Florence

After my extended break from work, mom insisted I get back on my feet and return to the hotel. After weeks of not having any responsibility it was a shame to go back to working those tiring shifts but I couldn't complain, after all it gave me something to do.

After my date with Remus I immediately ran to Josh and gushed about what had happened. I wasn't able to think twice about it- I just started talking! I told him almost every little detail and together we stayed up until the early hours of the morning, discussing it. To be fair, I figured only I could be capable of this level of excitement over my own date but Josh had proved me wrong, practically losing his shit when I told him about the kiss!

Strangely enough, having Josh show as much excitement as me had my heart swelling. We were both aware that we had each other's back, it's been that way since we were kids. But for him to show only... pride and no judgement had my head fuzzy. Not that I imagined Josh would judge me but still, the fear was always there.

That was a few days ago, now we finally had a shift together and things were settling back to normalcy. The day harboured the summer heat, the guests swarmed around like a not-so organised ant swarm and I hadn't heard a single word from either war lord. Actually, maybe normalcy wasn't a good thing. I missed them.

"God, it feels like it's been years since we last worked together!" Josh exclaimed, pulling me from my thoughts. I jerked my head to the side and surveyed my best friend who was pulling at his red collar and fanning his face with his hand.

I smiled and nodded. "Pity, really. I did not miss your constant teasing!"

He gasped, before pulling on one of his iconic pouts. "You're so mean!" He whined, slapping me lightly on the shoulder. I laughed and went to hit him back but refrained when I noticed a few coworkers- but more importantly Gus- staring at us incredulously. "I can't even tease you about those hunks of yours now that you're with one of em'."

I got caught on his last words, a small sputter leaving my mouth. As we noticed my sudden take back, he barked out a laugh. Guess he was wrong.

"Y-You know what, let's just get on with our work.." I muttered, setting him off once more.

After he calmed himself down and was scolded by one of our managers, we continued cleaning the lobby and minded ourselves for the rest of our shift. Looking back at our history working together, it was a miracle that they rostered us at the same time. I had an inkling as to how and it involved my mom and the fact that Josh didn't work that well when bored. That, and I distracted him from flirting with the guests.

When it drew closer for my scheduled break, Josh grew more and more quieter which was strange for him. Even when we were 'silent', we'd sneak glances at each other and muffle our laughter like a couple of school boys. I tried catching his attention but he kept diverting his eyes- at least that's what I thought he was doing. It wasn't until I noticed his dark green eyes focusing on the crowds around us did I realise that he wasn't avoiding me, but looking for someone else.

"Is everything okay, Josh?" I asked, clearly concerned with his behaviour. The roles were suddenly reversed, with me being the one to snap him out of his other world and ground him back to the present.

"W-What? Oh! Yeah, totally." He mumbled. I don't think I can recall the last time he stuttered like this. Perhaps it was the time he puked on his would-be one night stand? I gave him a questioning look and he grimaced.

I quickly scanned the crowd, hoping to find whatever concerned him but nothing looked out of the ordinary. I shrugged, deciding that I would bring this up later when we weren't so public. I told him that my time had come, causing him to snort. Before I left, he grabbed my bicep and pulled me close.

"I need to tell you something important. After work." He clarified, our eyes locking for what seemed like forever. I bit my lip, deciding whether or not this was gonna be a joke or something much more serious. By the way he mirrored my lip biting I was guessing it was more on the serious side.

"Okay, your's or mine?" I asked, clearly talking about our houses.

Josh was rarely serious and when he was it didn't last that long. Right now was no exception.

He clicked his tongue before quirking his mouth to the side. "Buy me dinner first, lover boy!"

I groaned before punching him roughly on the shoulder. I didn't want to smile but of course I gave him one. Before I left for the breakroom he quietly told me that we'd be meeting at his place. I gave him one last smile before we departed and I made my way through the maze of people.

I signalled to Gus that I was on my break. I wasn't watching where I was going, instead I was focused on the floor trying to figure out what I should have for lunch. So, it was no surprise when I collided with a hard surface. I tried my best to balance myself out and not fall, and once successful I immediately started sputtering apologies. I kept my eyes glued to the floor once again, too scared to look up and be greeted by an angry guest.Then I heard laughter, a sweet, baritone chuckle that eased my nerves and I instantly knew who it was.

"I'm not gonna bite your head off or anything," Rian's voice reassured me. I looked up and still found myself acting shocked when I was greeted with the site of his basically perfect face and strong jawline.

His dark auburn hair was messily put in a small ponytail, with a few locks still flowing and falling against his face. I hadn't seen his hazel eyes this close up in ages and I was beginning to realise how much I missed them.

"R-Rian! I'm so sorry.." I muttered, still somewhat entranced by his smirk and the enticing outline of his muscles under that tight shirt-

Wait a minute, I can't be thinking like this!

"It's all good, seriously. Were you just leaving?" He both reassured and asked. My interests piqued and my hopes were held high. He didn't even say anything and I was already jumping at the possibility that we could hang out again!

"N-No! I was just heading out to my break," I quickly said. That brought a confident - albeit cocky- grin.

"That's good."

I stared at him, waiting for the other bit. We stared at each other, both waiting for.... Something. Did he really only want to ask me a question and nothing more? I could feel my hopes dwindling by the second.

