An evening out for ill_take_bottom

[red_peril]

After the conclusion of their adventures in Istanbul, the three spies had been sent to the American city. Waverly informed them that this would be the new headquarters of the fledgling U.N.C.L.E. agency. Illya had only been there for a few weeks and was still learning his way around New York. He spent some of his spare time studying maps of the city, so the little cafe was fairly easy to find. It was only a short distance from U.N.C.L.E.'s new headquarters.

He went inside and took a seat in a booth by the window. Cowboy was no where to be seen. He had arrived ahead of Solo. The waitress sauntered over and offered him coffee. "Tea, please. With lemon." She gave him a funny look and a menu. She returned a minute or so later with a cup of hot black tea with a wedge of lemon on the side. He got another funny look from her when he told her he would wait to order until his companion had arrived.

Comments

[ill_take_bottom]

"No no. A cube steak isn't steak cut into cubes. Its just called that. They use a tenderizer and hammer it flat. Its very good." He said, chuckling softly. "And yes. They bread it and fry it like KFC and then they cover it with white pepper gravy. It is very good." He stated before relaxing a bit.

"I'm going to order something a bit different and you can try mine as well. I'm going to open your horizons about food."

[red_peril]

"Oh. You think my culinary horizons need to be broadened?" he said slightly amused, turning to the waitress, Illya smiled. "I would like to have some sweet tea and I will take the chicken fried steak special, please."

[ill_take_bottom]

"Yes I do." He teased before looking up at the waitress and handing over his menu. "I'll have a sweet tea too. And I'll get the cheeseburger with fries." He nodded as she headed off to put in their order.

[red_peril]

"Have you ever eaten Russian?" Illya was curious how far Solo's culinary horizons stretched. "I have discovered small family run restaurant not too far from UNCLE headquarters. Next time, we should go there."




[ooc: Yes that was meant to be a double entendre. If you ship the boys, or like smut with them, we can do that, if you don't we can pass. I'm open to either.]

[ill_take_bottom]

"Well, I've certainly had Russian cuisine...but that isn't the Russian I'd like to be eating right now." He said pointedly, raising an eyebrow and smirking before leaning back in his seat.

"We will have to go." He hesitated, tapping fingers on the table before speaking again. "Maybe it could be our second date."


[OOC: Definitely ship the boys.]

[red_peril]

Illya blinked at him, his heart seeming to pound in his ears and he wondered if Solo could not hear it. "Slow down, Cowboy," he admonished mildly. "Let us finish this 'date' before we plan second."

The waitress arrived with two tall glasses of what appeared to be plain iced tea. "Thank you," he smiled at her again. Trying to seem more at ease. He stirred it with the long spoon a moment before taking a sip. "That is very sweet." It was also quite strong but he found he liked it. "This is good."

[ill_take_bottom]

"See, I knew you would like it." He said, waiting until the waitress to leave before winking at him. "Oh come on now, Peril...you know I love to plan ahead when things are going well." He cleared his throat, taking a sip of his tea before shifting his leg so he was brushing it and pressing it against the other man's.

"Now, if you like the food just as much...am I going to get a reward for getting you to come here with me?" He teased, his smile widening a bit.

[red_peril]

That earned Solo an arched brow, "Perhaps." Illya was teasing, but they both knew that Solo would get what he wanted. When the American rubbed against his leg, he didn't pull away. "What is saying... 'Do not count chickens before they are hatched?'"

[ill_take_bottom]

"Maybe I'm just hoping." He said, tilting his head a bit and raising an eyebrow. "Its been on my mind for a while to be honest...you have. I just haven't quite known how to approach. I wasn't sure...you would be interested."

[red_peril]

Illya smiled a little at that. Cowboy unsure of himself? Though Solo was putting himself out there, taking a chance on him.

"If I were not interested, I wouldn't have come out with you on this 'date'," Illya admitted. "How long have I been on your mind?" He wondered if Cowboy had been interested in him as long as Illya had been interested in him.

