ziggyplayedguitar | If my love is your love

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If my love is your love

Ziggy knew this was special on so many levels and for so many reasons. He was determined to make it perfect. That included calling weeks ahead to ensure the menu that came to their table was completely vegetarian and safe for his species. There were a lot of things someone could do as a rockstar that others couldn't. The restaurant was jackets required but had several seating areas and he eventually settled on a warm room with huge windows.

That had been awhile back now. The day was here and Ziggy was a whirlwind as he prepared. He started with starry make up and added petals around one eye for a little more drama. It was finally time for the outfit he had been hiding from Minoru as a surprise for weeks. Everything was in order and he checked several times before finishing everything off with a glamorous pair of earrings and plunging necklace.

Then he was out the door and to the limo. It was tradition for the masculine to pick up the feminine for something like this but Ziggy didn't care about these traditions. He pulled up in the red limo with wrist corsage Ziggy had made for Minoru, on the suggestion of his father who said this was traditional for first important dates. With flowers in hand he clopped up to their place in his heavy heels and then rang for the apartment. He had to admit some nerves, oddly on behalf of the human more than himself.

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Minoru would learn the ins and outs of dating a famous person soon enough. For now, he was perfectly content with the gentle nuzzle.

"You'll have to tell me what's good. Certain wines pair with certain things, right?"

The wait staff was quite attentive and would gladly make suggestions as well depending on what the couple ordered. They'd just set down the specially-prepared menus and Minoru hadn't even had a chance to look at it before Ziggy revealed yet another surprise.

"It's vegetarian? All of it?!" Minoru could barely remember a place where he wasn't searching through an entire menu looking for the one or two things (besides the usually-boring salad) that fit that niche. And it had to be even worse for an Anthean, with an even more restricted diet. Tonight, everything was fair game!

"They do." Ziggy nodded and then smiled. "There are a standard set of questions to find a wine for someone. We could go through them and see if they have anything that matches." Ziggy wanted this date to be about Minoru and his enjoyment.

"And incorporates some Anthean vegetables." Ziggy giggled with a very smug smile. "There is one dish that does have raw tuna that I requested for myself to be on the list."

The dishes included a salad with pickled Anthean vegetables and fruit, several different vegetable soups, samosa style vegetables, cheese and olive tray with more pickled Anthean vegetables, mushroom rissotto with wasabi encrusted cashews (this was the dish with the option to add tuna), Asian and Anthean vegetable cheese fondue, miso baked eggplant with steamed vegetables and rice, gnocchi with pickled fennel and feta, as well as a bunch of small tapas sized tasters to try as well as fruit based, low sugar desserts. Prices are mysteriously missing from the menu.

Ziggy handed over the custom printed menus with dark purple font on glittery, muted teal paper. The rockstar had gone all out, with some help. "Get anything you want, or one of everything and we'll try it all."

Tonight was for indulging in company and food.

The custom menus were quite a shock, and Minoru laughed as he grinned. The simple exclamation, “You did all of this!” didn’t really do it justice.

All of the options looked incredible - including those that clearly required alien vegetation that Ziggy must have provided. And the absence of prices left Minoru not even triggered to wonder how much something like that could possibly cost.

“Oh gosh... the fondue for sure. That sounds just fun. And the miso eggplant. Any of the little tasters or appetizers would be great for sharing.”

Minoru had no qualms with sharing and tasting what Ziggy ordered (save the dish with the tuna, but by all means, he’d welcome Ziggy to order it for himself) and offered the same in return. Granted, if Ziggy was hungry, ordering one of everything was probably just going to happen by default.

Ziggy leaned in until they bumped shoulders. "For you, of course I did."

He would for any of his lovers but he knew this would be special for Minoru since he hadn't dated anyone. Ziggy wanted it to be memorable and nothing but happy.

"I haven't eaten yet." Ziggy mentioned. He didn't need to look at the menu. He already knew what was on it from when he approved the menu. "If you want to get one of everything, go ahead. Indulge yourself."

He meant it, too. He could even get the tuna on the side so Minoru could share the vegetarian portion of the plate. This was a night for the human and Ziggy was focused on that alone.

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

With Ziggy’s permission, Minoru ultimately agreed with his plan to try a little bit of everything.

In the end, if Ziggy had secured Anthean ingredients for these dishes, not using them tonight would probably see them go to waste. Not that anything ever went to waste around a hungry Anthean, as Minoru had definitely learned by now.

"One of everything then." Ziggy laughs and then looks to Minoru.

"Let's figure out what kind of wine you like." A glass wouldn't hurt any while they ate. "Sweet or sour? Fruit or Chocolate? Bitter or Coffee? Acidic or neutral? Cherry or Grape? Crisp or warm?"

