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 Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:50 am
"I'm glad one of your parents likes me then," he teased gently, returning the kiss with another of his own. "She sounds like she was a wonderful person, when she was alive. I'm sure she's proud of you, beautiful."
Another kiss was pressed to her temple before he was opening the car door for her, waiting until the young woman was nestled safely in her seat before closing it after her.
The sunset was breaching the horizon by the time they'd made it back into the car, the colorful hues a beautiful display for the couple as he pulled the vehicle from his spot and back out onto the street. Glancing over at his girlfriend, he grinned.
"So. Is the birthday girl ready for dinner, now? Or are there any other trips she'd like to make beforehand?"
Her present remained nestled in his slack's pocket, awaiting the perfect moment for presentation. He had all the time in the world, though - there was no point in rushing things.
"The night is yours, princess, your chariot awaits your request."
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 10:49 am
"Pops like you, he's just..." Rory sighed, tucking her hands beneath her thighs as Akio began to drive. "He's protective, I'm all he's got."
Plus, Rory knew how similar she looked to Briar.
"Yeah, that's all I wanted to do. Well," she looked over at him with a grin, "besides spending time with you."
Her birthday traditions didn't take that much time and since she hadn't had to go to school for most of it, it was easy to keep things short enough. Pops would take her out to eat at a later date, when he wasn't working the night shift, and she was her boyfriend's for the rest of the evening.
"Where are you gonna take me?" She asked, reaching for his hand even as he kept both on the steering wheel. Rory knew he was being a cautious, safe driver, but she wanted to hold his hand anyway.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 11:16 am
He'd done his research beforehand, googling and reading up on reviews when it came to Destiny City's restaurants and the night life the city provided. It was a Wednesday night so it wasn't as if the downtown area would be too overcrowded, but he wanted a place with decent ambiance and a lack of young adults with the goal of getting drunk on a weeknight.
"There's a new place in town - Seasons? I heard they were huge on vegetarian dishes so I figured we could give that a try."
He spotted her offered hand and, after making a turn, slipped one off the steering wheel to collect hers. She didn't need to know that it was one of the first places in Destiny City to earn a Michelin star nor the price tag that had come along with it. No, this was her birthday and she deserved the very best - which is why he'd saved up just for the occasion.
A few minutes later and the car was pulling into the parking lot, which already seemed more than halfway full.
Thank god for reservations.
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Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 4:20 pm
"Seasons," she repeated, brow furrowing while she tried to figure out why or where she had heard the name before. The answer didn't come to her and she decided it wasn't something worth fretting about. She had been nervous enough about going to Miss Poppie's or visiting her mother's grave with her boyfriend of less than a year that fretting about what might come would only leave her miserable.
Akio had gone above and beyond to try and provide her with the best birthday possible and she wasn't going to ruin it.
"Okay," she offered him a tentative smile. "That sounds lovely."
The parking lot was a bustling one, for the day and time and she looked around with some concern that she thought she was masking well. "Well, it looks popular?" But knowing how excited Akio was, if they took reservations he probably had it covered.
There was nothing to worry about. "Ready?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:19 pm
Collecting her arm with his, Akio beamed down at his gorgeous girlfriend, both proud of his planning and the woman he was lucky enough to get to show off.
“It's going to be fantastic, just wait and see.”
The inside of the building was equally as fancy as the outside but he wasn't deterred by how snooty the greeter was nor by the fancy appearance of the menu they were both handed at the arrival of their booth. He'd begged the man on the phone, days earlier, to be assured that they could secure one of the cozier spots for their very special occasion and with luck, he'd managed to succeed.
Eyes darted around to the various other patrons of the restaurant, everyone absorbed into their own world and meals.
Knowing his beautiful girl was probably nervous - after all, their normal dates took place either at home or at small diners - he made a point to nudge her, gesturing over to a young handsome man in jeans a few tables over and his companion in business casual attire.
“Relax, beautiful. It may be fancy but it's not too fancy.”
A kiss on her cheek and a squeeze to her fingers followed before the young man finally opened up his own menu to peruse.
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Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:05 pm
Rory trusted Akio, he did dumb things sometimes but it was always well meaning with the best of intentions and she loved him. So, she was willing to put her faith in him and trust that things would be as fantastic as he claimed it would be.
"I'm sure it will be," she replied, even though she probably didn't need to.
Still, she grew more nervous as they made their way in and were escorted to their table. Despite her dress being one of her nicer ones, Rory felt horribly under dressed for the fancy caliber of the place.
While she didn't say anything, the way she played with her hair would have given her away.
"You didn't have to do this," Rory told him quietly after they'd taken a seat. She could only imagine by the decor how much dinner at a place like this was costing him. The only thing that kept her from speaking up or even asking to maybe go somewhere else was the knowledge that Akio had made this decision because he wanted her birthday to be special.
She wasn't going to deny him that.
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Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:54 am
"You don't like it?"
Her voice had lowered in volume, a possible sign of her being anxious? There was a guarded tone to his own as dark brown eyes looked at her with a brief flicker of disappointment.
Perhaps he should have gone with his picnic idea... despite the fact their last one had... ... .... well.....
A waiter was closing in and Akio could see him from the corner of his eye. One hand moved up in an attempt to halt him in his tracks before his head turned, making eye contact. Thankfully his message of please come back in a moment was understood, the young man in the nice vest and tie rerouting his destination to another nearby couple.
Turning back towards Aurora, one hand covered hers as he bit the inside of his lip.
"Beautiful - if you want to go anywhere else, name it. I'll take you to McDonald's, if that's where your heart is set. It's your big day, this is supposed to be special for you."
