Best Worst Date Ever (Closed, Malik and Rania)

*Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap*

 
A single converse sneaker, slightly scuffed but still a fine looking piece of footwear, beat out a steady, ever so slightly frantic tempo upon the freshly mopped lobby floor. Amid the dull hum of rapid fire conversations in japanese as people walked in and out of the building, that single steady beat had been constantly ringing out for the past ten minutes now; the culprit responsible seemed unaware of the world around him, much less what his feet were getting up to while his mind wandered lord knows where.

 
Running a hand through his hair for the umpteenth time since he arrived ten minutes ago, Malik managed to resist the urge to sneak a glimpse at his watch for all of another thirty seconds before finding himself looking again. “Five twenty-five.” he murmured to himself softly, a slight trickle of anxiety creeping its way into his voice. He’d arrived early of course, 15 minutes early as a matter of fact, the late start that morning promoting awareness that he needed to make that extra effort to be on time. Malik grunted a little at that thought, hunching his shoulders and shifting his freshly laundered dark grey peacoat (Collar popped, naturally) as he mentally berated himself for the slipup. *Waking up at 12 PM? Really? Jesus, thank god I managed to get off work for the day, Taku would have had my hide.* Shaking his head, Malik frowned down past his pair of light shades and long legs to his errant foot. With a conscious effort  of will, the tempo finally stopped, and Malik let out a little sigh of exasperation.

 
He DID have an excuse for waking up so late, of course. Hell, dropping out at 4 AM would have left anyone needing more than a little extra shuteye… not to mention the REASON he couldn’t fall to sleep. He’d been on a few blind dates before, of course. It was just… Malik let out another sigh again, this one with a distinct trace of anxiety behind it. *It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to be social with anyone other than Vctor, and he’s a few eggs short of a cuckoo nest at the BEST of times.* Malik chuckled dryly at the thought of Victor and his insane antics before the humor slowly faded from his face. *And it’s been even longer since I’ve had anything like a date.* God, the mere thought of the fact that he was actually spending time on this gave the whole world a surreal edge to it, as if he had actually fallen asleep last night and was still dreaming that all of this was happening. “Ow!” It took a Malik a second to realize that the sharp pain in his hands were actually a result of him pinching himself, a fact that made him chuckle again.

 
Of course this wasn’t a dream. He HAD awoken just a little after twelve this morning, brushed his teeth and hair furiously,then running down to the laundromat three blocks away with a speed that would have made Ussain bolt jealous (Thank all gods for long legs) before finally boarding the transit that would take him to Shibuya. It had been a hell of a way to start the day, but Malik wasn’t focused on that. He was focused on making this date (His first in this world) the absolute best he could. From researching restaurants on his phone all the way to taking care to look for movies theaters near where she said she lived, Malik had busied himself while traveling to ensure that everything would go as well as it could.

When he finally arrived in Shibuya, it was a five minute walk from the stop towards the apartment complex, in which he had to resist the urge to pop into a couple of gas stations to buy a pack of cigs before the big event. He’d kicked the habit a year and a half ago *Or was it two?... God damn non linear timelines* , but the anticipation somehow brought back that small twinge that made him long for a little nicotine relief. BUT, he had shaken the urge, even if it was leaving him perhaps a little tense, and he wasn’t about to give the wrong impression to a girl he hadn’t even met in person, much less on a blind date.

5:29

Soon, they'd be face to face. *I wonder where she'll be coming out from?* Malik wondered to himself, glancing at the stairs and the single elevator leading from the apartments above down to the lobby before realizing how silly the question was. *Keep your head on straight man. If you're this worried about catching a glimpse of her, you'll be utterly stupid once she DOES arrive.* Malik nodded at that. *Right. Keep cool, don't let this get to you on an emotional level. When she comes, be cool man. Don't act like a fucking putz. You'll be fine so long as you don't act like a put-*

5:30

The elevator opened.

Maliks jaw dropped.