"That's good... because?" I further inquired. Maybe he just needed a bit of a push. He bit down on his lip, something I suddenly found so interesting. He muttered something but he was too quiet and the hotel was too noisy. His signature frown creased his face as he searched for the right words, lips moving whenever he had a thought.

"It's good because I wanted to ask you o-"

My eagerness got the better of me- that and the fact that I was eager to eat- and I was practically bouncing on the spot. I didn't let him finish, the anticipation becoming too much.

"I finish work at five!" I blurted out. His eyes widened in shock but soon the corners of his eyes were creasing and he was beaming a handsome smile. "It's been far too long since we hung out! Are Remus or Eurus coming?"

That seemed to catch him off guard and that smile vanished real quick. I bit the inside of my cheek in worry. Had I already said something wrong?

"No, I was thinking this would be a bit more... personal. Just between us."

I smiled at his words. I don't think I had a proper evening with Rian with just us. I had a feeling that it would be just as wonderful as our other nights together.

"Okay.." I whispered. He smiled again and I suddenly felt warm and fuzzy. The wonders of a beautiful smile, I guess.

"Okay." He repeated, this time with more reassurance. "I'll pick you up at your house? Around five thirty?"

I nodded fervently before I could even think about it. He stood silent for a couple of minutes, simply staring at me before he shook it off and something else caught his eye. He gave me one last smile before saying his goodbyes and leaving for whatever warlord-duties he had to do.

I was left standing there, heart beating unnaturally fast and my face feeling a little too hot. Something about spending the evening with Rian had me feeling queasy, in a good way. It felt cheesy to say but having someone pay attention to me and want to spend time with me had my head full of light and placed me right on cloud nine.

Then, before I could fully be encompassed by this euphoric feeling, I remembered my other plans involving Josh. I cussed, rather too loudly, noticing the time as well. My break was already half gone and I had just screwed myself over with clashing schedules.

Now I had to figure something out, something that would satisfy all of us. Luckily for me, I still had a few hours left of my shift. I could think of something. At least I think I could...

Ugh, why must I do this to myself?

**

After my break I quickly got back to work, eager for my shift to end so I could go home and get ready. I tried to keep it to myself as I wanted to tell Josh after work when we could properly talk about it but he noticed how 'buzzed' I was and kept pestering me with questions. I gave in of course, unable to restrain myself.

He had entered a state of shock apparently, gaping like a fish and wordless. After the two minute mark of him staring at me I had gotten concerned and asked if he was alright. Then came more of those pestering questions.

I had brought up that it would be a problem with what he wanted to tell me in an effort to steer him away from the interrogation but he didn't bite, only telling me that "It can wait later! I need to know if you're getting laid tonight."

That had been easier than I thought.

Long story short, I finished half an hour before Josh and made my way home. There, I showered and changed quickly, choosing to style myself casually. I wasn't up for wearing something tight like last time.

A simple band tee over a long sleeve and black shorts. If anyone were to ask if I actually listened to the band I would simply run in the other direction. Plus a bucket hat because it was bloody hot outside and I couldn't find my sunscreen.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mom asked as I sat down on the steps to our porch. I froze up, stuck between telling her the truth or lying. I had no idea why I suddenly got so defensive but before I could stop myself I had lied, blatantly.

"Josh, Sally and I are going to the boardwalk." I muttered. She gave me an apprehensive look before shrugging and retreating back inside for the air conditioner.

"Don't stay out too late, I'm sleeping early."

I hummed in response, twiddling with my fingers as a pang of guilt hit me square in the chest. I had been lying to her a lot recently and the consequences were only stacking up. I felt bad, but the idea of telling her that I was hanging out with warlords after she had told me that they're... off had my stomach twisting in on itself.

I sat in the heat until a fancy looking car pulled up, the window pulling down to reveal Rian in the driver's seat. My heart leapt as I shot up and made my way over to him. I ducked my head and peeked inside, happy to find that the car was clean--not that I thought he was a messy person or anything.

"You look fancy." I noted with a teasing tone as I got in. He was wearing a simple deep red shirt that I thought complimented his hair well, a few rings that reminded me of Remus' and sun glasses that voided his eyes.

He tapped the steering wheel impatiently as I slid in, the small downturn of his lips telling me he was not impressed.

"Was I supposed to show up in a fucking two piece suit?" He shot back. He tilted his head downward and slid his glasses down the bridge of his nose, those warm eyes looking me up and down. "I'm guessing you don't listen to them, do you?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself but promptly shut it once I accepted that he caught me on that. I contemplated running out but he had locked the doors and told me to buckle up, still laughing. I grumbled but did as I was told, sinking back into the seat and crossing my arms of my chest.

The silence didn't last too long, not with my need to know where we were going.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, sitting up and groaning. I hadn't given my legs the time to rest which probably wasn't the best idea, not if we were walking about.

"The boardwalk." He stated, head stuck straight and on the road. My brows rose. Guess I wasn't really lying to my mom after all! I waited for him to specify but he didn't.

"Where on the boardwalk?" I asked. He remained quiet, choosing to smile instead like some weird creep. I was beginning to think that he didn't have a plan, that or he really did want it to be a surprise.

For the rest of the ride we kept to ourselves. There was no obligation to speak or initiate conversation, we just sat in comfortable silence as we made our way to our destination. It only took a few minutes before we swerved into a parking lot and he told me to hop out.

I got out and patiently waited for him to do the same. Once he met with me he took off his glasses and glared hard. It was an intense exchange with both of us just standing there, sharing questioning looks. He was the first to break contact, pivoting towards the building and stretching out his arms.

