ROLEPLAY HQ - esther-and-elise

Elise fidgeted slightly with her dark red crop top and her leather skirt, a leather jacket around her shoulders that was too big for her, possibly someone else's jacked. The brunette tucked her hair behind her ear and called up Amelia, her best friend. "Hey love. I was going to throw a party and it'll start in like half an hour. Come over? And bring your brother, maybe he'll finally find love." Her words were teasing as she said goodbye and hung up. She'd invited over a lot of her friends and told them to invite others as long as they brought their own alcohol. The girl turned on the speakers, hooking up her phone for music. She danced a bit, smiling to herself. She'd just gotten a raise and just wanted to celebrate. She heard a knock at the door and grinned brightly. Amelia was always the first to show up. Elise opened the door and hugged her best friend tightly before looking up and seeing Esther. "Hey handsome, get in here." She teased and let them in. "People will be arriving soon." @predictable_.

Esther was pulled along to yet another stupid party. Due to it being hosted by his sisters friend, he had no choice but to come along. Since he disliked being around large crowds, he didn't plan on staying around very long at all. He had dressed himself in a simple buttoned up white t-shirt and some dark blue jeans. He wasn't going to the party with the intentions of impressing anyone, nor did he care to do so. His sister brought around four 6 packs of beer. Knowing her, she'd try to get Esther drunk. She pulled him along into the house. "Thanks for inviting." His tone was dull. It was obvious he wasn't too stoked about being at a party. Amelia's friend, Elise was the complete opposite of him. He didn't like parties or being around too many people. She was an extrovert unlike he was. @nova.rose.

@novarose0103

Elise held Amelia happily before she pulled away, grabbing Esther's hand. "I know you don't like a lot of people, but you can sneak away into my room when you're over people. And besides, right now there's no one here. So enjoy yourself." She pulled him towards the music and smiled up at him. "Y'know, maybe you need some liquid courage? I was kinda hoping we'd finally get to see you meet a girl, or guy." She took his hand and began dancing with him playfully, swaying her body to the music. A few more people came in but she didn't bother losing focus from Esther. Elise soon wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled softly, dancing. "Listen, my room is locked. But I'll give you the key. You just have to find me before you leave to give it back. No sex in my room, but feel free to go there if you need a break, okay?" @predictable_.

"I'm not interested in dancing really..." He mumbled after being pulled onto the dancefloor by Elise. Besides, he didn't even know how to dance. "That's fine, I don't really plan on staying for that long anyways." He assured. Despite being complete opposites, Esther did find Elise to be quite attractive. But never could he see himself in a relationship with her. "Why do you want to see me with a woman so badly?" He asked with a soft chuckle. "Maybe I prefer being single. Is that so hard to believe?" "Alright, alright... I don't plan on it anyways." He said, referring to the sex comment. She was kind, but he didn't feel too comfortable with coming out of his shell around her just yet. @nova.rose.

16:38

@novarose0103

The brunette looked up at him and smiled softly. "Most people love dancing unless they don't know how. And I can teach you. Just relax and let the rhythm take over." She giggled softly before he questioned why she wanted to see him with someone. "Esther, I have seen you fawn over different girls, and I'm not sure you've ever had the courage to talk to them. Though, I do believe you dated someone for a while. I don't know, but I see a lot because I'm your sister's best friend. I know you're a good person. So I just think you deserve that joy." She shrugged and kept dancing. "And if you like being single, that's fine too. I enjoy my time being single until I'm with someone." Elise winked at him and pulled her leather coat off. She knew the jacket belonged to a fling who would be there soon, one who would practically claim her as his property if he saw her in it. Elise looked over her shoulder at Esther, smiling softly before walking away, dancing and hips swaying to the music. She grabbed two cups, one for her and one for Esther when a male walked up to her in the kitchen, cornering her at the counter. "Luke, I'm not doing this shit with you. I'm not interested, it was one night." She slammed the jacket against his chest before shoving past and walking back to Esther. Luke had been her first love, and a shitty one at that. Amelia often stopped her from calling him late at night when she knew. Elise walked to Esther, a nervous smile on her lips as she tried to ignore how she felt slightly shaky. "Drink with me?" @predictable_.

Esther felt his jaw tense momentarily. Had he been that easy to read? Despite his lack of conversing with people. He wouldn't have ever guessed that Elise paid attention to him. "Fawn over women? Don't you think that's a bit of an overstatement?" He chuckled once more. "But I'd be lying if you weren't right. I have been in a relationship with someone once before, but that's all." He shrugged his shoulders. Esther stood there awkwardly amongst the crowd of people. He couldn't dance, and nor did he want to try. But he did enjoy seeing Elise enjoying herself on the dancefloor. The way her hips swayed to the music almost effortlessly. He raised a curious eyebrow at the man who cornered Elise. Part of his wanted to intervene, but the other didn't want to cause a scene. "I don't drink." He shook his head. "But I'll keep you company if you'd like." @nova.rose.

17:29

@novarose0103

Elise giggled softly as he seemed surprised. "Mmm... I'm not sure if it's an understatement. But when we were younger, I did a lot of fawning too. How do you think I noticed?" She teased and left. When she arrived back she hesitated before nodding. She down her cup before beginning to sip on the one she brought for him. Elise looked up at him and bit her lip. "You can head out if you want. I guess I just wanted to see you, maybe set you up with a friend." She teased before focusing on the liquid in her cup. "That guy... His name is Luke. He was my first love, and a bad choice at that. He knows it, but he thinks he owns me anytime I do anything nice to him. It just... Makes me uncomfortable." @predictable_.

"Set me up with a friend?" He chuckled softly, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "And just who would that friend have been? I guess... I can be a little open. It wouldn't hurt, would it?" He said with a soft sigh. "Why did you invite him if he makes you feel uncomfortable?" It wasn't his place, but he was curious and didn't think twice to ask. "You could easily just tell him to leave." He shrugged his shoulders. "So why haven't you?" @nova.rose.