*Is THAT her?*

Words: 850

GP: 17

Total: 28

Staring at the figures moving on the television screen in the dark, Rania watched with anxious eyes for a distraction, any distraction at all. Her heart was beating at a mile a minute; the racing palpitations, the sweaty palms, and the butterflies in her stomach, it was the culmination of what led the woman to watching a set of nine precariously cute and sexy females dancing on the screen. The television labelled this as Japanese pop… or wait, was it Korean pop? Yes, it was Korean pop molded into Japanese pop, fit for Japanese television and Japanese audiences. They danced in a synchronised ‘V’ formation and all of them did this weird leg movement called the “leg-beauty dance.” But really, to Rania, it just looked like some bizarre twitching but it was bizarre twitching that was apparently wildly popular in both Korea and Japan.

...which suddenly reminded her, why exactly was she watching the music countdown channel again? In the darkness, the amnesiac heard a cough, a cleared throat, and an unintelligible grunt exactly in that order. The noises brought her back to reality. With a slight squeak, the woman fumbled with the remote in hand and watched helplessly as it spilled from her fingers and under the coffee table. Sighing heavily, Rania couldn't find the will or effort to retrieve the fallen item. She chose to leave the television on as background noise but the slight movement left something hanging over head. From the pile she was buried under, Rania stared cross-eyed at the lace material within close-quarters to her face. Delicately picking up the lace, the Arrancar realised it was a bra and with a slight blush, she had to wonder where it came from.

I was pretty sure I didn’t own lace bras, after all. Apparently, I wasn’t sure enough.   

Panning outward, the apartment was cluttered with flung articles of clothing here and there, on the couch, on the bed, strewn over the unlit lamps, and thrown all over the floor. A defeated spirit, Rania crumpled into the bed of tossed clothing and whined like a little girl. None of the outfits were speaking to her, just none of it. None of it was working! “Takeo-san, tell me what to do. Tell me what I should wear tonight,” an uncharacteristic wail escaped from her lips as she peered with one eye open over to the one called ‘Takeo-san.’

Three surly men stood stiffly in a triangle formation at the front of the door, all dressed in the same black suit, nicely tailored to fit their bodies perfectly. These three men were the same three men who had been drawing Rania’s blood for Maya’s experiments day after day after day. Over time, the amnesiac had finally learned their names: Takeo, Naota, and bizarrely, Andrew (though all three were of Japanese descent). It was blatantly apparent that they were uncomfortable, having never been trained to handle a situation such as the one today.

But with nobody else to turn to, Rania had no choice but to beg for their opinions. Just as the strange men were about to leave from the daily routine of drawing blood—the Arrancar had labelled them as strange men very early on and the description stuck—Rania grabbed hold of Takeo’s arm. With big, puppy dog eyes, she pleaded for them to stay and help pick an outfit for her date tonight. Takeo had tried to shrug off the comparatively diminutive woman but she clung on as if her life depended on it. Whining like she had never whined before, Rania finally managed to convince them to help.

But… it seemed as though they hadn’t made any progress since save for the blanket of clothes that covered the floor. “Maybe I should cancel. Is it too late to cancel?!” Panicked thoughts voicing themselves as even more panicked words as Rania looked to Naota this time. He only grunted in response and to Rania’s despair. “Come on, guys. Please, help me! Pleeeeeeeease! With a cherry on top!”

A chuckle escaped her lips in present time. Reflecting on these thoughts brought a slight smile to the woman’s lips as she waited patiently for the elevator to reach the ground level. In the end, it was Andrew who came to rescue. At the last minute, just as the strange men were leaving, he turned around and in a brusque manner, said to her, “Wear the blue dress, the one with the straps. As for shoes, the silver heels will do. They won’t make you too tall and they also aren’t kitten heels. Also, don’t forget to wear a jacket because it gets cold at night, okay?”