"Ta-da! We're here." He said in a dull excited tone. I lightly shoved him and snickered before surveying the area. When my eyes landed on the big, colourful sign I gasped loudly and clutched onto his forearm.

"An arcade? Really?!" I gasped as I jumped to peek into the windows. I hadn't been to one of these in forever! This would be a perfect hangout spot! He chuckled before he led the way to the entrance, my hand still latched onto his arm. He practically had to drag me out of my state of shock.

As we entered the arcade my retinas were immediately assaulted with the bright lights and flashing colours of... well everything! There were so many noises, so many bright flashing signs and so so so many games to play! I hadn't been to one of these in forever and I was eager to storm the place.

As little kids ran around, some of them stopped to stare at me, an adult, bouncing up and down in both excitement and anticipation over something so childish. To be honest, I could care less about the kids or even the concerned adults who were onlookers. I just wanted to get a hold of some credits and start breaking some records!

"Don't cream yourself just yet," Rian snickered as he made his way next to me, admiring the place in a much more laid back manner. He acted cool but I could tell by the way his fingers twitched that he was dying to try some of the games.

I ignored his comment and decided not to make fun of how childish he sounded but I was in no place to speak. I was ready to start bouncing off the walls but a small pinch to my arm reminded me that I needed to ground myself.

"What was that for?" I whined, rubbing at the irritated skin.

"Just a reminder that you're scaring the kids."

I looked around and noticed that kids no longer littered the area. I pouted and placed my hands on my hips. What a bunch of losers.

Before he could get another word in, I was dragging him to the counter where a weary worker was nervously tapping at the glass counter. I took a quick second to survey the many prices they had below the counter and up on the wall and noted their prices. Rian engaged in a stiff conversation with the guy who was eager to give us our cards with our credits and send us on our way.

"What should we do first?" He asked, his eyes solely on me. A weird moment passed where I got caught up in his hazel eyes and even with the bright colours that beckoned me to focus on them, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. His warm eyes and his even warmer smile.

I felt myself staring for too long, my eyes diverting and landing on the closest game. "That one!" I pointed, my arm shooting out to the old looking arcade machine. It read 'The Prince Vs The Dragon'.

Rian's interest piqued and trudged over to it. However, when he read the title he audibly groaned and that small twinkle in his eye died instantly. "You're kidding me, right?" He scoffed. I bit my lip, afraid I made the wrong choice. It was sudden but I needed a quick escape out of that weird staring contest.

Wait, was this kind of thing insensitive to dragon shifters?

"You guys sure love to vilify us- I mean, look at this!" He pointed to the green scaly dragon on the side of the machine. He then shuffled so that he was standing right next to it. "It doesn't even look anything like me!"

I snorted. I was relieved to know he wasn't actually offended but it did get me wondering, what did Rian look like when he shifted? I've always wanted to see a dragon up close but I found my wants shifting ever so slightly. I wanted to see Rian specifically.

"Let's find another one.." I mumbled, brushing past him and enjoying the small contact between us. He followed closely behind me, never once complaining when I spent too long at one of the games only to not pick it. There were just so many I wanted to try!

But once we reached the motorcycle racing games- with motorcycle seats- Rian and I collectively agreed that these were the ones to play first. However, as we hurriedly made our way there a few ratbags- I mean, children, got in our way and hopped on.

"Hey, hey- oi!" Rian barked. The kids jumped and looked over at us. My face flushed bright red when the kids' parents showed up.

"Is there a problem?" The guy spoke up. I hid myself behind Rian.

"Yeah, your kids cut in front of us! We were here first." Rian's argument had no hope in being solid. I could tell it was a lost cause the minute the mother laughed.

"They'll only be a few minutes. I'm sure you and your friend can wait a little longer, right?"

"No! Florence wants-"

I tugged at his shirt, too embarrassed to say anything aloud. He craned his neck to look down at me with a questioning glance.

"Let's go play something else," I mumbled. His face softened before going sharp within just a few seconds. Surprisingly, he didn't put up much of a fight and with one finally grumble, stormed off. I followed him, thankful that it hadn't evolved into a big scene.

"That was really... mature of you, Rian." I chimed. He stopped suddenly and looked back at me. It was kinda cute seeing him blush and it was something I would never get over.

"Yeah? Well I still wanna melt that little shit's face."

I gasped, swinging my head from side to side to make sure no one had heard him. God, if I let him run his mouth like that all night we'd probably end up in the slammer or worse. I decided to drag him to a secluded corner before scolding him.

"You can't just say things like that, Rian! You could get in some serious trouble." I huffed out while actively trying to deny myself the smile that he insisted on sharing.

His hazel eyes twinkled with amusement while he brushed away a few of my locks. I didn't get the chance to look away before he firmly pressed his fingers on my chin and titled my head. I gulped loudly, my Adam's apple bobbing with... anticipation. It was so sudden and it had caught me off guard- but I didn't mind it. I think Remus was to thank for my mini revelation that I liked having my chin grabbed.

"You do want to play games, don't you Florence?" He asked, a stupid smirk pulling at his lips. I looked at him, my eyes lingering on him in mild shock. My face was blazing, not only because of the fact that there were undoubtedly eyes on us but because his face was so close to mine. I nodded, a little too eagerly and he chuckled.

