Love Triangle

[Celentrion]

"Hey guys, tomorrow night? What do you say. A deals a deal, I mean... okay lets not make this awkward."

"Any more awkward?" Harlan chimed in.

"Right!" Jared pointed to him with a nod, causing Michelle to giggle.

"Do we at least get to know where we are going?" She asked, fixing a hand on her hip, leaning just enough show off her curiousity.

"Spoilers, remember? There will be none of them." Jared replied, as Harlan smirked.

"Well dress code at least?"

"Uh... I'm pretty sure its somewhere above no shirt no shoes, no service and a little bit below a tux."

Harlan rolled his eyes and offered a good natured grin "Thanks, that clears things right up."

There was a laugh as Jared looped his arms around the both of them standing in the commons. "Awww you guys'll look fantastic, you don't really thing I'd be dating you for your muscle" with that he squeezed Michelle's bicept.

"And you for your looks?" He said gazing longingly at Harlan.

"Wait, I think I might have messed that up... want me to try again?"

Michelle giggled and Harlan laughed slipping out from under his arm "Remember the part about not making this any more awkward? You're failing pretty hard at that."

"But I'm trying to help!" Jared cried out.

"Well, you're just making things worse!" Harlan kidded back.

Jared turned to Michelle "Have you really done this kind of thing before? I'm lost already and we haven't even done anything yet."

She only giggled in return shooting him a "Wouldn't you like to know" smile.

"We'll work out the kinks as we go."

Harlan groaned at the statement "We are not working in or out any kinks into anything. And that's that."

Jared nodded along "Yeah, third date material."

Michelle grinned "Definitely."

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The night of the big date finally came, if it could have been called a date. It was being called a date, so one would suppose that made it a date. Harlan and Michelle waited in the commons for someone who was already five minutes late.

"You don't think he stood us up, do you?" Harlan asked, crossing his arms.

"He best not have, we know where he lives. I'm not above making him pay." Michelle affected her best attempt at a mean look but ended up smiling through it.

Just then there was a familiar poof "Sorry I'm late!" Jared called, arms looped around their shoulders, dressed head to almost toe in a tux, instead of dress shoes a fresh pair of white sneakers.

There was a collective groan from the other two, dressed much more casually. "I thought you said..." the two of them exclaimed in unison, stopping mid sentence, but glaring at Jared.

Jared looked the two of them over, then snickered "Right, I guess this was too much." With that there was another poof and he was gone, left behind were his clothes. All of them, right down to the boxers with the huge smiley face on them.

Harlan slowly drug his hand down over his face as Michelle scanned the room for him. It wasn't a minute or two later loud thumping crashed down the stairs of the commons as Jared bounded down them. He scooped up his suit, balled it up and slipped his sneakers back on. Now dressed in jeans and a button down, well within the range of everyone else. "What are we waiting for?"

Harlan grumbled in a joking tone "This to be over?"

Michelle grinned to him as Jared was busying picking things up "You're saying you want to skip dinner and get right down to the... right, first date."

Harlan only laughed, Jared now ready to go, suit and tie all balled up into a mess called out. "Lets roll!"

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The first part of the date consisted of them riding the Paragon Tram system around the city, for some of them it was their first look at all the different areas, for others it was an excuse to chat about whatever came up at the time.

When they got in the outskirts of Steel Canyon they were more than a little hungry.

"You guys are going to love this place, I mean I've never eaten here but it seems cool?"

The walk was a few short blocks away, Jared offered to loop arms with the both of them walking down the street. Instead he recieved only the most polite elbow to the ribs, snickering as they walked along.

Harlan must have been the first to spot it as his response was "Oh my God."

Michelle turned from Jared and their conversation to see what was going on. Less than a block away one could clearly see the sign with the name "Love Triangle" beneath it a stylized triangle with "Food, Friends, and Chemistry" at each point.

Jared commented "The yelp review I read said not quite as erotic as you'd hope for, but more than you need for a dinner."

Michelle laughed and Harlan made a sound like he was half laughing, half groaning at the idea.

"I mean how could I pass it up, on the name alone! Besides its supposed to be one of those weird chemistry fusion places, where you know, you eat deconstructed apple pie or something."

Harlan added "Off of a half naked girl?"

Michelle giggled "Third date, I told you!"