Those answers would get to a wine that Minoru would at least like. Ziggy knew what he would like as far as a bottle of wine. Despite everything being as it is, there is a hint of worry on Ziggy's mind. He's hoping that it is all good enough.

Between the two of them, especially Ziggy, there wouldn’t be too many leftovers to take home. And if there were? No big deal, either.

“Okay.” He nodded, trying to answer the rapid fire flavor questions with the first thing that popped in his mind. (He’d been overthinking this date enough as it was!) “Let’s see... Definitely sweet. Fruity. How is coffee the opposite of bitter? Uh... coffee? Uh... neutral, I guess? Either fruit is good. And, no idea?”

Minoru was no expert on wine. When he drank, it was usually a lighter beer or something fruity like an ale. He preferred the less bitter green teas, like tamaryokucha. He definitely put sugar in his coffee. And, well, when it came to energy drinks, you’re just trying to stay awake through a double shift, so flavor doesn’t really matter.

“I hope you can make sense of that.” He laughed a little.

Ziggy quickly had the waiter get one of everything to the table with instructions for the tuna to be separate while Minoru thought about the flavors.

"Crisp is cool, clean. Like cucumbers or sparkling water. Warm is full, rich. Like the feeling left behind after a warm drink." He hoped that was enough of a description. Ziggy wasn't an expert either but he knew how to match tastes to the types. He could fumble through.

"I think I have something in mind for you. I'll get you a glass and if you like it, then a bottle." Ziggy laughed a little and then shrugged. "If you get drunk, you can sleep in my bed and I'll behave."

“All right, pick for me!” Minoru grinned. “I’ll try a glass.”

A bottle of wine would be a bit much, though, no matter how much Minoru might like the flavor. Depending on how long the dinner stretched into an elaborate multi-course event, he might end up with a second glass. But he didn’t need drunkenness to relax - at least, not anymore.

Ziggy ordered a sweet Beerenauslese wine. Sweet, velvety, crisp, and a little acidic but Ziggy had always felt like it tasted like grape juice. He did get himself a bottle of cabernet with a lot of bite and weight.

Food would start to come soon since not all the dishes needed cooked. After the waiter left to get the wine Ziggy smiled. "Is there anything else you need?"

“You’re already smiling, so you’ve got all my needs covered.” Minoru happily smiled back.

It would only be a matter of minutes for Anthean-inspired salads to be plated and brought to the table, along with their choices in wine. Minoru was impressed by the decor alone, his reaction to the artistry on the plates themselves topped that.

"Does that mean you don't need any of this food?" Ziggy asked, mischievous and leaning into Minoru's shoulder. He's incredibly happy to be here. If that isn't already infectious wine will certainly increase the likelihood.

Wine comes first, a glass for Minoru that is chilled and a table side pour from a bottle for Ziggy. The wines in stark contrast since Minoru's is a very pale yellow, almost clear and Ziggy's so red that it nearly looks black.

"We should toast something." Ziggy mentions once they both have wine.

“Need? No matter what I say, my stomach’s probably gonna growl and give it away. I was so nervous getting ready, I kinda skipped lunch.”

This time, though, he was laughing away the nerves. Ziggy’s happiness would definitely be infectious, but Minoru had plenty of his own now to share in return.

“How about love?” He suggested, picking up the chilled glass. “In all its different forms, however it’s felt, for all the special people in our lives.”

"You might eat as much as I do tonight." Ziggy knows that is unlikely but it sounds funny.

"To love, in all its forms." Ziggy agreed, clinking glasses and giggling. "And to the boy sweet enough to make Ziggy Stardust give up sex for love." It's a tease but it has a very serious note to it. Ziggy is physical in his expression of love. It says something about their bond that he could forego his usual love language and find other ways.

Definitely unlikely, as even a hungry Minoru was still a human. But he was definitely going to have his share of everything, save the tuna.

“Don’t forget about the star shining bright enough to guide even an absolute beginner through these oceans of crazy emotions.” He teased right back. But Minoru was honestly still learning his own love language in terms of romantic attraction. Or even what a love language was.

Ziggy sipped his wine and then very quietly sang.
As long as we're together
The rest can go to hell
Because I absolutely love you.

He can see the salads and the cheese a pickled Anthean vegetable tray coming. It was going to be a many course meal and he was looking forward to just being here with Minoru.

"You're beautiful, especially when you're happy."

Minoru closed his eyes as he felt Ziggy’s familiar emotional warmth wash over him. A mix between a hum and a gentle giggle escaped his lips, and he smiled into his wine glass. He took a small sip as well, and whispered the next couple of lines to what had become his favorite Ziggy Stardust song.