I tried distracting myself with something other than him but his figure took up my entire view! I tried honing in on the one thing that could hold my attention- his cologne- but that only had me weak in the knees. He smelled so good. Was that too weird to say?

"Good. The only way we're ever gonna try the good stuff is if I'm allowed to yell and be intimidating." He clarified, his eyes dropping for a fleeting second before finally giving me space. I breathed in deep, happy to be free from his intoxicating cologne.

"Y-You're always intimidating!" I seethed. That, of course, got a laugh out of him.

"I can't be intimidating if I have a cute teddy lil bear nagging me about it," He brushed off, shrugging before heading off in his own direction. I choked on my words as my mind reeled too fast for me to handle. A cute lil teddy bear? Really?! I chased after him, berating him with words of protest over his small remark. I was in no way a teddy bear- in fact, I could be just as intimidating as him! Even more so!

He didn't pay me any mind, choosing only to tilt his head to the side and show off his dashing smile. How was he amused by this?! He took long strides and purposefully had me chase him around like some puppy without a leash. God, now I was the one comparing me to overly cute things!

He didn't stop, not until he had found a game he was interested in. I peeked over his shoulder and grimaced at the machine. It was one of those shooting games that I didn't particularly like, with those big fake guns and the loud sounds- I could never really focus on what the hell was going on.

"Guns?" He breathed out, hands outstretched and ghosting over the plastic guns. He unhooked it from the mantle and inspected it carefully. I moved to his side and picked up the spare, more curious on what had him silent all of a sudden.

"Guns are overrated," I muttered before picking it up to my chest and closing one eye as if I were looking through a scope or concentrating real hard. "You wanna play this one?"

He stayed silent for a while, still mesmerised by the gun. It was as if he had never seen one- a plastic one. Guns weren't a common occurrence here on Miradel but they frequented all sorts of media, so why was he acting so surprised?

"Yeah, let's give it a shot," He decided. I laughed at his joke but he only gave me a weird glance. Ah, unaware of his own genius. That only made it more hilarious.

We swiped our cards and sat through the weird lore, something about an apocalypse and trying to escape an airport. I could care less, what had me more interested was how invested Rian was the minute the game loaded in. Over the loud digital gunshots I had to quickly teach Rian how to play because god forbid he paid attention to the training sequence.

While I was on my last life, Rian went crazy with the gun, maneuvering in a way that would make one think he was actually in the game! I didn't care that I died, instead I was focused on how Rian was flicking his gun in all sorts of directions, clutching onto it with a vengeance. This went on for another ten minutes before he received his final score and hollered with pride when he got the top score. He placed the gun back into its slot before turning to me and unexpectedly punched me really hard on the shoulder.

"We did fucking great!"

"Rian- you bitch!" I groaned, rubbing at my sore shoulder. He snapped out of his initial excitement real quick, a look of shame and guilt quickly overcoming his features.

"S-Sorry! It's just a habit. Us southern dragons like to... punch each other when we're celebrating. Just a way of showing endorsement." He quickly explained, placing a hand over mine which clutched the assaulted shoulder. The small contact had my fingers buzzing and suddenly I didn't feel that bad.

My mouth formed an O. What an odd way of celebrating.

"It's alright. You did really well!" I exclaimed, doing my best to punch him back although I doubted he felt anything at all. He looked down at where my fist landed and he blushed. "Why were you so odd about the guns, anyway?" I asked. He glanced back at the weapons and shrugged again. Before explaining, he placed a hand on my back and urged me forward.

"The last time my tribe- the tribes agreed on something was to ban things like guns from our war. I suppose we didn't need them, saw them as lesser- some shit like that." He muttered.

"Do you have the same views?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek.

He shrugged once more. "Breathing fire is way cooler."

With that, we decided to move onto lighter topics. He let me pick the next game and of course I had to pick the second best: Air Hockey. He marveled at the concept of it but grimaced when he actually started playing. I took pleasure in exploiting the fact that he had never played and easily scored against him, celebrating over every, undeserved, win! By the end, Rian was ready to rip the thing apart and the scores were zero to twelve.

Then we took turns at picking games. Rian chose games that displayed violence, the ones that I writhed over when too much blood was shown on the screen. I gasped at every scream and every splatter of organs, something that Rian apparently found super funny. With every scream came a laugh and with every win came an exchange of soft punches. When we weren't playing violent FPS games, I was choosing things like whack-a-mole and spin-the-wheel. He found them boring but I utilised the power of puppy dog eyes and he gave in, standing by my side and dishing out half-hearted whacks and reluctant lever pulls.

We decided that after our credits ran out we would continue on our way. I really wanted to play those racing games but those snotty brats- I mean, totally adorable kids were still hogging the game. Rian snarled at them but ultimately led the way to the counter where we traded our points for prizes. As we left he promised me that he would make it his top priority that we could play that damn racing game. I blushed at the thought of a 'next time'. I begrudgingly promised to let him melt a kid's face if he were denied.

"That place is a damn scam." He muttered, fiddling around with his little charm. We had both gotten matching charms with the first letters of our names engraved on the other's. "Over a thousand points and all we got were shitty souvenirs? Bullshit."

I dangled mine and gave him a sly smile. "You're right, who would want your initials on a charm?"

He scoffed, roughly shoving the charm in his back pocket. "You're getting too cocky.."