“Eh?” The sudden advice startled her and wordlessly, Rania watched as the trio retreated out of her apartment. Thankful for the helpful answer but ever dumbfounded by the clarity and well-reasoned logic of it all.

Maybe people weren’t that bad after all. Maybe.

For now, the panicked butterflies of before returned to the pit of her stomach. The quiet ding of the elevator marked reaching the ground floor level. Once those doors opened into the lobby, Rania would finally meet ‘Mcubed.’ Her breath became shorter, her heartbeat sped up again. She felt lightheaded all of a sudden and nothing in the world could make sense anymore. Stepping out of the elevator, the tip of her heel got caught in the narrow opening between the elevator and the floor. Tripping on her way out, Rania stumbled headfirst into a very good-looking blond man—an extremely good-looking blond once she found the courage to look up at him.

“A-are you--?” He couldn’t be… could he? “M-my name’s Rania. Rania Odette. A-are you really--?” She couldn’t find it in her to finish the question. It was embarrassing enough that they had met with the amnesiac literally tripping into him. There was also the very real possibility that this person wasn't even 'Mcubed' at all. After all, it was a blind date. She didn't know what he really looked like. 

Things gone wrong from the start. Could Rania make it through the actual date? 

- - - - -

Word count: 1021

GP: 20

Total: 1571 / 31

Five thirty PM

Anticipation, the metaphorical fuel that fed the fire of imagination, wreaked havoc with his nerves as the young man stared across the lobby. The quaint wood paneled elevator door, something he’d merely dismissed as a unique part of the decorum, seemed almost… smug, as it finally dinged open, and he couldn’t help but attribute the sudden, sluggish response of the gears as they strained to pull open the door to a mischievous intellect, intent on putting him through his paces as he looked onward. Surely it hadn’t been so slow before, right? Christ, it’d dinged at least five seconds ago, there had to be something wrong with the machine. Slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed Malik hurried over, just to make sure that nothing was actually wrong.
 
He managed to cross about halfway before the door finally nudged itself into motion, the gears grumbling a bit as they finally managed to get on with their job. Malik naturally tried pulling himself into a complete stop, his sneakers skidding a bit as the smooth floor was apparently disinclined to assist him in any effort to save a little face and not appear like a complete dork. Malik cursed under his breath, a scowl directed downward at the offending pieces of apparel. However, the gruff scowl and harsh tone quickly shifted to a startled expression and rather unsteady yelp as a blue and black blur suddenly occupied his entire field of vision, hitting him straight in the chest and knocking him off balance.
 
Instinctively trying to remedy his current state of affairs, Malik threw out his arms to grab the nearest solid object available in order to stay on his feet as well as taking a step back. Without thinking, his arms instantly wrapped themselves around the offending projectile, squeezing it against him as he finally managed to gain a measure of confidence that he wouldn’t fall again. Breathing a sigh of relief, it took Malik a second to register a number of things that he could tell about what he was holding. Like that it was, in fact, a person. And that said person was wearing a very form flattering dress. And that he was holding her so closely to himself that he could actually feel what she felt like underneath the dre-
 
*Oh FUCK me.*
 
Quickly, Malik took a half a step back, hands instantly busying themselves as he straightened his shades and collar, trying his best to hide the color now lighting up his cheeks like mad. Words fumbled around and crashed into each other inside his head as he tried to think of some way to apologize, but a crystal clear voice, slightly hesitant but better for it, cut through the chatter. Her name. Rania. How many people in Japan were named Rania? No, it had to be her. As her question hung in the air, Malik finally managed to get his first good look at her. He tried his best not to drop his jaw.
 
She was clearly not Asian, that much was certain. Striking blue eyes, framed by stunning cheekbones and complimented with a pair of full lips, stared out at him, curious and more than a little nervous at what they expected to find. Dark hair, perhaps just a shade under black, hung  in front of her eyes in strands, and yet unlike Malik, cursed with perpetually scruffy looking hair… She pulled it off. Malik stared across at her for a second longer before shaking his head and clearing his throat, running a hand through his hair self-consciously as he gathered himself.
 