18:06

@novarose0103

Elise smiled softly and bit her lip. "Over there is Kiara. She's a witty art major, highly into political movements and equality. Or Jackson, he is a loving dog groomer, working on opening his own shop. And lastly, Lisa. She is a lovely girl, hoping to become a lawyer. She's goofy and always tries to help others, though she will argue her ass off for anything she believes in." She paused when he spoke. "I... I told people to invite their friends. He is one of them. And I don't want to make a scene. I know it'll be fine as long as I stay away from him." She hesitated before looking up at him. "I think it'll be okay..." @predictable_.

Esther sighed softly to himself, looking in the direction in which Elise pointed. "I don't think... Guys are really my thing." He mumbled. He'd never been in a relationship with one, but he'd be lying if thoughts about being sexual with one hadn't crossed his mind. "Kiara sounds nice." He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm sure he won't cause a problem. I mean, this is your party after all." Esther wondered why Elise was so nervous around Luke. He wondered if there was more to it than he wasn't being told. He decided to just shake it off. @novarose0103

Elise smiled and nodded. "No worries, I understand. I just wanted to be inclusive because I was never sure. Want me to introduce you to Kiara?" She smiled softly and nodded. Elise took his hand and led him to Kiara. "Kiara, this is Esther. He's Amelia's brother and he's super sweet. I thought you two might hit it off." She winked at her playfully before letting go of Esther's hand. She moved away and went to the couch, sitting with a few of her friends. She glanced back at the pairing every now and then. She didn't know why she was nervous about the pairing. Maybe it's just because she hoped Esther would find happiness, or perhaps it was simply because part of the feelings she had long ago still longed to be heard. But regardless she didn't plan to address it either way. It was time to move on to someone else. Elise finished her drink and went to get a new one, a guy coming up and talking to her. She smiled softly and looked up at him, listening. His attempts to flirt were cute, but she wasn't really into it tonight. @predictable_.

"Uh- well, I'm not so su-" Before he could even finish his sentence, he was being pulled along by Elise. Esther was quite shy around new people. He was horrible when it came to striking up a conversation, which is a main reason why he'd only ever been with one person. Kiara's attention shifted onto Elise and the man before her. A soft smile painted the woman's expression. "Esther? What an interesting name. Did you know Esther also meant 'Star' in another language?" Esther let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. Oh, how he hated parties. "Yes, actually." He replied, sitting down next to the woman. She was quite pretty, though Esther thought most women were. He hadn't really developed a type after all. The two spoke for a while, and after a while of convincing Esther, he had finally decided to have a drink of beer. The two seemed to hit it off quite well. @novarose0103

Elise smiled softly and the dude, laughing at his joke before excusing herself. She felt awkward around new people, especially men. She grabbed Amelia and grinned brightly as she passed Esther. "Awe, you two are so cute! Behavior yourselves!" She teased, her heart dropping a bit before she began dancing with Amelia. Her dancing now seemed more sexual, as she was comfortable with Amelia and knew nothing would happen. "You should tell him!" Amelia shouted over the music, but Elise simply pretended she couldn't hear and took a chug of her drink. A male pulled Elise close and she danced close to him. Amelia pulled her away and Elise turned to see Luke. She froze, hesitating. "Get out. Luke get out. No one wants you here." Luke pulled her back and smirked. "Seemed like you wanted me here just a minute ago." Elise clenched her fists at his words and backed away. Amelia began to go off on the male, and people quieted down as they saw the arguing. But none of that mattered to Elise. Elise backed away from the crowd, slowly moving to her room. She opened the door and shut it quickly, Amelia beginning to kick people out. Everything felt like it was spinning, her breathing getting faster as she stumbled back. @predictable_.

Despite having such a nice conversation with Kiara, Esther's eyes would wander onto Elise from time to time. He didn't know why he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Of course she was beautiful, but never did he pay her so much attention before. He felt guilty for staring at another woman while also talking with Kiara. He went back to talking with her until the sound of arguing could be heard over the loud music. Both his and Kiara's attention shifted onto Elise and Luke arguing on the dance floor. "Uh- I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to go and check up on Elise. She seems upset." He didn't want it to seem like he was ditching Kiara. "Yeah, you should." Kiara agreed. "Here's my number. Why don't we hangout some time?" She shot Esther a kind smile. "Sure thing." He smiled back before getting up from the couch, making his way up the stairs and to Elise's bedroom. "Elise? I just want to, you know, check up on you. Can I come in?" He cleared his throat. @novarose0103

Elise heard his voice and took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure as she went to the door and unlocked it. She opened it slightly to make sure it was him before backing up from the door. "S-sorry. Amelia is dealing with making people leave and... I'll be okay. Get out of here. You don't like parties anyways." She tried to get the male to leave, not wanting to burden him. She felt gross. Elise moved to her closet, pulling out sweats and a tank top. She needed out of those clothes. She stood behind her closet door and began changing without saying a word. @predictable_.

"Well, I just wanted to check in on you is all." He said with a soft sigh, pushing the door open further so he could invite himself in. "That guy must be a pain in the ass." He said with a soft chuckle, trying his best to lighten the mood. "For someone who doesn't enjoy parties, this one was particularly fun." Of course it wasn't totally true, but he wanted Elise's mood to return back to how it usually was. Cheerful and happy. Knowing that some asshole of a guy ruined that made him feel uneasy. @novarose0103

Elise rubbed her arms, anxious and shook her head. "I don't like him. He makes me feel disgusting. I can't believe I ever liked him." She stepped out of her closet as she finished putting on her shirt and looked up at Esther. "I'm glad you hit it off with Kiara. She's super cool, but sometimes a bit much." She ran her hands through her hair and looked around. Elise looked up at him and bit her lip. "I'm sorry I just... I don't know what to say to you. I'm glad you met someone you hit it off with. I was talking to a guy for a little, hoping to get my mind off you and Luke but then he tried dancing with me and I just." The brunette was rambling, nervous and drunk. She sat on her bed and let out a sigh. She looked up at Esther before flopping down on her bed. "Esther. Tell me about Kiara. Tell me you like her and you have a date planned." She wanted to know that she couldn't like him, that it simply wouldn't work. @predictable_.