I laughed, pocketing my own prize and patting him lightly on the back. I wanted to tease him further but when my eyes landed on a small ice cream stand, all hope was lost. I gasped loudly, alerting him before pulling him by the collar over to the vendor. I ogled at the sight of all the pretty flavours, each one looking just enticing as the last!

"Let's get ice cream!" I exclaimed, tugging on his collar some more. A deep frown settled into his features but I didn't let it deter me. Ice cream at the boardwalk was probably the most stereotypical thing I could think of but it was a necessity!

"Quit whining already, jeez! I'll get you some bloody ice cream.." He grumbled. I gave him a small hug and beamed a bright smile his way, one that caused him to jerk his head to the side and blush some more. "W-What flavour? Make it quick-"

"Rainbow! Triple scoop!" I eagerly answered. He gave me a bewildered look but didn't say anything. He repeated my order to the old man who just witnessed me pull this grown ass man around for a dairy treat. The man quietly told him that he'd have to pay extra for the triple scoops to which Rian just grumbled a "yeah, yeah, just give the guy his ice cream".

In a flash, I had my beautiful cone of delicious icy treat and he had his double scoop of.... vanilla.

"Your taste in ice cream is really... vanilla." I teased before taking a taste of my own, very exciting, ice cream flavour.

Rian rolled his eyes but couldn't deny me that wonderful smirk. Instead of volleying anything back he made a show of curling his tongue around the treat and accentuating his moan. I scrunch my nose up in mock disgust, trying to hide the fact that I was blushing.

"That was so gross." I laughed, punching his arm lightly. He covered his mouth to laugh too, careful not to send ice cream flying everywhere.

Rian flicked some hair out his face and gave me a wide smile. "If mines 'vanilla', then yours is entirely too... gay." He commented, momentarily looking down at my own treat.

I gasped, making sure to cover my chest in faux hurt. Something about his expression changed, a quick flash that I almost didn't catch. Was it regret? Guilt?

Strange.

"Hey, at least I'm adventurous and not boring." I retorted before spinning around and breaking us free from that small awkward moment. I wouldn't let this day be ruined, even if I had no idea what this whole thing was.

Rian caught up to me quickly and we walked in silence as we ate our cool treats. With the sea to our left and many stores to our right, the evening air was filled with light and fun. We didn't need to talk as we listened to the chatter of the crowds and the crashing of the small waves. It was peaceful just to be here, on the boardwalk, with Rian.

I didn't expect today to go in this direction at all. It was a surprise, that's for sure, but a good surprise. This evening was going well so far and my only wish was that it ended with him sober. As much as it was funny, I didn't want another evening spent with a drunken dragon shifter.

"Where to next?" I ask as I gently bite into my waffle cone. He had just finished stuffing his face with his, mumbling with his mouth full.

I groaned in disgust and looked away. For an adult man, he sure did act like a frat boy.

He stopped and pointed towards a small building. It had a massive, bright neon sign that reminded me of one of those early eighties diners. Now considered retro and niche.

I smiled, happy that he actually had some taste. I know it was bad but I was half expecting him to bring me to some cramped coffee shop with limited options.

That sounded way too stuck up. Now I feel bad.

I quickly demolished my ice cream before letting him lead the way to the pretty building. From what I could gather, the place was popular with many, many people inside. I feared that we wouldn't be able to get in but once Rian approached the server at the front everything became at ease.

Rian looked back at me, noticing my somewhat worried expression and snickered. "Every now and again I like to plan ahead of time, y'know?"

I felt a small smile tug at my lips, a blush coming forth as I imagined Rian taking the time to really think this through. Now that I thought about it, he did act as if we were on a schedule..

He led me to a small booth and for a minute I let my eyes wander around the restaurant. I wasn't an eighties baby, so I was in no place to say, but it did feel like I had been transported back in time. The vibrant neon lights splash the checkered tiles with colours, both in pinks and blues. The booths only amplified the colour palette with their bright blue colour along with the pink stools by the bar. Before my eyes got caught on the various things hung up on the wall I noticed that even the waiters and cooks were decked out in the typical eighties uniform!

My eyes continued to wander until they fell on Rian's who smiled once he caught me staring a little too long. I looked away quickly, darting my eyes to the extensive menu. Before I could even think about looking up I let out a loud gasp.

"I need to get this!" I exclaimed, holding up the menu and practically shoving it in his face. It took him a second to focus but when he did he barked out a loud laugh, alerting a few around us.

I blushed, partially hiding my face with the menu and sinking into the cool blue seat. The 'monster milkshake' looked so good! It described it in excruciating detail and even had a picture.

"I think you've had enough dairy for today!" He laughed off and I frowned. Was he seriously gonna deny me this glorious, wonderful prize?

"No I haven't, I've had one ice cream!

"I had to pay extra because you wanted extra scoops!"

I rolled my eyes and decided to sit up, ready to go on the offensive, my mind reeling with all sorts of arguments. I would even guilt trip, if it ever came to that. Anything to get that milkshake. Before I could even open my mouth to speak, a waitress decided to chime in.

"I heard something about our monster milkshakes?" She said, a wide smile plastered on her ruby lips.

She looked young, either the same age or younger than me. Her blonde hair was teased to the extreme and pushed out of her face with a hot pink hair tie that kept it all to the side. Her complexion was light but tan, similar to Rian's and she was wicked tall! I took note of her name tag which read 'Daphne'.I quickly took a sneaking glance at Rian who looked as irritated as ever, his brows knitted together and his eyes closed. His jaw was even set and tensed hard.