"Yeah, I’m Malik- Er, Mcubed, I guess. I forget if I gave you my name too, haha." He tried to shoot a winning smile, but it quickly crumbled apart as he looked over at her slightly disheveled appeared. "Look, I am so sorry about that. You caught me off-guard there, I was staring at my shoes-" He winced, instantly regretting bringing up the fact that he actually stared at his footwear "- never mind what I was staring at. What’s important is that I should have been paying attention. Here, um…" Hesitantly, trying to make sure Rania *God, what a gorgeous name* knew that he meant no harm, he slowly brushed aside a lock of hair masking her eyes. "There, better." He smiled again, hoping against hope that she didn’t already think of him as an utter idiot.

Keep at it lad, you’ll get her if you try.

Words: 750

GP: 15

Total: 43

The fall was almost instantaneous. The way her hair flew away from her face, like the wind from a professional photo shoot. It was picture perfect when her eyes locked onto his and he stared back with an equal intensity. It was a sign, a "meant to be" as Rania fell into his arms, fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. This was the fairy tale she had been searching for all this time. It was everything she had dreamed of and more—

Well, the physical fall was almost instantaneous as the ridiculous narrative finished winding down in her mind. The silly thoughts that kept her sanity in check, kept the butterflies at bay, the way her unsettled stomach felt, and how her heart skipped a beat—many beats when she looked at Malik. And he felt warm, his embrace, that was. It was secure. It was safe, almost felt as if she belonged there, right there in his arms.

The amnesiac flew toward him, arms wide open from the entrance of the elevator. Came crashing down into him, wrapping her own hold tightly around Malik’s waist, held on for dear life, and buried her face into his chest. She breathed in the scent of a faint cologne. He smelled good, the second thought Rania had about the man after taking in his stunning visual. Didn’t realise what had transpired, hadn’t had the time to react because of that feeling of security that ran through her body. He steadied her, brought her fall to a halt, and held her tight just as she did too.

This feels… It feels… nice. The third thought she’d had about Malik before the onset of reality had collected in her mind. Wait, what was he doing? Where were those hands going—WHAT WAS HAPPENING?

A very feeble and bashful “Eeeeeeep!” finally escaped from her lips. She pushed Malik away, felt his hold on her loosen. Covered her face that was red from embarrassment, took a few steps backward. Rania didn’t have the courage to look him in the eye. Peering ever so cautiously through her fingers, she shook her head for no reason at all and apologised. “I-I’m sorry. That was so very cl-clumsy of me.”

“I-I’m--!” But the words weren’t there. In fact, they weren’t needed. Because when he looked her in the eyes, Rania had forgotten all about everything around her. Her hands fell from her face, arms returned to her sides as she breathed in Malik’s visage. A small smile found its way toward the corner of her lips. He was nervous too, she could tell. The way he spoke, it was awkward but endearing all the same. Ruffled, blond hair, bangs swept messily over the frame of his forehead. Malik took one step forward. He approached her again. Rania felt the slight touch of his fingers across her face as he swept her own bangs to the side and her body shivered.

Feeling inexplicably like a thirteen year old girl again, she immediately looked away, an involuntary reaction to deflect the anxious butterflies in her stomach.

Breathe, Rania. Get it together. Just... breathe. 

Poising herself for a response, the amnesiac finally turned back and smiled the best smile that she could. “Ah, it’s perfectly all right. My fault, really. Malik, it’s nice to meet you.”

A quiet cough and subtle giggle later, Rania found herself wondering where to walk. Did she walk beside him? Behind him? A few steps in front of him? How far was the acceptable distance between two people who had just met? Should she have tried to get closer? Questions, so many questions, and no answers. They raced through her mind at a mile a minute, like the woman had forgotten how to date altogether. It was hard to multitask, difficult to focus on anything else, anything else but Malik. He took up all of her attention and Rania was perfectly fine with that if it weren’t for—OH MY GOD, THERE’S AN OLD LADY WALKING THIS WAY. DON’T YOU BULLDOZE OVER HER.

