Archive of Our Own ^beta

This date was going to be a nice break from all of the hero work as Oracle, especially with the promise of going to one of those escape rooms. You couldn't help but think about how it would've been nice with Nikolaos, especially with how clever he could be at work, but Isla set you up with this. Hopefully she wouldn't let you down with this one (especially being a blind date), but you could never tell with the kinds of people Isla finds in the city.

You look up at the sign, and read "Escape-it! Fantastic Puzzles and More" before straightening yourself out and walking inside.

All the signs for the rooms had various styles befitting the themes and tropes of each experience, and you couldn't help but chuckle at the Ben Day Dotted Superhero Advert, featuring a character similar to your mom when she was Oracle. If the two of you were more stonehearted, there'd be hell to pay, but that was not the case.

You walk up to the receptionist with your card and a smile.

"I'm here to check in for the 'Bug-Outta this World' room." You say.

"Okay," The receptionist replies, quickly taking your card. "And your partner?"

"Oh, I thought I could just mark our reservation and they could come later..." You admit.

"Yeah, that was before a whole bunch of incidents where people made it hard on us by just clogging up the waiting room and not making it on time with the rest of their team, so now we need the whole team before confirming the reservation." They explain.

"Well, let me just try and get a hold of them." You excuse yourself, before walking aside, and checking your phone.

There was a quick text from Isla, sending a gif of someone eagerly sending a double thumbs up to the camera with a cheeky grin, which you replied with a simple "^v^b". It wasn't entirely true with how you were feeling considering how your date wasn't here, but that was neither here nor there.

And then there was Niks text of "Hope you're doing well!"

A sinking feeling hit you in the chest.

You sent a similar "ovob" to him.

"What does 'ovob' mean?" He texted back within the same minute.

Chuckling, you reply, "Its supposed to be a little face and a thumbs up lol"

A few seconds pass before "Oh I see that now. Haha!" comes through.

Around 20 minutes pass, and you still have not seen your date. They come bursting through with a detached expression on their features.

"Oh, you're the one Isla set me up with." They bit out.

Jeez Louise that was harsh, but that may be just cause it started to rain right before they entered. Their outfit dripping on the linoleum.

"Yeah, its nice to meet you!" You smile and hold your hand out for a greeting.

"Whatever." They brush you off.

Oh boy.

You go back to the receptionist, and check the two of yourselves in. Hopefully the escape room will be a way for the two of you to bond and find out more about each other.

It was not.

What it was, was an absolute sham. The two of you couldn't seem to escape the spaceship of bugs within the 50 minutes you now had since they came so late, but also, they couldn't help themselves to be even more obnoxious than before. Trying to break props, filming when they expressly said no, and arguing with you on every single step that you proposed to take. Not to mention that you paid for everything. 

You know that Isla is going to get an earful about that. And about how they kicked you right out of their car and onto the sidewalk when you proposed to get a burger and fries, rather than go out to the other side of town and to their friend of a friend of a friends bar/gastropub/spa. That was apparently the last straw for them on you, and now you are at the front of a ritzy apartment in an area that you kind of recognize...

Looks close to the train station at least.

Inhaling and Exhaling gets rid of some of those cruddier feelings that built up throughout the date, and you look up to the light polluted indigo.

Your ears then perk up at a familiar sonorous voice calling your name.

"Nikolaos!" You chirp, turning to him at the front door, wearing a sleek yet casual blue sweater and slacks.

"What are you doing here?" He asks with a tilt to his head.

"Well, I went on this cruddy date my friend Isla set me up on..." You sigh, not noticing how his gaze became stone for a moment. "We went to Escape-it, and that was a disaster and a half. They then threw me out of their car when I recommended some burgers instead of the experimental fare they were trying to hawk to me."

"You don't deserve any of that!" He declares. "And you didn't have anything to eat? Please, join me upstairs."

"No, but I think I'll go back to my place, there's probably something I can whip up there." Not to mention, checking in on your mom wouldn't hurt.

"Oh come on, someone as savvy and wonderful as you should not end an evening like this on a low note." Nik tuts.

"Nik, you don't have to do that, I'll be fine!" You insist.

"Well, are you sure you want to pass up some... vodka pizza?" He inquires, the question then floating onto your frazzled and fatigued consciousness like a feather on an over-encumbered camel.

And just like said camel, you cave at your favorite food being all the closer than ever. Who could blame you? Your clandestine crush offering you some delicious dinner with that crazy cavalcade from before inching into memory? How could you say no?

"I'll take you up on that." You give in to the sirens call (in more ways than one with how gorgeous Nikolaos' voice is) and follow him up to his apartment.

The two of you walk through the turnstile, into the temperate climate of this tastefully refined lobby. You can smell the money wafting through, but you wouldn't say that out loud, especially not so Nik could hear.

The person manning the front desk darts their head up, before a simple "With me." from Nikolaos brings them back to their copy of The Illiad.

As the two of you cross into the elevators threshold, you feel a shift in the energy. One that accelerates your heart to a hyperdrive. You try deep breaths, hoping to anyone who could hear that Nikolaos was unaware.

"Are you all right?" He asks, each prayer you send clearly unanswered.

"Yeah, it's just been a long night you know?" You brush his remark off.

"We'll talk about it more when you have some sustenance." He replies, the topic clearly pushed aside but not off of the table entirely.

You scrunch your nose, before the elevator opens to an elegant hallway. Walking down, you teeter on the edge of intimidation, the opulence something you (even as Oracle) don't encounter in the everyday.

The door opened with a click of Nik's key and you found yourself in a classy, cool, yet inviting bachelor pad.

And right on the table of his open concept kitchen, was a box, filled with delicious vodka pizza, the smell wafting through to your nose with a vengance. Oh you feel that heavenly heap of cheesy sauce and cheesier cheese as if it were right in your mouth right now...

"I guess you were understating your hunger huh?" He infers with a chuckle, pulling out your chair.

You silently nod, in a trance with comfort so close. Nikolaos then pulls out two plates from beside the box, and two cans of iced tea from his fridge, before setting the two of you up for goodness.

The world seems to crawl into slow motion as the pizza touches down onto your plate, the steam curling into your nostrils and caressing your soul.

Before too long, you quickly bite into the slice and subsequently burned the roof of your mouth, spitting and sputtering.

"Woah, are you okay?" Nik quickly cracks open your can and you take a swig.

"Really dove into that didn't I?" You jest.

He watches you with concern without answering you.

Silence simmers through, before the sound of a hiss from his can grazed the air.

"I needed this." You admit. "This date, they were...ugh..."

Nikolaos glares before his expression softens back to a sensitive frown.

"Go on." He motions with his pizza slice, before taking a bite.

"So Rude!" You exclaim, taking your true first bite, and watch the cheese stretch before you.

"They belittled me as soon as they saw me, were late to our appointment, tried breaking props in the room itself, and then made me foot the bill!" You rant. "Not to mention how they were constantly trying to get pictures of me for some reason, when we weren't even allowed to!"

"That's a shame," He drawls. "And you said you were looking forward to this escape room earlier."

"Yeah," You answer. "It was a favor for Isla anyway, but I am never talking to them, ever again."

"You better not," He agrees with finality. "Now you want to watch something fun?"

"That would be great." You smile.

Turns out this night would be all right.