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused. Did I do something to upset you?" Being put in the same sentence as Luke didn't sound good at all. Just what had he done so badly that she tried getting him off of her mind? Of course Esther would think negative thoughts. He mentally backtracked, trying to see a reason as to why Elise would be upset with him. "Well..." He let out a loud sigh before continuing on. "She's nice, I guess." He shrugged his shoulders before rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "But I don't see myself being in a romantic relationship with her. Sure, she seems like a nice friend though. I'm sorry to disappoint you." @novarose0103

Elise froze and looked up at him, a red blush flowing over her cheeks. "N-no, forget I said anything. You didn't upset me I just... Don't know how to act around you." She bit her lip and looked away. When he started talking about Kiara she listened intently. She hesitated but nodded. "I get that. Sometimes you want to like them but there just simply isn't chemistry." Elise bit her lip and shook her head. "You'll find someone. When I was younger, I fell for a friend. Watched him crush on different girls for a while, but I was never one. Eventually, I moved on. Fell in love with an asshole and moved on." @predictable_.

"What does that mean? You don't have to act differently around me, Elise." He shrugged. "What makes you think you have to do that? We've known each other for a while. I mean, you are my sisters friend so it only makes sense." He shrugged his shoulders and leaned his back against the wall. "Even if I did like someone, I'm way too nervous to say anything about it." He said with a nervous chuckle. "Dating has never been something I was good at, and I've grown to accept that." "Really?" He raised a curious eyebrow. He'd never been told this story before, but it's not like he and Elise had too many conversations. "Maybe you never paid attention to the way they looked at you. I know I'm not one to talk, but a crush is quite different from liking someone. When you have a crush on someone, well-" he sighed softly, thinking of a way to explain it. "Let's just say 'liking someone' is liking them for their personality and their aura. A crush is more of being attracted to another person's looks." @novarose0103

Elise shooked her head, muttering something about him not getting it. She ran her hands through her hair, listening. "Then it wasn't a crush. I liked them. I liked you." She seemed frustrated at the situation before shifting in the bed. Elise looked at the ceiling and sighed softly. "I liked you. And even when I thought I was over it... Part of my tonight couldn't stop thinking about you." She slowly looked over at him. "How do you think I knew about you falling for girls but never making a move?" She laughed softly, trying to make the situation light hearted before she sat up. "Esther... Maybe you should just leave. I'm tipsy and I feel gross after that man touched me. Maybe we should just call it a night." She looked at her hands. Elise knew that Esther didn't feel the same, but there was nothing she could do. Perhaps now that he knew she could move on. @predictable_.

Esther's eyes widened with surprise. He felt quite dumb for not catching any of the hints that Elise was referring to him. "What? How could you like me?" He said with a chuckle. He was the complete polar opposite of Elise. "I would have never guessed." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, a soft blush painted the man's cheeks. "Well- I dunno. I just figured that I was easy to read." He shrugged. "I just get nervous around women. I always have been." Which is why he wanted better for Elise. He assumed her standards were pretty low for her to be interested in someone like him. "I..." He stopped himself short. "Goodnight, Elise." He showed himself out of the house. @novarose0103

Elise shook her head with a smile. "Because you are amazing. You're caring and sweet and funny. You tried convincing me that you liked the party just to make me feel better. And you are... You're handsome to say the least. And so part of me always wondered if we would be decent together." Elise shrugged. "It's cute when you get nervous..." She bit her lip and nodded when he left. She locked the door again and went to her bathroom to shower, the hot water pouring on her as she thought about the male. Later that night she got a text from Amelia, in all caps asking if she told him. She ran her hands through her hair as she responded. Her best friend then mentioned giving Esther her number and she shut off her phone, curling into bed and just waiting for slumber to take her. @predictable_.

Esther went home that night, lost in thought. He couldn't help but think about what Elise had said. Being cofessed by someone like Elise... Was definitely unexpected. But he'd be lying if he didn't think Elise was interesting and mysterious. There was more to her than she usually put on. His sister did end up giving him Elise's phone number, though he didn't want to message her after the bad night she seemed to have. It was better off to message her tomorrow. After taking a shower and putting on something comfortable to sleep in, he headed off to bed. @novarose0103

The next day Elise turned on her phone. She had about a dozen texts from Luke, and a few from Amelia. She sighed softly and just got dressed for work. She pulled her hair into a pony tail and headed off to the Lotus Cafe. She smiled softly as she walked in. This job was one of the bright points in her life. Her boss greeted her with her favorite drink and she smiled before getting to work. Elise served customers and began to create all the different deserts. She didn't notice the flirty words of her boss, simply stuck in her head about the night before. @predictable_.

Esther started his morning pretty early. He always started his morning off with a warn shower and a 30 minute run. He needed to stay in shape, especially considering the job he did. He hadn't thought about Elise much that morning, but his sister did demand that he messaged Elise later. Before he went in for work that evening, he sent her a message. Amelia gave me your number. Hope your having a good day 👍 He wasn't sure what else to say after that. Maybe Elise wanted to forget the night ever happened. @novarose0103

Elise's phone buzzed and she checked it. She tensed and bit her lip, hesitating before responding. [I am, thanks. I'm sorry about last night, it was a mess. Have a good day.] Elise kept checking her phone throughout the day. An hour before her shift ended, she began closing up. [I'm getting off now. Let me know if you want to talk.] She assumed he wanted to talk about the night before to reject her feelings. @predictable_.