"Let me just say that they are probably the best-"

Rian went to speak but I stuck a hand out and pointed my index finger in a shushing motion.

"Let the woman talk, Rian." I gritted out and he shut his mouth immediately.

"As I was saying..." She said, side-eyeing the grumbling shifter with a judging look before focusing on me and switching up her entire demeanour with a bright smile. It was almost as bright as the neon lights just behind her. "Our monster milkshakes, in my honest opinion, are the best on the island! If you're interested you should totally get one!"

I smiled widely at the girl who had popped out of nowhere and just backed me up immediately.

"And- no, this isn't a horrible marketing strategy, I genuinely love these things. They're so addictive.... but now that I think about it, they're a little too addictive." She rambled, ending it with a distant look and a small pout.

I'm pretty sure my brain ignored the last bit and only took in the parts that would feed into my notion that I should have this damn drink. I placed the menu down and gave her a determined look.

"One- uhh..." I quickly looked down at the menu before deciding once more. "Rainbow-Freakshow-Circus Monster shake?" I said aloud with a questioning tone. Seriously?

She squealed before noting it down, materialising a pencil from her frizzy hair. I watched in wrapt excitement as she took the time to write down the ridiculous name.

"Anything else?" She asked me but I could tell by the way she was tilting her head that she was referring to Rian.

"C'mon, get one, Rian! We can bond over this experience!" I urged, tapping my nails on the table excitedly. He pursed his lips into a fine line, contemplating it. "If you get one I'll love you forever!"

He didn't even try to hide the fact that my statement definitely caught him off guard. It was funny to see his face glow a weird red.

"O-Okay. I'll get the- uhm... vanilla shake'." He said timidly, his voice almost swallowed up by the noise of the crowd around us.

Daphne and I both gave him a look.

"You serious, dude? Vanilla? Out of all things?" She deadpanned. I looked down as my cheeks puffed out with signs of concealed laughter.

Rian groaned loudly. "Fine! Jeez, you humans and your disdain for all things vanilla. I'll get the..." he trailed off, his eyes squinting and a confused frown setting into his features. "Wombo-Combo-Crazy-Oreo Monster Shake.."

I looked up to Daphne and right away I could tell she was refraining from commenting on something. Instead she jotted it down and gave me another reassuring smile.

She then turned to Rian and flicked her hair to the side, making a show of slotting the pencil behind her surprisingly sharp, pointy ears. I looked to Rian and noticed his mouth had slightly fallen open, mirroring my own expression. I was in a state of shock and awe!

"By the way, oreo is basically vanilla." She commented with an attitude. Propping her hand on her side. She scanned him, eyes flicking up and down before spinning around and trudging off- not without a final remark. "Asshole..."

While she walked away with our orders, Rian and I sat in silence. He was grumbling something incoherent, gluing his eyes to the menu.

"Humbled yet?" I asked lightly. I could tell by the way he didn't look up at me that his ego had taken a big hit.

He sighed before settling back into his seat. "I've heard that one too many times this week."

With that, we sat in idle silence. We got into more conversations about the mainland, how we both wanted to go see what the rest of the world had to offer. We moved on to where he lived and much like Eurus he only talked about it in good notes, leaving out his family as much as he could.

When he got caught on the topic of Aubrey and started talking about her in pure disdain, my alarm bells rang out. I bit my lip in an attempt to not say anything too brash. Sometimes my curiosity did get the better of me and ruined what would've been a great moment with a question too personal. Rian caught me and frowned, then proceeded to remind me of our agreement.

"Do you genuinely dislike her that much?" I asked. The way he talked about Aubrey was... sad to hear. She genuinely seemed like a nice lady!

Rian scoffed and rolled his eyes so hard I figured they'd get stuck.

"Of course I do! She's the bane of my damn existence." He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest and flicking his head to the side like some deeply upset child.

"But Aubrey sounds so nice-"

"No, Florence, she really isn't! She puts on this facade of being this feeble, old lady but in reality she is bitchiness incarnate! It's like the world is her own personal play and she plays her parts so well." He bit out, staring hard at the table. I shut my mouth and didn't pry any further. I wasn't willing to upset or anger Rian anymore than that question already did.

"I've tried bringing it up to my father but he always shuts me down," he sighed, shoulders no longer tense but tired and slumped. "He says I can't blame her for it. It was something she picked up when the war first started."

Things were silent for a while as I imagined what it was like to live through the longest war in history, about how that could and would affect you. Then came the reminder of what was going on outside of our little bubble that we had constructed over these past few months. Not just for Rian and I, but with Remus and Eurus too.

"Hey, I get it." I reassured him, moving my hand to playfully poke at his. "Neil drives me nuts sometimes."

Rian arched a brow, a warm smile presenting itself. He poked my hand back and like the children we were we giggled like it was the funniest thing in the world.

"Yeah, I totally can't stand him! Ever since my uh-" My usual pretences of not making this awkward fired up and I almost choked on my sentence. "After my dad died, he's been on our backs ever since! He's a condescending, entitled, lowlife piece of-"

I felt Rian's hand encompass mine, his warmth seeping into my skin and bringing forth the heat in my cheeks. Instead of flinching away, I sheepishly looked up at him.

"Sorry.." I mumbled. He shook his head in dismissal.

