First Date
You check the mirror a few times and fuss with your hair. Then you just sigh and look at yourself for a long moment. Eventually, you adjust your glasses and head out of your small apartment. Waiting on the street his Cecil, looking really fantastic in his tunic and furry pants. No one should look good in that, but Cecil somehow manages.

You exchange not-quite-awkward hellos before heading to Gino's Italian Dining Experience and Grill and Bar. You're still a little mystified by Cecil's presence and don't really remember how you get to your table, but it doesn't matter. You think of all the times you could have done this before and internally kick yourself for waiting a whole year to ask Cecil out on a date. You make small talk over glasses of wine while you wait for your meal. Since wheat and wheat byproducts have been banned by the town, you each ordered a portabella mushroom.

His voice is even better in person, but you knew that. You can feel yourself smiling as Cecil gestures and you wonder if he's as animated in the studio. You're happy to talk about your work in the lab, tickled that Cecil is actually interested, even if most of what you say seems to fly over his head. It's hard to ignore the way he looks at you while you talk.

You barely notice that your waiter is a buzzing shadow person as you pay the check and leave.

It's not far from the restaurant to Mission Grove Park, where you aren't even bothered by the crowd of citizens pointing at the sky and shouting in terror. Cecil asks if you'd like to join in.

"No, I already stared into the vast, empty sky in terror yesterday," you say. Cecil doesn't look at all disappointed and takes your hand. You feel a flutter in your stomach as you lace your fingers with his. It's when you start talking about experimenting on the trees in the park that you notice the crowd of citizens has now turned into a crowd of shadow beings. Hm. Well, that's probably not good... You try to ignore it but it sticks in your mind.

Eventually, the date draws to a close and Cecil drives you back to the lab, a shabby building near Big Rico's Pizza. You hesitate in the passenger seat.

"I should probably do something about this buzzing shadow thing," you say. "A few experiments to see if I can save the town."

You're a scientist, you should probably try to do something, especially since no one else in Night Vale generally seems interested in tackling these problems. It would be a shame if everyone turned into buzzing shadow people... you'd hate to see that happen to Cecil. You really want a second date.

You feel a warmth spread through you when Cecil offers to help, but you gently decline. It's impossible not to notice the slightly crestfallen look on the other man's face and you just can't let the date end on that note. You bite your lip, then lean in to press a soft kiss to Cecil's lips. All your nerve endings light up and you swear every part of you is connected to your lips just then, and all you can think about is how nice it feels to kiss him. It takes every scrap of will power you have to pull away.

"Good night, Cecil."

The look on his face then is worth everything. You linger for just a moment, then slide out of the car and head into the lab. As soon as the door closes behind you, you throw your arms in the air in a brief, gleeful moment of triumph. It was good, you think. The date went really well, all things considered. And Cecil's smile just then... it's everything. You think you'd do anything to see him smile like that again. You already want to call him to arrange another date and he probably isn't even halfway home yet.

So you focus, reminding yourself that there's a shadow people problem. You'll figure it out. There's no way you're sleeping tonight, anyway.



Mornings with Cecil

You wake up slowly and the bed beside you is still warm. You roll into the spot Cecil abandoned when he got up and you smile against the pillow when you smell coffee. Cecil always makes the coffee in the morning. He has this very particular way of doing it, and he's very picky about his coffee, so you're content to let him. You are less picky and are generally just happy that there's coffee at all.

The scent of his shampoo and cologne linger on the pillow case and you nuzzle against the fabric. Cecil used to make fun of you for sleeping through the sun (or something) screaming in the morning, but. You realize you sleep really well when you spend the night with Cecil.

"Hey bunny? Are you awake?"

You sigh softly, but push yourself up.

"Yeah, I'm up."

Cecil beams at you and, suddenly, going back to sleep is the last thing on your mind.

The Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex

The Desert Otherworld Part 1

Carlos sits against the wall in his shelter. Home? Maybe it's become home...

No, home is where Cecil is.

He looks at his phone, which, remarkably, has not been charged in all this time and yet retains 98% battery and full service. He's waiting for Cecil's call. They call each other. And it's one of the things that keeps him going through all of this. He tries to stay upbeat for Cecil's sake - he doesn't want him to worry - but being trapped here is starting to get to him. Well, no. It got to him a while ago. Sometimes it just feels worse. As far as Cecil knows, he's been here for six months. But, by Carlos's reckoning, it's been more like... five years, on his end. He doesn't talk to Cecil nearly as often as Cecil thinks he does. Even though they try to talk every day - by Night Vale's calendar - here in the desert otherworld days, weeks pass without hearing his boyfriend's voice.

And Carlos can't figure out how to get back.

He doesn't really tell Cecil that, either. He tries to make it sound like he's working on other experiments, learning things from this place. And, he is. He is doing sciene. And he is learning some neat things. But most of his energy keeps turning back to how to get home. How to get back to Night Vale.

He is so afraid that he's never going to get back. Or that so much time is going to pass here that he--that something happens to him before he can figure it out. But he can't tell Cecil this. Cecil has a lot to worry about on his end. And... it's better if he doesn't worry.

Carlos jumps when his phone buzzes in his hand and he lights up when he sees Cecil's name on the caller ID.

"Hey, sweetheart," he says, making sure there's a smile in his voice. "Yeah. Yeah I'm fine, just finishing up some calculations while I was waiting for you to call."

He's trying, hard, to sound chipper. Carlos closes his eyes and listens as Cecil fills him in on things happening there. On how Janice's team is doing. He can feel the hot tears sliding down his cheeks. He can't let Cecil hear. Scientists are always fine.

"Oh, hey. Doug and Alisha are here and--yeah. I need to go. But we'll talk again soon, okay? Call me before you go to bed. I love you."

Carlos ends the call and slumps over his legs.