Esther read the message that was sent. He didn't know how to respond so he just left it unanswered and got to work. He spent a few hours training his customers. Being a personal trainer was no joke, especially when people were easy to give up. Esther had to keep them motivated. Surprisingly, he and Elise got off of work at around the same time. He was currently in the locker room, changing into the change of clothes he brought along with him to the gym. Sure. You can come over if you'd like. He packed up his things and headed home for the day. He was famished and needed a meal. @novarose0103

Elise bit her lip before heading over to his apartment. She knocked on the door and she took down her hair while waiting, messing with it so it'd fall down nicely, instead of being a mess from work. When the door opened, she smiled brightly and looked up at him. "Hey..." She stepped inside and bit her lip. "I just wanted to apologize for yesterday... I was tipsy and I was rambling. I shouldn't have told you like that and besides... It was in the past. I don't think I have those feelings currently, and if I do it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to mean anything." @predictable_.

Esther opened the door, currently wearing his grey sweats and a simple white t-shirt. It was obvious he had gotten out of the shower not to long ago by his dripping wet hair. "Oh, yeah... I get it." He chuckled softly. "There's no need to apologize." He closed the door behind her once she entered. "Ah, well... That's what I wanted to talk to you about." "Are you thirsty? Want anything?" @novarose0103

The girl blushed at the sight of the male. Shit. That wouldn't make any of this easier. She looked away most of the time they talked, worried that she would stumble over her words otherwise. She nodded and stepped inside. "I guess just water?" Elise sat on the couch, fidgeting with her hands. When he got back, she took the cup from him and smiled. "Thank you... I appreciate it. So... About yesterday." @predictable_.

"Water? Alright." His apartment was small but quite cozy. His still insisted she helped him decorate his apartment, and of course he had no choice but to oblige. Esther poured the both of them a cup of cold ice water and sat down on the couch next to her. "No problem." He smiled kindly, handing her the cup. He was quite nervous to talk about last night. "Yeah, uh-" He cleared his throat. "You know- I have looked at you... A lot. You just have never noticed me doing so." He shrugged, taking a big gulp of his water. @novarose0103

Elise sipped it, focusing on the cup as she listened to him. "Esther. You don't have to pretend you liked me at all. You're my best friend's brother. We can stay friends, no harm done. Just because I liked you doesn't mean anything has to change." She leaned over and squeezed the male's hand, finally looking up at him with a bittersweet smile. "I'm okay, I promise. I can move on. I think my boss was actually trying to flirt with me today." Elise laughed softly at the thought and slowly pulled her hand away. @predictable_.

"I'm not pretending." He said sternly. "Sure, you're beautiful and fun to be around... But it's still hard for me to realize when I have romantic feelings with someone. I was both surprised and a bit happy? I don't know." He let out an annoyed sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is why relationships never work for me." He let out a soft laugh. "What? Your boss?" He furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't like hearing that someone was flirting with Elise. But why? It never bothered him so much before. "Well, do you like him?" @novarose0103

Elise bit her lip, freezing slightly when he said he wasn't joking. "It's... It's okay to take your time. You can think about your feelings until you know. And we could go on a date if that'd help you maybe." She bit her lip, worried she'd upset him. "I... I don't know! I haven't ever thought of him like that. I've been focused on school and part of me always liked you." Elise hesitated and slowly took his hand in hers. "Just... Think about it. If you want to see where this goes, you have my number. If you aren't interested, that's fine too..." @predictable_.

"You'd want to go out on a date?" His tone showed surprise and interest. He had only ever been on one other date- if that even counted as a date. "I think that would be nice, actually." Esther took another sip of his water. "Oh." He didn't know why he felt so relieved. His tense shoulders had relaxed a bit. "I think I would like to see what happens." Who knows, a deep love might even form between the two. @novarose0103

Elise blushed at his words and started rambling. "I-I mean only if you want to. It doesn't have to mean we are exclusive, it's just to see if something could come from this." When he spoke again she let out a sigh of relief and nodded. She laced her fingers with his and smiled softly. "Okay. When would you like to go out? And anything you want to do on the first date

"Ah, well... Why don't you decide?" He asked with a kind smile. "It doesn't have to be anything super romantic, but nice of course." He didn't know why his heart was so happy. Never did he think that he'd be interested in being in a romantic relationship with someone else after his past relationship. He gently squeezed her hand, somehow feeling less nervous around her. @novarose0103

The brunette blushed and nodded. She bit her lip and thought about it for a minute. "Could we go to this new food truck? It's down by my work. We could go sometime soon, and just walk around downtown." She smiled softly and looked up at him "We could go sometime Friday? I think I'm off work. If you're busy, I get it." She smiled as he squeezed her hand and she kissed his hand softly before letting it go. @predictable_.

"Of course, that sounds great." He nodded in response. He felt his body shiver in response to the kiss on his hand. To others, they'd be in disbelief knowing that Esther hadn't had much experience with relationships. But honestly, Esther didn't see too much appeal in his own personality. "Just be sure to message me the time."

15:39

@novarose0103

Elise smiled brightly and nodded. She hesitated before standing. "Thank you... For talking with me. I'm really excited about this..." Elise smiled brightly and hugged him before heading to the door. "I'll text you handsome." She smiled brightly at him. @predictable_.

"Honestly, so am I." He said with a breath of relief. Never did he think that he'd be going on a date with his sisters best friend. "No problem... Thank you for being so understanding." He did appreciate it a lot. "Alright." His cheeks flushed a soft shade at the compliment, showing Elise to the front door. @novarose0103

The girl headed out and to her car happily, thinking about the date. She did a little happy dance on her way to her car. Throughout the next two days, she would text him goofy things and tell Esther that she was excited. When the day came, she pulled on a blue crop top and black jeans before she texted him. [Meet you there at 6 still?] She began walking to the place, an earbud with music in her ear. Elise felt as though she was on cloud nine. @predictable_.

