Just about every other day leading up to the date, Cyrus would text Mia. Each time they talked a little more, it brought a sense of confidence to Cyrus. The date would go phenomenally. He had mentioned it to his second oldest brother, Harker, hoping for a bit of advice when he felt he needed it. Harker had had his fair share of women and men to date until he found his husband. The two stuck together like it was fate. Cyrus had already made reservations for the restaurant Caves. It was higher end and a few of the staff worked with both Cyrus and Harker. Cyrus provided occasional entertainment with live bands or solo musicians. Harker provided foods and magic elements.

One night, after Harker dealt with a company shipment issue, he stopped by Cyrus's place at his request. Cyrus shuffled through his closet. "Great, you're here. I need some advice." He pulled out a few shirts to go with his burgundy jacket and slacks for the date. It was only a couple days away and despite Cyrus's usually calm exterior, he was starting to worry. The date had to be perfect. He showed off shirts to Harker, who sat on the edge of the couch. He gave simple nods and shakes of his head with each shirt.

"I think the black one looks good. It's not to overpowering. But I know that's not why you called me here," Harker spoke. His tone was more harsh than he wanted it to be after the long and awful day he had.

Cyrus put away the other shirts and kept out the black one. He then joined his brother on the couch. "I just want the date to go perfect. I don't want to scare her off. She's the one, Harker. I can sense it on her."

His brother chuckled at the determined look in Cyrus's eyes. "Let it happen naturally. She'll warm up to you before you know it. Just play human and you'll be fine," he shrugged. "Just don't force it. You can't force–"

"You can't force fate, I know, dad," Cyrus interrupted in a mocking tone. The two rolled their eyes at each other. "I just don't want to wait any longer. I don't want to end up like Jackson. He's been alive the longest and I've never seen him date anybody."

Harker sighed, "Because he's waiting for the right one. I know dad waited til he found mom. If he didn't, we wouldn't be this well off. Jackson is just doing the same thing. He was the one to be trained to take over the business, so his wait will just be longer like dad's. Cyrus you're still the youngest in terms of human years. Don't let your emotions get in the way of your first date with her. She'll come around. She's probably never been on a damn good date before, so she'll be nervous. Give her time."

Cyrus took in his brother's advice like a sponge. Whether he'd use it or not would depend on how well the date went. Which would be perfect. But he would play as human as he could and try not to be too hot headed. "Thanks."

Harker patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, as long as you're not like Elias, you'll be fine."

The two shared a chuckle. Jackson had no one because he ran the business and was waiting for the right one. Harker had found the one already. Elias didn't care about finding the one as  he just abused his power. Then Cyrus desperately wanted his soulmate. And he would get her in due time.

***

The day of the date eventually came. Cyrus stood outside of Bianca's Books as the two agreed to meet there. Cyrus got there early and patiently waited for his date to arrive. He took the time to do some breathing exercises and get his emotions in check. He couldn't rush it. She would be nervous like she was at the bookstore. Which was fine. He could manage. She was quiet and kept to herself while Cyrus was loud and able to talk to anyone. Opposites attracted, at least on occasion for humans.

He didn't have to wait too long as Mia approached the bookstore, right on time. She wore a gorgeous black dress that hugged her full curvy figure in a sexy way.  The way the dress fit her made Cyrus feel he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off of her all night. Her hair framed her face nicely and fell past her shoulders. She was like a whole new woman; though he also loved the one he met initially. "Good evening, Mia. I must say you look absolutely breathtaking tonight," he greeted.

He noticed the blush on her cheeks and smiled. She studied his face for a moment and damn if she could only look at him like that all the time. That mix of attraction and wonder was a good look on her already pretty face. "Thank you, you look nice, as well." She then went on a little ramble. The ramble on darker complexions and their suitable colors went on until she apologized. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

He thought the rambling was rather cute but wouldn't say it out loud; he didn't need to embarrass her. The way she stood and lightly swayed made her dress sparkle in the street lights. "No, it's okay. I don't mind. You're dress is gorgeous, by the way. I just noticed it sparkled." The comment made Mia briefly explain how her friend picked out the dress for her. The little story made Cyrus make a mental note that she only tolerated sparkly things to wear.

"Well, either way, I'm glad everything went well leading up to this with the communication and meeting spot. I hope it made you a bit more comfortable. And as I said, you're welcome to call someone or tell me when you're ready to leave if you do get uncomfortable," he brought up again as he grabbed his phone. He quickly ordered them an Uber. Mia only confirmed that she would let him know if she was uncomfortable. Though she wouldn't because the date would go perfectly.

After a few minutes, the Uber arrived. Cyrus opened the door for her, letting her in before he slid in himself. "Just to the Caves, please," he tells the driver. As they drive off, their thighs brush against each other. Though the contact was brief, Cyrus could swear to feel a spark. He determined it to be a spark of chemistry as he couldn't help but steal glances her way. Even if she wasn't looking at him, he would look at her in the sexy dress her friend helped her pick out. Clearly he needed to meet this friend to compliment her help with getting Mia such a dress.

