisco_ramon

"I don't like olives either," Cisco says with a soft laugh, moving past the awkwardness of the situation (and Cisco's idiotic stumbling). "But I do like quesadillas. Would you be interested in splitting one of those?" he asks, lifting his eyes to watch Matt's face.

He understands why Matt wears the reflective glasses (or he thinks he does, but he doesn't know for certain) and he realizes that Matt won't be able to see Cisco looking into his eyes, but Cisco can't help wanting to see them anyway.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

"I'm a big fan of their quesadillas. Make sure to get plenty of their guacamole," he suggests. "They make it from scratch every morning. It's pretty good stuff."

There's a clear moment of hesitation before Matt takes off his glasses and tucks them into his shirt pocket. Even though he can't see, he doesn't want anything between them now. Cisco is bright and kind and genuine enough that he wants to make the effort, to hold nothing back.

Well. At least within reason.

From:

cisco_ramon

"Absolutely," Cisco replies with a grin. "I'm so glad you like guacamole. That's a deal breaker for me," he adds, hoping Matt can tell he's joking by the tone of his voice.

But then Matt reaches up and takes off his glasses, and it's like Matt was reading his mind before, like somehow he knows that Cisco wants to see him, all of him, exactly as he is. Cisco knew there was a chance he'd be able to see damage to Matt's eyes, but he isn't surprised by the fact that they look entirely normal, dark and warm (and, frankly, very pretty). He feels grateful that he gets to see them, but a little sad at the same time that Matt won't ever be able to look into anyone's eyes himself. It just seems so unfair, and he knows Matt probably has a fulfilling life even without his sight, he doesn't see Matt as less in any way, he just feel enormously sympathetic.

"Can I ask... Were you born blind?" he finds the courage to question, hoping it's not too soon, that Matt won't think he's being insensitive.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

"Then I'm relieved I passed," a soft chuckle in return. He can hear the warmth in his voice, the hint of a smile in his tease.

"No," he shakes his head. "There was an accident when I was a kid. I was outside the gym waiting for my Dad when I saw this truck rounding a corner, it was going too fast, I was sure it was going to lose half it's load on the sidewalk." He can still see those moments so perfectly in his mind. "I ran. Ran as fast as I could to push an old man out of the way. I was fast enough for him, but not me."

"It was some kind of radioactive chemical." He never bothered to learn exactly what. "I woke up in the hospital a day later completely blind."

And if Foggy could see him now. Glasses off, talking easily about the accident that had blinded him. There's something nice about it though, not having to hide. He can tell Cisco anything and there isn't even a moment of hesitation.

From:

cisco_ramon

As soon as Matt says he was born being able to see, Cisco knows the story that follows is going to be tragic. Even if it had been something as simple as a virus or a congenital defect, having something and then losing it is always difficult. Cisco's lucky that he's never really had to experience something like that.

"You saved that man's life," Cisco says, sounding stunned, overwhelmed by the heaviness of the story. It says so much about Matt that his first instinct was to help someone else, to dive in fearlessly, heedless of his own safety. It reminds Cisco of Barry and the stories he's heard about what Barry was like when he was a kid, and Cisco has no idea how someone as comparatively self centered as him has wound up with two people who care so much more about everyone else in his life.

"That... Matt, that's an amazing sacrifice," he goes on, and he's sure Matt knows, doesn't need to be told, but he can't not address it.

From:

thoushaltnotkill

Praise is something Matt has never really gotten used to and he ducks his head a bit at the shift in the tone of Cisco's voice. "It was terrifying at first. But I had a lot of good help. I'm at peace with it."

"But hey," it only takes him a beat to locate Cisco's hand and give it a squeeze. "On to happier topics. Favorite music?"

From:

cisco_ramon

It's obvious this is a topic that Matt doesn't want to dwell on, and Cisco is more than happy with the change of subject. The last thing he wants is to make Matt uncomfortable on their first date (or ever, really). Cisco shifts his hand just a little so he can brush his thumb along the side of Matt's, rubbing the skin softly.

"I like all kinds of music," he replies. "Classic rock, R&B, pop, techno," he rattles off. "I've even been know to listen to the soundtracks of Broadway musicals, every now and then."