[ill_take_bottom]

He watched the other, biting his lip for a moment. "I'll tell you, I've been attracted to you from the beginning. As strange as that sounds since you were trying to kill me from the beginning, but its the truth." He shrugged a shoulder, clearing his throat as he shifted his leg to press and slide against Illya's.

"Our first mission together though...thats when I knew it was more than just attraction. You didn't have to come find me when I was with Rudy. You could have let him torture me...and quite likely kill me while you went to save Gaby." He shook his head with a soft smile. "Something just changed that night..."

[red_peril]

Illya stirred his sweet tea again, "And you could have let me drown but you saved me. I thought you were dead when you fell off the boat." Then Solo had been pulling him from the water. Hearing him with Victoria Vinchiguerra after that, had made him a feel a little jealous.

[ill_take_bottom]

"I suppose I could have, but...well, like I said, by then I knew what I felt was more than an attraction. I only hoped you felt the same." He shrugged before looking over and smiling as the waitress started over with their food.

[red_peril]

Illya lowered his eyes as the waitress came with their food and let his leg slide against Solo's a bit. He looked up when the waitress placed his food in front of him. The chicken fried steak was odd looking, but smelled delicious.

"Thank you," he said to the waitress, settling his napkin in his lap.

[ill_take_bottom]

He thanked her as well before he shifted so he could start eating. He glanced over at Illya again, smiling as he watched the man while they ate. "I'm just glad that I'm getting this chance with you. No matter what happens."

[red_peril]

"Me too," Illya admitted. He was particularly interested in what might happen after they finished dinner.

He cut into the the odd looking steak. It cut easily and he tasted it. He waited until he had swallowed the bite before looking at Solo and smiling widely, "You were right, that is delicious."

[ill_take_bottom]

"See, I told you. You should listen to me more often, Peril." He teased, chuckling as he ate before offering the man a bite of his own food.

"Then again, I suppose that advice could work both ways, couldn't it? I'm looking forward to the place you mentioned as well. You'll have to recommend something for me."

[red_peril]

"We both have much to learn from each other," Illya said, leaning over to take a bite of the offered hamburger. "This is good too." He wiped his lips with his napkin and smiled. He definitely intended to ask his partner to show him how to pick locks more efficiently.

[ill_take_bottom]

"Yes we do." He said softly, smiling as he continued eating his burger. He took a few fries, leaning over and dipping them in the gravy that came with Illya's food before munching on them with an amused grin. "And I can't wait to learn more."

[red_peril]

He laughed at that, "If we keep eating like this, we will need to increase our exercise or we will get fat."

[ill_take_bottom]

"I'm sure we could come up with a way to burn the excess, don't you?" He asked pointedly before winking at the other and chuckling.

[red_peril]

"I can guess what sort of exercise you have in mind and it does not involve jogging," Illya said with a laugh. He swiped a French fry from Solo's plate and dipped it in the remains of his gravy before popping it in his mouth. A drop of gravy escaped to his thumb and he didn't hesitate to put the digit in his mouth and suck it off slowly, making eye contact with his American counterpart the whole time. Gauging Solo's reaction. The American was not the only one who could be a tease.

[ill_take_bottom]

Napoleon stared at Illya as he sucked on his thumb to get the gravy off, cheeks flushing just a bit before he cleared his throat and adjusted himself as subtly as possible. "The exercise I'm thinking is a lot more fun than jogging." He murmured, icking his lips slowly before tearing his eyes away from the Russian's face. "We should get something to share for dessert..."

[red_peril]

"I am sure that it is," Illya was rather pleased with being able to make worldly Napoleon Solo blush. "That sounds like good idea. Though I am not familiar with many American desserts, so I will let you choose."

[ill_take_bottom]

He hummed, picking up the menu again before looking through the desserts. "This looks perfect. Fresh chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream." He said, tilting his head.