But we're absolute beginners
With eyes completely open
But nervous all the same...

His voice was nowhere near as melodic, and he spoke them more than he sang them. But the sentiment was there. The theme was so relatable. The song felt as though it could have been written about tonight.

Minoru managed to sneak in a hug in before the salad, cheese and vegetable selections arrived.

"I'm not nervous." He teases as he strokes Minoru's cheek. "You don't have to be either."

Ziggy grins as he sips his wine and looked over the food they are setting on the table. He asks for them to bring the fondue out too because that was good finger food.

"Think of it this way, neither of us have to stress about how far we're going after our date." The amusement is clear in this voice as he sets the wine aside. "Though, I would like to sleep with you tonight."

The wink is there and the knowledge of the inside joke. He really just wanted to cuddle up with his partner. Even if sex was off the table, the desire to have him spend the night is still there.

Minoru smiled. “I’m not nervous either. Well, not anymore. Okay, maybe still a tiny bit...”

While there would be no added stress of post-date intimacy, there was still the matter of Minoru’s surprises. He’d been planning just as much as Ziggy had been.

“I was going to wait until after dinner to give this to you. But if we’re making those kind of plans...” he fished around in his coat pocket for that little box.

Inside, Ziggy would find a key to the twins’ apartment. Tied on the end of it was a handwritten invitation, in Japanese, to “Uchiwa Sento and Minshuku.” The calligraphy was fancy enough to assume Isamu had helped with the final version. But the sentiment was definitely Minoru’s.

“You took care of dinner. So you get to be my guest tonight.” He blushed a little. And then added with a bit of nervous laughter, “Oh! I’m gonna need the key part back when we’re done, though. I’ve already lost all our spares.”

"What is this?" Ziggy put down his glass of wine to take the small box. He can't help but tease. "You didn't sneak off and get me a ring did you?"

He winks because he knows full well that isn't what is inside. He still opens it with the same kind of care and laughs when he opens the box. He would kiss Minoru and almost forgets himself as he leans in. Instead he presses his forehead to Minoru's cheek.

"You're taking your girlfriend home tonight?" Ziggy's happiness would be easy to feel but he shakes his head at the key idea. "Why don't I send Robert out to make a few copies while you take me to bed tonight?"

The play on words, making everything sound sexual, was probably something that would stick in their relationship permanently now.

Minoru laughed sheepishly. “Yeah... I guess I am.”

Oh, Isamu would never let Minoru live that joke down. He wouldn’t be surprised if, in the morning, his brother turned it back on him. But replacing the missing copies wouldn’t hurt. (And if Ziggy happened to keep one for a little while to add to some of that weekend mischief, then Minoru would playfully feign ignorance...)

When the fondue arrived with its extra plates, Minoru served himself a little of the various salads and vegetables as well. It made it easier to share.

Ziggy giggle right along with Minoru. "I accept."

Then his eyes drift to all the food. He wasn't too hungry until he started smelling everything. "Antheans eat off a communal plate, usually with our hands."

Ziggy is well aware that hot fondue would need utensils but it also seemed like the perfect opportunity to teach Minoru a little about his culture. "Most things are communal for Antheans. We don't own so many things like humans do."

Given how he’d served himself, Minoru had slightly different customs when it came to communal dining. But he watched how Ziggy ate with respectful attention, set down his fork, and plucked one of the vegetable samosas he hadn’t already grabbed.

“Even what’s sticky or messy?” He asked, not just thinking about dipping vegetables into hot cheese, but also about weirdly-textured things like risotto or any dish that came with a sort of sauce. “And how do you share soup?”

It was different, but he was interested in learning.

Ziggy didn't expect Minoru to change but he had learned, because of Minoru, that sharing information was extremely important.

"Anthea has no water. We don't make soups or sauces the way humans do." He proceeded to pick up the long fondue fork to dip a piece of vegetable. He would have to wait for it to cool. "There were soups before the biodiversity collapsed and wooden eating tools but that was centuries ago."

Things had changed and Ziggy grew up without them, aside from the small pair his dad had in the capsule.

“...that makes sense.”

It was quite possible that things he thought might be sticky or messy, when prepared an Anthean way, actually wouldn’t be!

Minoru would still use his utensils for things that seemed to require them, especially things that were far more enjoyable to eat than they were to touch. But if it looked like it could even remotely be finger food, he’d try it the Anthean way tonight.

It might get some strange looks from the other patrons, but Minoru had pretty much forgotten they were there by this point. He was more preoccupied with trying a little bit of each of the different cheeses.

“Is the fondue too hot?”

And to add another one to the list, it was his first time having fondue as well.

Edited 2021-04-27 12:15 (UTC)

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