Throughout the next few days, Esther had spent a while chatting with Elise on the phone. They never did have such entertaining conversations like this before. They were able to get to know one another personally. Yes, I'm almost there. He replied, putting his phone back in his pocket before continuing his drive there. Luckily it wasn't far at all. He arrived shortly, his eyes scanned the area for a familiar figure. @novarose0103

Elise smiled brightly and noticed Esther was there. She walked up to him, her stomach feeling restless with nerves. "Hey Esther." She took his hand in hers and looked around. "I haven't tried this place but I really want to. It'll be great to walk here from work for lunch."

Esther was standing, taking in the beautiful scenery. It felt great outside today. The wind wasn't too strong and it wasn't too hot outside either. He wore a black turtleneck shirt and some comfortable jeans. He didn't want to dress too... Well, formal. They weren't going out anywhere fancy after all. "Oh, hey." He embraced her with a friendly hug. "What is this place anyways?" @novarose0103

Elise smiled and looked at it. "It's a Mexican food truck. Something about walking tacos?" She laughed softly, sounding confused as she hugged him. She pulled away and took his hand in hers with a slight blush. "Can I hold your hand?" She smiled brightly up at him. She looked around at the tables, each one a wooden set with an umbrella and blue table clothes. Elise scratched her neck, looking up at Esther. "I know it's not great, but I thought we could walk around afterwards..." @predictable_.

"The food does smell pretty good." He exclaimed. Esther didn't eat unhealthy foods often. Sure, he would have a cheat day every once in a while, but he stuck to his diet. Honestly, he had grown used to it. "Uh..." He cleared his throat before responding. "Yeah, of course." Their hands then intertwined once another. "No, I like it. It's... Nice. I feel more comfortable with it not being so fancy." He chuckled. @novarose0103

The girl smiled brightly and nodded, holding his hand happily. "Let's look at their menu?" She walked over to the stand with the menu on it and looked it over happily. She was glad he seemed okay with the date she planned, knowing most people would prefer something more classic like dinner. "I think I'm going to get their chicken enchiladas. Could we sit down and eat maybe?" She smiled up at him. Elise looked up at him, admiring him as she stood. "What are you passionate about? Anything in particular?" Elise smiled softly, finding comfort in his presence even if she was nervous. @predictable_.

Esther looked over the menu, feeling a bit quezy. So many... Unhealthy items to choose from. "Uh, what do you think I should get? I'm not much of an unhealthy eater." He chuckled softly. "Maybe a ceaser wrap?" He hummed in thought. "Of course. I wouldn't want you to stand while we eat." @novarose0103

Elise bit her lip and took his hand. "That one looks the healthiest. Grilled chicken, fresh vegetables and whole wheat wrap? It sounds good." She tried to encourage him. She often wasn't picky about what she ate, aside from it having an excess of grease. Elise leaned against him. "We could go somewhere else too. There's a restaurant that specializes in diet and health foods."

18:49

@predictable_.

"No, no. This is fine." He assured. "I think I'll just get the ceaser wrap. It does sound pretty good after all." Once the two decided on what they wanted to dine on, they went up to the food truck to order. "One ceaser wrap and your chicken enchiladas." He looked over their menu once again. "What did you you want to get to drink?" He asked Elise. @novarose0103

Elise smiled softly and nodded. "I'll have water." She spoke loud enough so that the person at the counter could hear before she looked up at him. Elise took the food when it came out and happily moved to the table to eat. "So... My first date question, that isn't basic like... What's your favorite color. My question is what is your passion?" @predictable_.

"And I'll have a sprite." Once their food had been prepared and handed to them, the two sat down at one of the wooden tables. "My passion? Uh- well, I love to paint." He had never spoke about his love for art, especially since he didn't think he was too good at it. "It's relaxing and calms me. I don't know if that's much of a passion... But I'm also a personal trainer. I work with people and help them get into shape." @novarose0103

@novarose0103 (reminder. No rush though

Elise smiled softly and grinned brightly. "I love that. I didn't know that about you. That's really cool." She began to eat the food happily. "I hope I can see some of your artwork sometime. And it makes sense that you're a personal trainer. I should have known with how toned you are..." She turned red and shook her face, waving her hands. "Not that I have been staring!"

@predictable_.

"Uh, well- I've never shown my art to someone before." He said with a nervous chuckle. "But maybe sometime I will." He said before taking a bite out of his wrap. He let out a satisfied hum. "It's alright." He laughed. "You wouldn't be the first person to stare even if you did." He thought for a moment before he asked Elise a question. "So, what about you?" @novarose0103

The brunette listened and nodded. He was cute when he seemed nervous. "When you feel comfortable I'd love to see it, but don't feel any pressure." She listened to him and giggled, looking at her hands. The male made her nervous and he was gorgeous. When he mentioned passion she turned up and hesitated. "I love dancing. And helping others. I'm a barista right now and I love hearing about their life and being someone they can talk to." @predictable_.

"Of course." He nodded, taking another bite out of his meal. Their food was honestly pretty great for just a food truck. "Dancing? I can tell. You're really good at it from what I've seen so far." He complimented with a kind smile. "A barista? That's nice. Do you have any plans for the future?" @novarose0103

Elise enjoyed her food as they talked, blushing at his compliment and the memories of them at the party. "I'm going to school for psychology so I can become a therapist." She shrugged. Although it didn't sound exciting, she was content with the job. "Are you going to stay a physical trainer?" @predictable_.

"A therapist? That's definitely a very important job. That sounds pretty nice." He liked the thought of being in a relationship with someone who found a joy in helping others. "Uh, well... I think I may want to be a professional artist one day. You know, just making money doing art requests. But for now I am pretty happy with my job." @novarose0103

She smiled brightly and nodded. When he spoke about being an artist, a grin spread across her face. "That sounds lovely, and I'd love to help you in any way I can." She took his hand and squeezed them before finishing up her food. She stood to throw away her trash, a smile on her lips. @predictable_.

