T.E.A. with Chris and Tony

Time for T.E.A. with Chris and Tony, on which I take them on their very first date together!

***

"She? What are you looking at?"

The words I'd been scanning broke their absorption into my brain, and my eyes fell on something else. A face peeked up over the side of my laptop, half obscured my the little plastic buffers that kept the screen from shattering if you shut it too roughly. But I didn't need to see the face to know exactly who it was.

"Morning, Chris. Just reading."

The miniature soldier stepped onto my keyboard, his weight under the limit needed to press any of the keys. "That looks awfully familiar."

I nodded and resumed reading, realizing now that Chris didn't need anything. He, exhibiting the instinct my other dolls possessed, was simply coming to check on me. I was starting college again soon- by the end of the month- and I was sure that they were trying to make up for all the time we were going to miss together. 

"This is the blog post Loki published a bit ago. I like reading what you guys have written."

Chris chuckled. "Hopefully not to critique us too harshly."

I used my pointer finger to give Chris the doll-sized equivalent of a noogie. "Don't worry, it's not anything you've written. You're in this one, though."

"What?" Chris said, almost in disbelief, until he saw the title. "Oh yeah... Loki interviewed the PSA a while ago. He asked for permission to publish our stories, but I didn't think he'd actually go through with it."

"You're famous, now, Chris," I grinned, then noticed the blush in his cheeks. Actually, it was all over him. Cheeks, chin, and forehead, probably, had it not been for the mask he could never remove. "Are you ashamed?"

"No, no, I'm not ashamed," said Chris, but he sounded uncertain. "It's just that- now you know everything. Everything between, uh... Tony and me."

I rolled my eyes, though not rudely. "Please, Chris, I knew that already. You two were lovebirds from the day I knew you, and..." I gestured at the screen, pointing out the scene where the two of them discovered where their hearts truly belonged. "Looks like you were lovebirds from day one, too."

Chris's blush deepened in a happier way. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, and I think it's sweet. This magnet stuff is really fascinating. I wish humans had that feature. Would make dating a lot easier," I laughed. There was a reason I had been avoiding playing the dating game for so long. I much preferred to study the love lives of other people. "Hey, did you guys ever go in dates in the warehouse?"

"What?"

"You know, dates. Haven't you ever asked Tony out before? Has he ever asked you?"

Chris's expression said it all. They lived in a warehouse for months, if not a year, with no where else to go. Their world was small and out of their control. They had never gone out because there was no place to go.

"Okay, that's it. I'm going to fix this." I clapped my hands, our agreed call to summon the Avengers. It was Vision who showed first.

"Can I be of assistance, She?" He asked, levitating plainly over my desk. 

"Grab Tony for me, please. I have a proposal for him."

"Of course." Vision replied, bowing away in flight.

Tony returned seconds later, at first not taking notice of me, despite being the biggest living thing in the room.

"You know, Cap, I expected more of a romantic proposal from you. This is just..." Tony suddenly realized I was there and his words caught in his throat. I thought I heard him swear under his breath. "And now She knows."

"She always did." Chris admitted.

"Is it that obvious?" Tony asked, alighting next to Chris.

I cleared my throat. "I have a proposal for you boys. Would you be interested in travelling with me and my family to a vacation spot about two hours away?"

"Oh, when Vision said proposal, I didn't know that-"

Chris elbowed Tony's side.

"Ouch! Yeah, okay. Sounds great. What do you think, Chris? Our first date?"

"Took us long enough."

"Well then! Get ready, boys, we're going out to town." I decided.

"But you said the town was two hours away...?" 

"I didn't say it was my town."

It was a town called Nashville, though probably not the one you're thinking of. We lived too far away to visit frequently, but not too far to call it inaccessible. We had gone camping there once, in a two-story cabin with a wood stove that was perfect for roasting marshmallows. That same weekend, we rode horses through the woods and strapped ourselves to a zipline over eighty feet in the air, and if you looked hard enough, you could see a silver shimmer of fish in the creek beneath you.

Yes, that was quite the vacation, and one I wouldn't soon forget. And even if a true adventure was out the question today, it was still nice to poke around main street.

I heard two loud raps on my door before my sister burst in, not even a second after the sound.

"Mom wants to know if you're ready."

"Just a minute," I replied, my back still turned to her as I shut my laptop. "Chris and Tony are coming with me. Say hi."

Chris saluted awkwardly, and Tony waved.

My sister sneered, frightened, and shut the door.

"She's pleasant." Tony commented.

"Maybe not, but at least she understands," I sighed. "My parents never would. You guys will have to hide in my backpack or pocket for most of the time. But don't worry, I'll make it all worth it."

"We know you will," said Chris, grabbing onto Tony's hand. "We're ready."