Panicked thoughts as she faced forward, finally looking at where she was walking. Jumping like staccato to the side, Rania's first instinct was to cling to Malik’s arm tightly, another quiet “Eep!” escaping her lips. Clutched tightly to him because it felt safe, felt right. She had no intentions of letting go, even when the old lady turned to them and chuckled.

“My, my. You two look like a wonderful couple. Young people these days. I wish you both the best of luck together.” Then, slowly, she trotted away, cane and all with one arm behind her back. Rania wanted to call out to her, wanted to say that they weren’t a couple, how they had just met. But that moment quickly passed as she returned her attention to Malik.

Looking up to him, still clutching tightly as ever to his arm, she whispered, “I-I’m sorry. What was the agenda for tonight? Where are we going?”

One step closer to me and a bit more warmly. A silent promise to you. 

- - - - -

Word count: 850

GP: 17

Total: 2421 / 48

It was a quiet summer night but somehow, despite that, she still felt cold. She was shivering, perhaps out of anxiety, perhaps because of the butterflies swirling in her stomach. It only made her clutch to his arm more tightly. It felt nice because he was warm. For a moment, Rania even closed her eyes, allowed herself to breathe in Malik’s scent, and she smiled. It was a soft and gentle smile but everything about the situation seemed perfect at the time. The way his voice, deep and honey-like, resonated in her chest as he spoke. The way their eyes met as she opened hers again; ah, those gorgeous eyes, dark and handsome with messy blonde hair. It was perfect. He was perfect. They had only just met and she thought this much about the man already.

Is this what it felt like? Love at first sight, perhaps? Head over heels? Suddenly, all of the silly idioms for love seemed to make sense because there was a place in her heart that felt warm and protected in Malik’s presence.

Any misfortunate that happened before this moment seemed to slip away. The comment of the old lady she nearly ran over almost didn’t even register with Rania but there was no way she could miss how the elderly lady winked and smiled at the pair. She blushed, a light red, stepping closer to Malik, and half hiding behind him out of embarrassment. Rania politely bowed her head as she walked by but the bashfulness remained even after she was gone.

“I…” Rania hesitated. “A movie sounds nice,” she then said softly with a somewhat more confident smile. “As for which one, hm…” Minutes had passed as the pair stood in the ticket booth at the movie theatre. “How about that one?” She randomly pointed to any one which title that sounded interesting. Rania, no longer of this world, was not caught up on the latest pop culture so she could only hope the movie she chose was a good one.

One could hope at least but even so, Malik was by her side so it was going to be okay, right? 

- - - - -

Word count: 360

GP: 7

Total: 360 / 7 

He was much taller than she was. Rania liked that about him. It made her feel protected. Did it matter that he didn’t belong in this time? Did it matter that he came from elsewhere in the timeline? No, none of it mattered yet. Just like it didn’t matter what or who she really was. At this point, Rania wasn’t an Arrancar. She was simply someone who had lost her memories and for the first time since the amnesia felt comfortable and safe around someone else. In that sense, neither of them belonged here because they didn’t; Malik, from the future, and Rania, from Las Noches. Perhaps that’s why they fit together so well. After all, the heart was a heavy burden that nobody should ever have to bear alone. He was just Malik and she was just Rania here. 

Maybe that was why… that was probably why she wanted to stay close to him, to touch him, to feel him. She wanted his touch, to feel his embrace, because it felt so warm and induced an ecstasy-like euphoria. Too perfect, too tender for even words to describe. Consequences could be dealt with later. Right now, Rania just wanted to… be with Malik.