"You'd be the perfect model for a painting." He said with a soft smile, though he quickly stumbled over his words once he realized how it could have sounded coming out. "I, ah- didn't mean it like that..." He got up threw away his trash as well. "That was a nice meal. It really did feel fulfilling." @novarose0103

The brunette blushed and chuckled softly. He was adorable. She placed her hand on his cheek smiling. "I'd love to be a model for you. Dressed or not." She winked at him before pulling away. She simply wanted to see his reactions to her flirty words before nodding. "It was pretty good. I'll have to come here more often. What would you like to do now?" @predictable_.

"I- uh-" His cheeks flushed an even brighter color. God, he was horrible around women. Her touch made his skin tingle. Her hand was warm and comforting. "We can go for a walk if you'd like." He quickly said, wanting to switch the topic. @novarose0103

Amused, she nodded and began walking. She didn't quite care where to as long as she was with him. "Let me know if I make you uncomfortable. I'll back off if I do, I don't want to push." She looked around at all the little shops. "I can't believe you like me." She shook her head with a soft smile. "It's simply crazy to me. I liked you for a long time." @predictable_.

"Oh no, no you didn't make me feel uncomfortable." He quickly assured. "I enjoy your company, actually." He said with a soft chuckle. "And let me know if If I ever do the same, alright?" He turned to look at her with a soft smile. "Well... I didn't know that I like you until well, last week." @novarose0103

Smiling, Elise nodded and leaned against him for a bit. "Thank you handsome. It's good to know I can tell you about things if they ever make me uncomfortable." When he mentioned not knowing he had feelings, she scratched the back of her neck and shrugged. "That's... Fine. I mean, it's understandable. I was simply your sister's friend."

"Yeah, well... It's also been a while since I've- you know, actually had romantic feelings for someone." He mumbled as the two walked alongside each other. "My last relationship wasn't so... Great." Nor did he really enjoy talking about it. "Which is why I never did want to date much after." @novarose0103

Elise giggled softly before she paused, listening about his last relationship. "I get it... I mean, you met Luke." She laughed nervously and shrugged. "But I want to treat you better than you've been before. You deserve it. You deserve dates and cuddles and understanding." She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. @predictable_.

"Yeah, I did." He said with a soft chuckle. Luke didn't seem like such a great guy. "I didn't know cuddles came with a relationship." He laughed softly. He was glad that Elise felt such a way... Honestly, he wouldn't have ever guessed that she liked him. @novarose0103

Elise gasped at his words and stopped him, standing in front of him. "What? I don't know who was stupid to you, but you will get all the cuddles!" She huffed before hugging him. "Maybe that will be our second date, if I get one." She winked up at him playfully before pulling away and continuing to walk. @predictable_.

"Well- I guess I've never been that interested in physical contact. It always made me nervous... But I don't feel so nervous when we hold hands." He said with a kind smile. "A second date sounds nice. I did like this one after all. It was... Fun. Though, we aren't done yet." He chuckled @novarose0103

Smiling brightly, Elise kissed his hand lightly. "I'm glad you aren't as nervous with me." She walked with him happily, nodding. "I can't wait then. But this time, you get to plan it." She teased and pulled him into a random store, looking around. Elise looked around. It was just a general store, but she focused on the keychains and smiled, pulling two out. "They kind of match. You wanna match?" She winked playfully at him, looking at them. @predictable_.

"Maybe it's because we've been around for a while. We've just never been... Alone really." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. He liked the feeling of Elise's soft lips on his hand. It made him wonder what it'd be like to kiss her, though a blush quickly painted his cheeks once he realized just how odd his thoughts were. "A keychain? I mean, sure." He didn't mind it at all. @novarose0103

Elise noticed his blush and smiled softly. "What are you blushing at?" She played with his hair before she got distracted with the keychain. Elise smiled brightly, going to pay for them. @predictable_.

"Oh, nothing." He said, turning his attention onto the keychains in Elise's hand. Once they got up to the front counter, Esther pulled out his wallet and paid for the items with his card. "Where else would you like to go?" @novarose0103

The female shrugged and began walking again alongside him. "Here's yours." She handed him one of the keychains before taking his hand in hers. "And I can pay. You don't have to always pay, I promise." @predictable_.

"It's fine... I don't mind paying." He assured as he grabbed the keychain out of her hand. It made him chuckle knowing that they were already matching one another. Even if it were something as simple as keychain. @novarose0103

The brunette hesitated before she headed back to her place. "I guess we should probably head out soon. Call it a day." Elise held him close as they walked, happy. @predictable_.

He nodded. "Yeah, that's fine with me. I really did enjoy today. I'll be sure to pick somewhere nice for us to go out next. That is, if you'd like to go out on another date. Besides, I'm sure my sister would make you anyways." He chuckled. @novarose0103

Elise laughed softly and slowly laced her fingers with his. "She wanted me to tell you my feelings for months... She even told me to at the party at some point." @predictable_.

"Oh, really? I'm surprised she didn't convince you to move on. My sister acts like she hates me sometimes." He said with a soft chuckle. "If you aren't busy, maybe we could hangout at your place for a while. I do have the weekend off, so I won't be doing too much after all." @novarose0103

The brunette smiled brightly and nodded. "That sounds amazing. Should we take your car to my place? I just walked here." Elise stayed close to him, happy. "We could watch a movie." @predictable_.

"You walked here?" He asked in a surprised tone. "Ah, do you not have a vehicle?" He didn't want to be quick to assume. Maybe Elise just enjoyed the walk here. "But yes we can take my car." Esther nodded. "But you're picking the movie." @novarose0103

She shook her head. "I do, I just live close." She walked beside him before getting in his car. "What kind of movies do you like at least?" @predictable_.