They eventually made it to the restaurant. Cyrus paid the driver then got out and opened the door for her. He held the restaurant door open for her as well. He wore a charming smile on his face, hoping to come across as gentlemanly. They walked to the host stand together. "Two for Cyrus." The restaurant was perfect, well, almost perfect.

"Party of two for Cyrus, right this way!" The host led them to a table. A normal table in the middle of the restaurant. All of the booths on the outer edge were taken. Not perfect. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, though. "I hope the table is to your liking," the host spoke with a customer service smile.

"It's great, you can go now." Cyrus's voice came out with a low growl. He felt the host was staring too much at his date and he didn't appreciate it. He also didn't appreciate how they couldn't get a more secluded seat. He didn't need Mia to be anxious over the fact they were rather in the open. But there was no changing it now.

"I hope this isn't too fancy for you. I wasn't sure of your food preferences so I figured we could come here since they have a large menu," he explained.

Before Mia answered, a waitress came by. She set down waters and menus. Her long hair was pulled back to show her elf ears. "I'll be back for your drink orders in just a moment!" Cyrus was sure that her boss made her show her ears. Some shit about 'diversity quota' now that fairy tale creatures could work human jobs. Real trouble could come if humans didn't hire qualified creatures. Though creature-owned businesses could refuse qualified humans. It was just another annoying hoop for Cyrus and his brothers to jump through due to their large business presence.

Finally, Mia got a chance to speak up, though her face was buried in her menu. "Do you have any good recommendations?" She put her menu down, sipping her water. She seemed nervous. Why did she seem so nervous? It must've been the table, Cyrus convinced himself.

"I've been here a few times for business reasons. Their flame grilled steak is good. It's got a spicy seasoning on it. Then I get any side, they're all good," he suggested.

She gave a small awkward chuckle. "I guess I get that with less spice." This comment also stuck in Cyrus's mind; she didn't like spice.

The waitress soon came back for their drink order. Cyrus got himself a beer while Mia stuck with water. Possibly because she was nervous due to the table. Or maybe because it's a new place so she doesn't know what to drink. What if she liked expensive drinks but didn't want to have Cyrus pay so much? Even if it was expensive, he could afford it.

"And what would you like to order?"

Cyrus looked at Mia since the waitress did, too. "Oh, just a more mild flame grilled steak, please."

"I'll do the same thing but how it normally comes. We'll both do a side of fries with that," he told the waitress. After writing down their order she assured them it would be out soon and left.

"I hope fries are okay. You can never go wrong with fries, and they're pretty good here in my opinion," he told her. His date simply nodded in response. Was he coming on too strong? Was she losing interest in him already? Was he acting too professional?

His mind ran through what topics came up in small talk. Not that he wanted small talk. He wanted 'getting to know the love of your life' talk. Eventually, he came up with something but Mia beat him to it.

"What do you do for work?" A typical question when getting to know each other. A good place to start. He was glad she spoke first.

"I run a large joint company with my brothers. We dabble in a lot of things. I mainly focus on entertainment. What about you?" He asked in return. Though he already knew where she worked and what exactly she did there.

"I'm an interior designer. I help people decorate their dream homes. I enjoy it a lot." She took a sip of her water. The waitress came back with Cyrus's beer, assuring them the food would be out soon.

"Oh really. Maybe you could help me decorate up my new club. My last decorator was a mess," he commented. With her curiosity piqued, he explained. "She wanted to completely change the style of my club. Add things here, get rid of this." He rolled his eyes. "So much for those four star ratings. It was just going awfully. Like she owned the club," he groaned.

Their conversation about work continued and without them knowing it a half an hour passed. Their conversation fell to the wayside, though, as a large and familiar orc brought out their food. The plates were steaming hot as he set them on the table. Cyrus looked up at Gladauk, the orc, sharing a nod with him. It seemed that Harker put in a word to the chef about the date. The food was perfect then. Everything besides the table was perfect. Until Cyrus noticed how tense Mia was.

Cyrus decided to wait a bit, letting his date enjoy her perfect food. He enjoyed his meal as always, and it was clear that Mia was enjoying hers as well. However, he couldn't hold back the question that plagued his mind. "Do you not like orcs?" Many people didn't like orcs due to their appearance, however, many orcs were very nice.

"Oh, it's not like..." she started but trailed off. She took a sip of water. He gave her time to answer, not wanting to rush her or make her uncomfortable. "I don't like fairy tale creatures at all, actually. Since the Merge, they've just caused a ton of issues in my life. It's awful. My routine, my friends, my confidence all disappeared."

He zoned out at her explanation. She didn't like fairy tale creatures? But she read fantasy books? Maybe it was different. But did that mean she didn't like any creature? The conversation that had been going perfect not even an hour ago was becoming so not perfect. He blinked a couple times when he heard her call his name. "That's... that's fine. People have their own opinions and issues. But it's been a few month," he pointed out. "You still haven't gotten used to it all?" His attempted to keep his emotions in check made him come off as brash and he knew it.