Then, she shivered again on this cool summer night but the reaction didn’t go unnoticed. As Rania was in the midst of choosing a movie, she felt a warmth surround her as Malik wrapped his arms around her to drape his jacket over her shoulders. A shy, small giggle followed by girlish words, “So a gentleman as well? I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now.”

And since the movie had been chosen, Rania followed him inside. With popcorn and drinks in hand, the pair found a cozy corner slightly separated from the rest of the crowd. Leaning in toward Malik, Rania whispered, “Do you know what this movie is about?” Alas, a shake of the head meant that the both of them would just have to find out from watching.

Unfortunately, the start of the movie was where the seemingly perfect date seemed to veer from straight path. “A-are th-those…” She stuttered and gulped, once more clinging onto Malik’s arm and snuggling closer into him. “Are those dead people?” Her whisper was scared, genuinely afraid. She squeaked, “I’m—I’m not sure I like scary movies.”

But if you make me feel protected again, I think I’ll be okay because it's you. 

- - - - -

Word count: 408

GP: 8

Total: 768 / 15

The memory was a tricky thing. Did it define you? Did it mold you? Did it even mean anything at all? What you might have remembered as fact quite possibly could have been skewed by bias. What you remembered might not have been what actually happened so what did that mean? That what you remembered wasn’t really what you should have remembered. The good seemed sweeter in your mind and the bad left bitter aftertastes. So really, was it your memory that defined you or was it you that defined your memory?

Ironic really, how the onset of amnesia changed her so much. Ironic that all the bitterness suddenly disappeared with the loss of remembrance. Would she, Rania the Arrancar, have enjoyed this date as much with all the baggage she carried forward with her? Would she have even been on this date? Of course not. Rania would have secluded herself to a dark corner in Hueco Mundo, never bothering to reach out for contact, just… never bothering at all.

Was it really so hard to look past the past and move on? Because here she was, genuinely enjoying the company of someone else besides her shadow and silence. Was it really that hard to try? But there was the disconnect. As soon as the memories returned, that acrid mindset would once again takeover. She would no longer remember the person whom she was right now. She would no longer remember how to feel happiness as she was now. Ironic really, that she wouldn’t remember the joyful moments because perhaps Rania was simply programmed to define her memories in a glass half full.

A lesson learned only to become a lesson lost. In this moment, when she wasn’t an Arrancar but just Rania. Just Rania on a date with some guy she liked watching a movie that scared her. In this moment, when it felt so right to be snuggled up next to him, that even if it wasn’t perfect, it was perfect for her. That she just wanted to be with him and that was all that mattered so that even when they left the movie early, Rania could say she still enjoyed herself. That when the date seemed to be drawing to an end, how she became even more overjoyed when Malik suggested they spend some more time together.

She smiled. It was a gentle and genuine smile, blue eyes sparkling in the night sky back at Malik. “Yes, that sounds lovey. I’ve had a great time tonight even if the movie wasn’t exactly to my liking but that’s what made it fun, I suppose!” Rania giggled quietly before locking arms with him once more as he led the way.

By that point, the time was probably approaching midnight. Fewer and fewer people were seen on the streets, most having retired to their beds for the night. For the budding couple, however, the night had just begun but perhaps not in the way that you might have imagined. Where they were walking toward seemed to become more desolate and darker somehow. It was also quiet, too quiet, not even the rustling of leaves could be heard. The fear she had experienced during the movie was returning and she pulled herself closer toward Malik, whispering in a frightened voice, “Malik, are you sure this is the right way? Something doesn’t feel right here…” Suddenly, from behind, Rania swore she could hear footsteps following them. More urgently, she whispered to Malik again, “I-I think someone is following us.”

She was too scared to peer behind, for fear that her vision would become true. Scared yet all at the same time at peace because she was at Malik’s side.

That even when misfortune struck her down, she would be okay in the end. That it was okay to be okay.

Maybe these lessons lost would become lessons remembered one day. In time, just maybe… one day.

- - - - -

Word count: 655

GP: 13

Total: 1423 / 28