"I like movies based off of history." Sure, it was sounded pretty boring... But honestly he enjoyed every bit of it. "And a bit of horror and thriller." Esther opened the door for Esther before he closed it and got in on the driver's side. He inserted his car key into the ignition. @novarose0103

The girl nodded and got in the car. "Thank you," she said softly for him opening the door. Elise pulled on her seat belt and nodded. "Okay. Sounds good to me." She smiled softly and looked over him. "I'm so excited that you're here with me. I can't believe I got a date with you." She blushed and looked away, happy.

"The feeling is mutual." He replied with a kind smile. Once the vehicle was started, he began heading in the direction to her home. He knew where it was since he'd sometimes be dragged along there by his sister. Not only that, but he was invited to her party there last week. "So, how many dates have you been on?" He asked out of curiosity. @novarose0103

The girl hesitated, thinking. "Possibly... Six? Because after the first two or so, most of my relationships just become us watching movies together, and not anything out of the ordinary. So not many. People simply haven't wanted to put in the time and effort."

21:37

@predictable_.

"Oh, I see." Esther shouldn't be too surprised. Elise was a pretty woman, so she definitely did have more experience than Esther did himself. Once they arrived at Elise's home, Esther parked his car into the driveway besides her vehicle. "Well, that wasn't a long drive at all." He said with a soft chuckle. @novarose0103

She nodded and smiled, getting out of car and heading into the apartment. "Yeah, so I figured I'd just walk." She took off her shoes by the door and set down her wallet and bag. Elise took his hand again, leading him to her room happily.

06:16

@predictable_.

"Sometimes walks can be quite calming and breath of fresh air." He stated, exiting the vehicle and locked in behind the two. "So, did you have a movie in mind?" Esther asked as he was being lead up to her bedroom. @novarose0103

Elise smiled and nodded. "They can be." When they got to her room she shrugged. "I was thinking maybe braveheart? I know it's old but it's good." She shrugged and sat on her bed, taking off her jacket to be more comfortable.

@predictable_.

"I've never watched it before but it sounds a bit interesting." He said, removing his shoes and lined them up neatly besides the door before he sat T the edge of her bed. "What is it about?" @novarose0103

The girl hesitated and tugged his arm. "Don't sit on the edge. You're too far away to cuddle." She whined playfully, a smile on her lips. Elise looked at the movie. "A Scottish guy's lover is killed so he starts a war with the English." She pulled a blanket over then and curled up next to him, smiling brightly. @predictable_.

Esther was hesitant to scoot closer towards Elise. He had never cuddled up with a woman before... And was definitely a bit nervous. "That sounds horrible." He said. "The situation, that is." He chuckled softly. "I'm sure it'll be an interesting movie nonetheless." @novarose0103

The brunette leaned into him and smiled happily. "It does." Elise kissed his cheek and played the movie, curling into him. @predictable_.

Esther had grown less nervous being so close to Elise as he focused his attention onto the TV screen. Though, he did end up falling asleep almost 20 minutes before the movie fully ended. He enjoyed how warm and comforting Elise was. He never did have such thoughts about her until recently. (edited)

06:29

@novarose0103

Elise smiled softly and noticed him fall asleep. She blushed and leaned down, kissing his forehead softly before she curled up with him and soon started falling asleep too. She just wanted to enjoy their time together.

08:54

@predictable_.

Hours later, Esther had finally awoken. It was night at the time, which meant he did sleep for a pretty long while. He was about to move until he noticed Elise cuddled up close next to him. He felt bad for falling asleep during their date. He hoped Elise didn't think bad of him for doing so. @novarose0103

The brunette was fast asleep, arms wrapped around him. When he began to move, she woke slightly and pulled him closer. "I'm sorry we fell asleep. You don't have to go home if you don't want to yet... You can just stay." She moved to sit up, rubbing her eyes. @predictable_.

Esther's lips parted, but no words escaped. He was thinking about just leaving while Elise was asleep, but he also didn't want to leave Elise confused and upset that he'd done so. "Is that alright with you?" He questioned. "I didn't mean to fall asleep... Especially during the movie." He said with a soft chuckle. @novarose0103

Elise blushed and slowly nodded. "Absolutely. I'd love for you to stay, though I may change into something more comfortable." She moved to her bathroom, changing into shorts and a tank top. Elise went back and curled back with Esther. "Thank you for today." @predictable_.

Esther nodded. He was grateful that Elise didn't mind him staying the night. "There's no need to thank me. It was my pleasure, really." He assured with a kind smile. He was still a bit tired, despite the hours of sleep he had already gotten. @novarose0103

The brunette blushed slightly and leaned closer to him. "Hey... Aren't you supposed to kiss me at the end of a first date?" She smiled softly, teasing the male before pulling away and curling up under the blankets. "Goodnight Esther. I'm glad you went out with me." @predictable_.

Esther felt his cheeks flush. "I- uh-, well I thought it was always a bad sign to kiss on the first date." He quickly stated. It had taken him a moment to realize that Elise was only joking. "Of course... I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Elise." @novarose0103

The next morning Elise rolled over to see Esther. Her face turned red and she smiled brightly before getting up and picking out an outfit. She moved to the bathroom to change before she came back out and stretched, planning to make breakfast. @predictable_.

Esther had awaken about thirty minutes after Elise. He let out a soft yawn, shifting his weight in the bed. It didn't take him long to realize that Elise was no longer in bed. After a minute of waking himself up, he finally got out of bed, making his way down the stairs. "Good morning." @novarose0103

Smiling, Elise turned to the stairs. "Good morning handsome. I hope you slept well." She moved to make her coffee, smiling. "I have coffee if you'd like some." The night had gone well but Elise was nervous to ask about a second date. She knew the male hadn't had feelings before the other night and it concerned her. @predictable_.