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 9:36 am
"No, it's lovely, really Akio." Rory hurried to say, reaching over the table to grasp his hand. "Please, I'm sorry. It's perfect." Her thumb ran over his and she tried to smile more genuinely.
"I've just never been anywhere so fancy, it's new. A good new." And it was even if Rory couldn't shake the do I belong here feelings.
Surely this was the type of place Akio had been more used to visiting before they started dating. She didn't mean to be so worried about costs, but growing up poor had lasting affects and it was only recently that she felt like she had the means to comfortably afford splurgy things. In moderation of course.
"I just...it's like the ball all over again. I feel a little out of place but I'm glad I'm here, because I'm with you and that's what matters. Right?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 4:48 pm
The concern was slow to evaporate from his face but soon it was softening as her hand returned to his. She wasn't entirely comfortable, but she was... willing. She wanted to enjoy herself, she was just having difficulty seeing past the unfamiliar territory that came with fancy affairs and not homemade meals and dinners like she was used to.
His free hand covered hers, sandwiching it between his.
"I'm glad you're here too. I'm glad I get to have the prettiest girl in the restaurant as my date."
Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Pay attention to me. Pay attention to us. Tonight's about you, baby."
He pulled away just in time for the waiter to return, eager to take their drink requests. Eyes followed the tall man as he left their personal bubble before turning his attention back towards his date.
"So... what could we do to make this night the best one ever, hm?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:45 am
She rolled her eyes at him, pushing him with her shoulder when he complimented her and insisted she was the prettiest girl around. Still, she clearly felt better and was even smiling around the way she bit down on her bottom lip.
Leave it to her wonderful boyfriend to do whatever he could to make sure she was comfortable and at ease.
Once the waiter was gone, Rory reached over to tug on the front of Akio's shirt until he scooted closer. Then, she lifted his arm and settled it over her shoulder before she leaned into his frame. Her fingers were loosely laced in the ones that draped over her shoulder.
"Being with you is all I need for it to be dummy." She told him, looking up and wrinkling her nose before her lips pressed chastely against his cheek.
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:23 am
He was quick to snuggle against her after her prompting, fingers squeezing the ones lacing his while soft lips brushed across his cheek. They were warm and inviting and it took nearly all of his willpower to resist turning and trying to make-out with her right then and there, in the restaurant booth.
She might have thought being there for dinner was her present but Akio refused to stop there. As sensible as it was to hold off, he knew he should probably wait until after dinner - maybe even after dessert. That was when people usually gave presents, right?
Sadly, Akio Yoshida was a very impatient man when it came to surprises
Letting his face tilt until his cheek was pressed against the top of her head, he crooned softly, "So... does that mean you don't want what I have for you in my pocket?"
His free hand moved down, lightly tapping the outside of his slacks's pocket for effect.
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 11:53 am
As this was the first year she had someone close enough to care about her birthday beside Pops, Rory had no idea what to expect. Akio was right in his thinking that she thought dinner and the general outing were her birthday presents and she would have been content with just those but...there were...more?
"Wait." She blinked several times, pulling back to watch him pat his pocket. "W-what do you have in your pocket?"
For some reason dread pooled in her stomach and she tried to push the nerves away. It could be anything. Tickets, a handmade coupon book full of favors he already did but excuses for him to spend more time with him, or...or...
"What's in your pocket?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 12:30 pm
He could sense the nervousness taking over, her smaller body tensing beside him as her question began with an uncertain stutter. As much as he'd prefer her be comfortable, even in a flustered state she was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever met.
"What, did you think I'd take you out to one of the fanciest places in town only to not get you something to remember the night with? That'd be mighty unromantic of me, don't you think?"
His hand dipped into his pocket, fishing out a small, dark jewelry box. There was a faint logo on the top, from one of Destiny City's local jewelers.
Sliding his arm from around her shoulder, he gingerly took the box in both hands, shifting his body to face hers. One hand moved to take hold of the lid, pulling back the box as he offered the contents to her.
"Happy Birthday, beautiful."
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 1:58 pm
She felt nerves eat at her belly and her heart twist anxiously.
"Akio, I--" Rory paused when the jewelry box was pulled out and she swore her heart dropped. No, no, it was going to be-- She wasn't ready-- Oh no, she was going to have to--
He opened the box and when jade eyes settled upon the contents she felt her entire body relax when she registered what it was. Her increased heart rate made it difficult for her to breathe and when she felt like she could talk without gasping for air she lifted a hand and shoved her boyfriend lightly.
"Dummy," she huffed, faux glaring at him. "You scared me." Rolling her eyes for good measure she collected the box from him to better examine the necklace.
"It's...it's beautiful Akio."
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 2:35 pm
He watched as her expression shifted from nervous to downright panicked as the small box surfaced from the depths of his pocket. Akio knew exactly what his presentation looked like, which was exactly what he was going for. Wide eyes drank in the box while her words cut off entirely - she was already speechless before the box even opened.
As the pendant came into focus, there was a soft exhale as the rigidness of her posture relaxed, her body and expression both calming down from whatever emotional distress he'd just put her through. Inside the velvet box sat a small cat, posed atop a crescent moon while a nearby star dangled. The star held an emerald gem - small enough to not be too showy but large enough to show he'd been able to afford something precious.
He laughed as she shoved him, hands moving up in the air in playful surrender. "Hey - it's not my fault you made assumptions about it. We'll save that sort of box for a few years from now, yeah?"
Scooting closer, he reached over and gently thumbed the charm, still very proud of his jewelry decision.
"Cats are considered lucky in Japan, you know."
He looked up at her. "So it makes sense that you surround yourself with furry friends. And I mean, I've never felt luckier than when I'm with you, Aurora, so... maybe there's something to it, hm?"
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