"Don't be. We have a lot more in common than I originally thought." He admitted. Something about that made my heart swell and my head light. He seemed to know what I was gonna ask before I even opened my mouth. "Albeit morbid, we both have a dead parent, batshit crazy grandparents and overbearing friends."

The thought that we shared so much was... comforting. Even if those similarities weren't exactly the best.

We sat through another round of silence, this time enjoying each other's company and soaking in the presence of... well us. I liked this, I liked relaxing with him without the gnawing need to initiate a conversation. This is how I wanted it to be between us and by the way Rian dreamily smiled I could tell he wanted it too.

While we let the quiet do it's thing, my mind regrettably wandered as I gazed at our hands. It led me to Remus, and what had transpired just a few days ago. At first I felt fuzzy from the memories but then with a reminder of what I was doing, an odd sensation of guilt hit me. It bothered me until I reluctantly took my hand off of his and hid it beneath the table.Before he could take me up on it, Daphne came up and set out drinks down.

I marvelled at the piece of artwork that was this milkshake. It was bursting with colours, topped with an absolute mountain of whipped cream and sprinkles and a generous scoop of familiar rainbow ice cream. God, my body was gonna hate me after this.

I thanked Daphne for the drink to which she simply smiled brightly and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I asked the guys out back to add extra cream to yours."

I couldn't stop myself from leaping up and hugging her, this total stranger who decided to indulge me for no reason at all. She gave a small gasp but accepted the hug. I thanked her probably a hundred times before stopping and dividing head first into the milkshake. As the sugar attacked my palette and many different flavours burst along my tongue I bit back a moan. Daphne caught me and laughed.

"What the fuck is this?!" Rian grumbled. I looked over my drink to peer at him. It paled in comparison to mine and was probably the most pathetic shake I've ever seen.

Whereas mine rivalled Everest with its whipped cream and various toppings, he had what looked like a dot of cream and feeble oreo which shortly sunk down into the dairy. He looked as boring as his taste in dessert.

"Sorry, we kinda ran out of... stuff when we made your boyfriend's drink. Enjoy!" She chimed, swiftly walking away.

While I choked on my drink, Rian's mouth fell open with shock and his face went red. I couldn't handle the heat radiating off of my own cheeks so I didn't mention the small comment, only lapping up my milkshake as a way to combat the warmth. I continued to drink long after my face had cooled down and ended up giving myself a brain freeze.

I attempted to recollect my stray thoughts, picking them up one by one like delicate pieces of shattered glass. The thoughts were pretty but if pondered on would easily cut me without remorse.

Apparently these milkshakes made me poetic. Heh, nice.

"You look like a clown," he snickered. The way his lips curled into a smirk told me where he wanted this to go, and I happily obliged.

"You look like some pathetic puppy." I shot back, obviously referring to his sulky expression and the piss poor attempt of a monster shake he had in his hand.

"At least I'm not snogging a milkshake!"

"At least I didn't get that piss poor excuse of a milkshake!"

"Hey- Daphne is solely to blame for that one and I know it!"

"Nice to know you have at least some wit!"

The last bit came from Daphne as she served another couple, giving Rian and I a small shock. We both wearily looked at each other before bursting out in a fit of laughter. This lighthearted atmosphere was something that I craved- that I wanted to surround myself in twenty-four/seven. It was something that I received scarcely but when I was Rian--with them-- it overwhelmed me. Right now was no exception. Butterflies were awoken, cheeks were flushed red and my chest constricted with the need to comment on it.

"This is fun, isn't it," I somewhat asked and stated. It caught him off guard, his laughter ceasing but his smile never fading. Taking one last sip from his milkshake he nodded, humming in agreement. "I enjoy doing this with you, genuinely. I-It makes me feel better-"

"This?" He echoed. His voice said question but his eyes said challenge. I went to correct him but found myself at a loss of words. I had no idea what this even was.I figured it was a casual day, hanging out with my friend, but the more time we spent together the harder it became to put a label on what this was. What we were.

"This is a.." I trailed off again, praying Rian would show mercy and put a label on this. I had no idea why I craved such a thing or why it was bothering me so much but it did. Judging by the way his eyes lit up and his smirk grew, Rian apparently found this amusing.

I blushed when all he did was mirror my words again. He wasn't helping me in the slightest! I pursed my lips and drank again from my shake, hoping that if I just ignored him that he would give up on teasing me but he still pestered me with those captivating hazel eyes.

After a few more minutes of silence the anticipation got too much for me and I started shuffling in my seat. No amount of staring at my milkshake would make Rian ditch this silly game and it was only until my stomach rumbled it's uneasiness did I stop and look him dead in the eye. I said the first thing that came to mind, not thinking twice about the consequences.

"Is this a date?" I asked suddenly, clasping my hands over my mouth in shock. Did I really just say that? God- what has gotten into me?! How... why did I say that?

I stared wide eyed at Rian who, at first, displayed no signs of disgust. He didn't get up, call me a name and storm off, he didn't look at me with disdain- nothing! Rian took a second to process what I had just said and when he did, he laughed.

I immediately took to mentally scolding myself for thinking like that. Rian had been nothing but kind to me, taking me on a... friend's hangout and just spending time with me! He's even offered to cover all the costs and yet here I was making rude assumptions about him. Maybe it was my defenses flaring up, maybe it was the sudden reminder of that day in Miracle.

"I'm not fucking gay." He had said and now, more than ever, it stung ten times as worse.