"Yes... I did sleep great." He felt happy with the compliment. Part of him wanted to compliment Elise as well, but he wasn't quite sure what to say. Sure, she was beautiful... And he was sure that she'd heard it plenty of times that she was. "I'd love some. Thank you." He let out a soft sigh as he joined her in the kitchen. "Do you have work today?" He asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. @novarose0103

Elise nodded and smiled, leaning on the counter. "I go into work in about an hour." She sipped her coffee, tired and trying to wake up. @predictable_.

"Oh, well I don't want to keep you occupied for too long then." He said with a nervous chuckle before sipping on his coffee. His nervousness definitely did have a reason behind it. A past that he'd never spoken to anyone about, especially being during a low point in his life. "I don't have work today but I may just spend the day at the gym." He shrugged. @novarose0103

The girl nodded and moved to hold his hand. "I hope you enjoy it. I'll probably be home by 4, so just text me if you need anything. And if you really need something you know where I work. Or maybe if you just need a smoothie throughout the day." She winked playfully and checked the time. Elise had time but was just making sure she didn't run late. "Thank you for yesterday. Let me know if you're interested in going out again." @predictable_.

"Of course." He gently squeezed her hand. Her hand was small compared to his. A part of him even worried that he'd hurt her. "I may come by sometime." She did work nearby his gym. "Of course, thank you for inviting me." @novarose0103

Elise smiled, comparing her hand to his after he squeezed it. "It's wild that your hand is so much bigger..." She pulled her hand away to kiss his hand before pulling away and nodding. "Thank you darling." @predictable_.

Esther chuckled softly. It was no surprise to him considering Elise was definitely smaller in size. "Well, I guess I'll be going now. I'll talk to you later?" It came off as more as a question than a comment. @novarose0103

Elise smiled and nodded. "Of course." She hesitated before kissing his cheek, a red falling over her features. "Have a good day handsome." @predictable_.

"You have an amazing day as well, Elise." He said with a smile. Maybe he just wasn't too comfortable complimenting her as she was freely complimenting him. He finished up his coffee and washed his mug before leaving Elise's apartment. He needed to head home and freshen up. @novarose0103

Elise smiled and waved at him. The brunette headed up work and spent her shift happily serving others and listening about their life. Her boss was a bit more flirty and she just did her best to ignore it. @predictable_.

Esther went home and changed into something stretchy and comfortable. Afterwards he drove down to his local gym. Despite how quiet and stand offish he was, he managed to make a few friends there. @novarose0103

Elise was getting to the end of her shift when the manager seemed to get a bit more handsy. She kept avoiding him, telling him to stop. Elise focused on the customers and stayed away from him as best as she could. @predictable_.

After a few hours at the gym, Esther took a quick cold shower there and changed into a simple t-shirt and jeans. He decided to visit the shop that Elise worked at before he headed home. @novarose0103

Elise went to clock out when the male grabbed her. She shoved him away and grabbed her stuff, rushing to leave. @predictable_.

Just as he walked inside of the shop, Elise had bumped into his chest. He blinked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Oh... Hey." He chuckled softly. "Was I too late? I did want to come during your shift." @novarose0103

The girl shook his head and forced a smile. "No... I decided to leave a bit early. The manager is being weird and I just... I don't like it." She rubbed her arm, anxious @predictable_.

"Weird? How weird?" He asked, his eyebrows then furrowed in confusion. "If it's something that's bothering you then you should take it up with them, okay?" Esther wasn't one for drama and dealing with another person's problems. But somehow he felt that Elise was an exception. Especially someone acting rather odd around her. @novarose0103

Elise shook her head and gripped his arm. "Please, let's just leave. I don't want to deal with it today." She turned to him and held him close. "Just hang out with me for a while before you head home..." @predictable_.

Esther sighed softly. Instead of being persistent like anyone else would about this situation, he decided not to risk stressing Elise out. "Alright then.." He mumbled. "Did you walk here?" He questioned as the two exited the shop. @novarose0103

The girl nodded and took his hand in hers. Elise looked up at him, thankful that he was there. "Thank you for coming by. I'll have to get you a drink on the house next time." She leaned up and kissed his cheek softly. @predictable_.

Esther felt his cheeks turn a crimson color. He scratched the back of his neck, a soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'll definitely be looking forward to it... Next time." The city was quite busy. People were walking up and down the sidewalk. The road was littered in vehicles as well. A typical busy day. @novarose0103

Elise smiled as he turned red, leaning up towards him. "I wonder how red you'd be if I actually kissed you." She teased, being bumped into him suddenly by a stranger. Elise blushed and wrapped her arms around him. "Maybe we should get off the sidewalk. Too many people." @predictable_.

"Uh-..." He stopped his sentence short once he'd been bumped into. He decided to change the topic, especially since such a comment only made him feel even more flustered. "We can take my car if you'd like." He suggested. @novarose0103

Elise nodded and smiled softly, heading towards where he parked. "How was the gym? Did you have a good day?" She looked up at him with interest, trying to move away from her day. @predictable_.

He shrugged. "It was fine." He replied as the two walked alongside one another. "I'm guessing work didn't go so well for you?" He wanted to know more but didn't want to pressure else into talking about what happened earlier. @novarose0103

Elise slowly shook her head. "The manager was flirting all day and eventually he seemed to get... Physical. So I left before my shift ended." She shrugged, nervous about telling him such. @predictable_.

"You shouldn't just let anyone put their hands on you, Elise. Weather or not their your manager." He wasn't one to talk, but he felt she needed to hear it. "I'd rather you sacrifice your job instead of being around a creep like that." @novarose0103

The woman hesitated before speaking again. "I have bills to pay. I cannot stop one job before finding another. It's not that easy for me Esther... No matter how they treat me." @predictable_.

Esther nodded. "Your right... It isn't my place to talk. I'm sorry for being so nosey." Once they made it to his car, he unlocked the doors and opened the passenger door for Elise. @novarose0103