While Chris and Tony rode hidden in my lap during the car ride, I was observing the outside world. There wasn't much to see until we had crossed the town border into "official" Nashville territory. God, I missed this place. Like so many other things I did with my dolls, it was a place that took residence in my soul. Nashville was just one of the many threads that wove its way into the fabric of my life at an early age. I remembered very well the sweep of the sky, its feathery clouds and crisp blue hue. The air here was tainted with the smell of leather and popcorn, mostly, but you could get a taste of every shop you passed before stepping inside. Smoke, flowers, newspaper, pizza grease. Down the cobblestone alleyway was a pottery store where I'd broken a honeypot. Behind the ice cream store was a crystal vendor where I was haggled into buying a chunk of amethyst for its rumored "healing properties". Across the street was the coffee shop that never looked busy until you went in, and by then you just had to buy something to make it worth the trouble. I had my first espresso there.

We paid for parking in some lot beside a hotel that looked haunted, even in the daytime, and stopped for a quick lunch at el restaurante across the street. It was mostly empty, with just the decorative alebrije parrots and lizards to keep us company. I would have to ask Chris and Tony later if they had life within them, too, like the other dolls I knew. At least they had the decency to keep away from our chips and salsa.

Since my family and I had been here loads of times (once per summer), we knew all the good places to go. The toy store was our first, even if my sister and I were definitely the oldest customers there.

The interior of the toy store was awash in colors so bright and bold, my eyes nearly hurt, but Chris and Tony felt at home. I kept them in my breast pocket and had them point out all the things they wanted to get a better look at. It was like being taxi for a bunch of eager children.

Tony noticed a shelf with rows and rows of dolls, mostly animals, but on the top shelf were the obligatory princesses and dames. They were a handful of stately ladies, all in ill-fitting Tudor gowns of gaudy shades. They stood neatly in a line, like property, and proud to be so, probably expecting a suitor to come and take them away from the worst affliction of all- boredom.

And that suitor did come, but he was already taken.

Still, Chris didn't mind of Tony wanted to charm them, if only to take the girls' minds off their sad states.

I set the boys down on the shelf and walked away so that the dolls could speak safely. The girls were immediately all over Tony, but Chris strayed behind.

"A hero and a soldier!" One of the blue duchesses exclaimed. She wasted no time getting to the pint of her greeting. "Glad of you to visit us! Do you like to dance?"

Tony took the first blue lady's hand and raised it to his mask in a faux gentleman's kiss. 

"We're going to have to be sneaky about it." Tony whispered. 

The lady in blue nodded in understanding. Her eyes fell on me, but she didn't stiffen. "Your human can only hide you for so long."

"Exactly."

"Not one king or knight has come to see us," the lady in pink pouted. "We believe they've all been bought."

Tony planted a kiss on her fingers, too. "Well, we can't stay long either, unfortunately."

The girl's eyes widened. "We?"

"Yes... this is my boyfriend, Chris." Tony said, motioning Chris to come nearer. 

"Oh, so you two are... beg pardon, sirs. I mustn't interfere with your relationship."

"You're not interfering at all. We're here to have a good time. And Chris loves to dance."

The lady fluttered her eyelashes at Chris. "As do I."

Chris took the pink lady's hand, and Tony juggled the seven girls in blue. I turned my face away politely, pretending to be enveloped with a set of jacks to give them some privacy. 

I heard some of the girls ask where they were from, who had brought them here, and begged them to stay. I felt a shard of pity grow in my heart, but knew that I couldn't bring any of them home with me. I had no money today. We were only window-shopping.

The bell on the shop's door chimed, and I hurried over to collect Chris and Tony mid-waltz. They bid the ladies a quick farewell and I shoved them in my pocket, moving quickly before I realized the door had only opened for a customer to leave.

Oh.

"She- look over there." Said Chris, tapping on my collarbone. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see a perfect photo opportunity at the other end of the store. A rotating shelf had been stocked full of the "World's Smallest" brand, miniature toys that ranged from Rubik's cubes to Uno. 

"We definitely need to get that pop-it scooter on the bottom." I said. "If only you two were toddlers."

"Yeah... I doubt even Kate would like that now." Chris said.

"Whatever, we're getting a picture with that thing. It. Is. Adorable," Tony replied. "Just like someone else I know." He stared pointedly at Chris, and Chris stared back before the heat in his face got the best of him.

And so they did.

"We're going to the candy store next," my sister told me in hushed tones. "And hide your dolls! People will think you're shoplifting."
"You don't think I know that?"
She rolled her eyes. "Fine. But hurry up."
"Just one more stop," Tony reassured her. "I must see that box over there. The purple one."
My sister bit her lip and followed me as I carried Chris and Tony to the shelf of activities, all with do-it-yourself kits and things of that sort; toys you would want to take out on a rainy day.

"It's just a magic set." My sister stated.

"Yeah, that's why we came here. You may not know this, but Chris and I are master magicians."

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Chris laughed. "Doctor Strange will be jealous."

"Good thing we don't have any around, then." Tony tapped the side of the box. "Four-hundred and fifteen different tricks. That's insane."

"We're not buying it." Sis said, taking the words out of my mouth.

"Hey, it says 'world's greatest'," Tony said with a wink in his mask. "Are you sure you don't want to try it out?"