While he laughed I decided I would try and save myself from this sinking ship and act like it was a joke. That's why he was laughing, right? Once again, I didn't think before I spoke and what came out was practically a word-vomit.I sat there, rambling my ass off about the most random thing. All it took was for Rian to ask one question and it set off all my bundled nerves.

"O-Of course I don't think this is a date! Why would you, of all people, ask me out on a date? That's... that's highly unlikely!" I continued. I was happy with Rian's decision to sit us at a booth instead since it meant no one else could really see me freaking out. I tried averting my gaze multiple times but he always managed to catch me. He didn't seem mad, only slightly amused.

God, did I mess up? Why had I even brought this up?

"I'm so stupid. You really shouldn't pay me any mind. I-I tend to screw things up a lot." I said a little quieter than the rest, thinking back to the festival. The thought was there for a split second but the feelings seeped deep and showed signs of not leaving any time soon.

That's when Rian's laughter stopped and he took on a serious look. Had I said something--other than the obvious--to upset him further?

"Shut up," he said sternly. I froze, thinking I offended him somehow but when I snuck a glance at him his face told another story. His words were harsh, as per usual, but his face showed signs of concern. We glared at each other for a good minute before my nerves got the best of me, again.

I quickly took a sip of the monstrous milkshake, tipping it forward like an idiot and smearing the mountain of whipped cream onto my face and spilling the tiniest bit onto my shirt.

"Are you parched? Because I certainly am! Like god all this talking-" I said immediately after, not bothering to take in some air. "-really has got me thirsty. It's also really hot outside and I've been sweating almost all day so that certainly doesn't help and-""

I was immediately cut off by the sudden feeling of something warm pressing onto my face. As I concentrated and reeled myself back in I realised it was Rian's lips against my own and my mind practically exploded.

I was so awkward and nervous all I did was stay rooted in place, even after he moved away. My reactions felt like they were delayed as my lips began to tingle like tiny fireworks setting off and my face slowly warmed up with a delighted warmth. A mix of shock, excitement and giddiness bubbled in my chest and slowly filled up the rest of my body. However, I was still a nervous wreck and all I did was stare hard at the table. hoping whatever just happened was real yet I was torn between whether or not this was a good or bad thing.

It took almost all my courage to rip my eyes from the table and point them towards him and when I did he had the most smug expression ever. It was almost like he had a shit eating grin.

There was some whipped cream that transferred over from my lips to his and he couldn't help but notice. Instead of wiping it away with a tissue he collected it with his thumb and stuck it in his mouth. Holy shit that's sexy!

"I told you to shut up," he brushed off.

I was at a loss for words. So many feelings, too many of them clashing and colliding into each other! My moral compass- if I could even call it that- was going haywire with no definite direction to point to. The line between right and wrong had been wavering ever since I met him but with his caress of skin and a kiss this man managed to erase that line in one fell swoop.

As the feelings of euphoria began to overcome my being a razor sharp sense of guilt and shame overtook me. My mind was still trying to register what had just happened but as the puzzle pieces slotted together I became increasingly more aware of what I--we had just done! Now all I could think about was Remus and his sweet smile. I thought of our date, our kiss and then the things he would say when he found out about this.

I couldn't tell if it was the milkshake or the swell of conflicting emotions that was surging within me but the only thing I was certain about was my impending stomach ache. How could I do something like this?

The fact that I kissed Rian wasn't what bothered me, no way, it was the knowledge that I enjoyed it!

I took one last look at him and his smug smile before the flutters in my stomach became too much and I felt like vomiting. Everything felt like it was closing in on me as I tried breathing in big gulps of air but my constricting lungs denied me. I shot up fast, clamoured out of the suffocating booth and in the process I knocked over my milkshake.

The contents tipped out and covered the table as well as the checkered floor. The glass itself teetered on the edge for a while until gravity got the better of it and it fell, shattering. Shards of glass caught the pretty lights as tiny bits of the dangerous mess were scattered everywhere.

"O-Oh, god." I muttered as I felt all eyes turn my way. Everyone in the diner decided to pause their own conversations and look my way, their heavy eyes judging the situation. I did my best to swallow my worries but they threatened to come back up with the attention that ate away at my patience.

"Florence, wait I-" Rian tried, the squeaky cushions of his seat telling me he had stood up. I didn't spare him a second glance and instead I placed a hand over my thundering heart. This turned south so quickly

"I-I need to go, I'm sorry." I quickly said without having the decency to turn around and properly say goodbye. I stepped forward, not caring to place my footing carefully. I cringed at the feeling of the glass crunching beneath me but continued forward anyway.

I weaved my way through the many people still in silent awe and shock and burst out into the warm evening air. I took in lung-fulls of air, happy to get my proper fill of oxygen. However, it didn't stop the tears that threatened to spill and my need to vomit.

So, after whipping out my phone and texting Josh a simple fire truck emoji, I sat down on the curb a few streets from the diner and rocked myself into a vegetative state.

So... that didn't go quite as expected for either of the boys. Poor Florence! Poor Rian, he just wanted a successful date....

Anyways, I am aware that this chapter is long- as in, nearly ten thousand words long but I couldn't bring myself to split it in two! That's why it took a little longer for me to publish. I hope you guys still enjoy!

Any idea on how either of the guys feel? Anyone want to hazard a guess on how Remus will feel if he finds out about this?

Thoughts and predictions are always welcome!