She hesitated, "I have Asperger's syndrome. It's difficult as an adult to try and understand normal social standards. Before the Merge, I rarely left my apartment and worked from the safety of my home office. Once I decided to try for myself and friends I thought I actually had a shot at being normal with their support." She had laughed a pitiful laugh. It hurt Cyrus to hear. "Then the Merge changed everything. It happened so suddenly, so, no, I haven't gotten used to it since I've almost shut myself back in."

He watched as she looked away from him. Her once cute rambling had turned into a ramble of desperation and frustration. He took a deep breath as it took it all in. The date was suddenly awkward and not perfect. He wanted to fix it but didn't know how. "I'm sorry. I'm sure it took a lot courage to get that far just for the Merge to destroy it all. But surely you have friend's who can help you?"

Mia's next response came quicker this time. "No. I only have one friend who tries to understand."

One friend? She couldn't be serious. He lightly scoffed. "I'm sure you have other friends or acquaintances who could help you, Mia. There are plenty of other fairy tale creatures out there who are nice. They really aren't all bad despite your allegedly bad experiences. I've dealt with plenty of very nice ones at my clubs, just as respectable as a human," he defended, his emotions slightly wavering. His kind weren't bad, neither were orcs or fae or any other creature.

The two sat in silence for a moment. He watched Mia pick at her food. He knew he screwed up. He could tell by her body language. His defense of the Merge and fairy tale creatures was a mistake. "I'm uncomfortable. I'd like to go home." Her words only confirmed his thoughts. The date that started out perfectly had become an unperfect mess. His skin was heating up and he tried to grapple with the fact that the date would be over if she went home. But he had to show her respect. He had to be a gentleman. Fate be damned, he didn't want to wait for her to warm up to him when he could keep her warm himself.

He watched as she threw some money on the table. His eyes widened as she got up and headed towards the door. His heart pounded in panic and frustration. "Mia, please wait!" He called after her and grabbed the money she left on the table. He threw some of his own money on the table as a tip, knowing he would've gotten the meals for free behind closed doors, anyway.

Cyrus managed to catch up with her outside the restaurant. "Wait, please. The night was going so well! I'm sorry I was insensitive to your experiences. Damn, I'm just messing up. Whatever wrong or bad thing I said just ignore it," he pleaded. "I'll be honest I was upset to hear your thoughts about the Merge without considering how it affected you. Change is scary and every accepts change at their own pace, but..." he trailed off. He ran a hand through his short hair, trying to breath properly to calm down. Despite him appearing worried, he was really growing upset and frustrated. Why did fate have to drive her away? Why couldn't he just have her already?

"Look, Mia, I really like you and want to know you better. Tonight wasn't perfect, but I still think we have a great connection! If you're going to leave... just... let me call you an Uber home," he asked of her. If that last nice thing he could do for her was call her a ride home, he would do it.

"I don't know, Cyrus. I think I like you. But you're still practically a stranger and I don't feel a connection right now. I would like to get to know you better because you seem... nice. I would just like to go home now," she told him.

He could tell she was nervous. She was fidgeting and trying not to look at him. It made his skin boil. She couldn't help it, though, it was what she wished. What fate wanted to happen.

"Maybe we can find another time to talk. I like that we have similar literary interests and such. Well, besides the Merge. I'm just uncomfortable with how you feel about it and your outburst." She paused. "You can call me an Uber."

With a subtle nod Cyrus grabbed his phone and ordered her an Uber home. The two stood in silence until the Uber arrived. This time, he didn't open the door for her, too worried he would melt the handle.

"I had a nice time while it lasted," she admitted to him as she opened the car's door.  "Thank you."

"Of course. Oh, wait." He held his hand out to her with her cash. "I was the one who asked you out. It's my treat. You didn't need to pay."

Mia reached out and took the money. He heard her gasp and saw her flinch back. His skin was probably boiling hot to her. It made him cringe inside. He should've known better. The two wished each other a good night and safe trip home. Cyrus watched the Uber until it was out of sight. Once it was, he turned around and went the opposite direction.

Luckily he lived close to the restaurant and was able to walk home. The night air was cool as Cyrus walked with a briskly angry pace. He muttered to himself about how he acted and how awful of a date he was to her. He was fuming, so much so that the ground beneath him faintly changed colors from the heat. Once he was finally at home, he removed his suit jacket and hung it up. He was still made at himself but was beginning to calm down little by little.

He made his way through his house to the bathroom. He stripped down and turned the water on, keeping it cold. In the shower his mind raced with thoughts on how he could've done better, how he should've reacted. Thinking about how the date could've gone perfect had he not became upset again. In the middle of washing his hair he punched the wall. The force of it made the walls shake.

Cyrus quickly finished his shower and got himself ready for bed. Though he stayed up and extra couple hours, plotting. He would make her his. He knew that she was the one. She was just playing hard to get because fate wanted to pissing him off. Well if fate wanted to take control, he would fight and take control back. And he knew exactly how. He just had to wait for Mia to have a day off.