"For thirty dollars, I think not." I said, pulling the dolls into my arms again. Actually, I wasn't sure of the price. Nothing was labeled here. Whether that marketing scheme was clever or stupid, I couldn't tell.
We left the toy store without a word to the princess dolls or to my sister. Some things were better left unsaid. The candy store was on the other end of town, so I made the effort to pretend to search for things in shops where I could easily sneak in and take pictures.

First, the pottery store where I had broken the honeypot some odd years ago. A handmade replacement stood in the windowsill now, ignorant of its brother's fate.

Then the leather shop next door, where Chris snuggled up and got stuck in a bundle of scrap leather.

There were plenty of hats, too, none of them currently fashionable. Not unless you were going for either "cowboy" or "steampunk", or both.

We passed by a pasta restaurant, which was always closed, but the window display was unusual enough for us to stop for a picture.

Then came my favorite part, and the last stop of the day before the absolutely necessary dessert break at ice cream shop. The candy store was split into two parts, one side for adults and the other for children. Since I was split between interests at my age, I chose from both. Blue rock candy from the kids' side, and then marveling at the giant tea display on the other, unsure of which flavor to choose, if I should even choose a flavor at all. Luckily, I had some not-so-helpful helpers to make me decide. I had placed them on a nearby jam shelf to get a better look at the selection.
"Ooh, this one's called Christmas Eve." Chris suggested.
"Get it? Like Chris? Chris-mas Eve?" Tony cackled.
"It's August." I said. "Too early."
"Hm... Sweet Pineapple?"
"Again, August. Too summery."
"This one's supposed to taste like Thanksgiving Day." Said Chris, wrinkling his nose at an orange-and-brown box.
"Ew, what is that supposed to taste like? Turkey and stuffing?"

"Never know until you try." Tony shrugged.
"There are some things I do not need to try," I said. "But you're getting closer. An autumnal tea would be nice. We're almost to that season."
Chris snapped his fingers. "I got it. Pumpkin Spice. That way, when we get home, you can brew it for us, and then this will be a true T.E.A. post."
I bit my lip and reached for the only aluminum tin, by far the largest helping of the pumpkin spice tea. I'd never had it before, and I hated the coffee from Starbucks by the same name. If I didn't like it, I had wasted 50 teabags. But if I did, this would last me through the next year.
"Do it. Do it." Tony hissed as maliciously as he could without laughing again.
"Delicious tea. Tasty leaf juice." Chris giggled, echoing his boyfriend's tone.
I put the tin in my shopping basket, much to the amusement of Chris and Tony.
"Y'all are a bunch of weirdos," I said. "Do you want a picture in the candy barrel by the door?"

My father slid me a twenty and I paid for my candy and tea, and then it became a hike to find the best possible route out of town so that we could hit the ice cream store and find the car without going out of the way.
By this time of the day, the walkway was almost cleared of people as the sun stood at a comfortable four o'clock in the sky. I think I made a good decision at the tea shop. It was certainly starting to look like fall outside. Wheelbarrows of pumpkins were at nearly every intersection in Nashville, and the street was sprinkled with a few odd leaves of the same orange and yellow hues.

These same leaves crunched beneath our feet on the way back to car as we scraped ice cream from Styrofoam bowls. I couldn't imagine being a doll. Being alive, yet not able to enjoy everything life had offer. Freedom above all else, but also ice cream. They couldn't eat ice cream or drink tea or grind rock candy between their teeth, not that I was going to do the latter, anyways. The rock candy wasn't for me.
I had to idea to give the it to my sister, who never says she wants anything from the candy store until we've already left, and she happily took it, our previous squabble in the toy store now long lost from her mind. And always being one for experiments, she put rock candy crystals in her ice cream, making the Blue Moon flavor look even bluer by the time we were driving home again.
When we returned and reunited with the dogs, it was six, yet none of us were hungry. My sister retreated to her room and my parents to the garage to work on the fence we were building before it was too dark out to see.
It was the perfect time for tea.

We set up on the desk, same place we'd been before leaving for Nashville. I brought them their own teacup, and a chocolate croissant on a porcelain plate to make things feel more like a real date. (Chocolate croissants are romantic, right?)
And then it was just the three of us, smelling tea and spilling tea for what felt like a good half hour. Even if we had spent the whole day together, I could never learn enough about the world of dolls. And the dolls, too, wanted to know about me. It was a happy and equal trade of information.
Then, out of the blue, Tony said, "I don't know about you, but I've had such a good day that I could kiss somebody."
Silence darkened the room.
"You mean that seriously?" Chris asked, knowing that Tony meant him.
"Only if you mean it seriously." Tony murmured.
"Go ahead, I won't watch." I snickered, covering my face with my hand and peeking between my fingers.
"Liar," Chris said, but he didn't seem to mind. His focus went back to Tony. "How are we supposed to do this...? With your mask, and mine...?"
Tony sighed. "See, that's the problem with you, Cap. You think too much. Just do."

Tony took Chris's head in his hands, leaned closer, and... well... I don't believe I have to tell you what happened next. I'll just let that be between Chris and Tony.

See you when it's time for T.E.A.,

She