"Sure, but sometimes he's a starving artist and she's a lawyer, or something."

"I think I'd expect that one to get special cased in my time - my impression was that it's more common now but still rare?"

"There's lots of female lawyers. Women are a majority of doctors, in the most dating-prone age bracket, these days."

"But in most of those relationships the man has reasonable similar income, I thought?"

"Some of them but not all of them."

"I suppose comparative income is a reasonable way to decide who gets the bill now that society is less unreasonable about female employment." 

"I haven't spent a lot of time figuring out how to navigate this, considering."

"Considering?"

"That I am gay and will never date a girl."

"Oh I mean, presumably you'd think about how to navigate who pays for the bill on dates with men though?"

"As you can see in this case I pick up the check and have reasons to do so."

Well that seems stressful to have to dec-oh wow Haru is smiling.

"That makes sense."

"Good."

The card comes back; Haru pockets it and gets up, hand extended.

The feeling that Lucien should be the one offering a hand for gender conservation reasons wars on Lucien's face with the feeling that holding hands with Haru is good and important. He takes the hand.

"Where d'you wanna go?" he asks, leading Lucien out of the bistro.

"Um. Oh. My apartment?"

"Okay." This way.

Lucien decides that this counts for gender conservation.

"I um. Enjoyed tonight a lot." Lucien says once they are at his door.

"Oh good. Maybe I'll call around to McDonaldses and see if there's any that'll give you a kitchen tour for next time."

... Who cares about gender conservation Haru is amazing.

"That would be even better."

"Unconventional yet adorable."

"You're very cute."

"You are too."

"Any chance you changed your mind about kissing me?"