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 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 3:03 pm
He grinned as he watched her steal a carrot stick. He was finished with his cutting before she was finished with her organizing, so he took advantage of the opportunity to slip behind her and rest his head on her shoulder. Arms circled around her waist and he gently began to rock her as he watched small hands make quick work of all the chopped veggies.
"As if I could focus on anything else," he scoffed. "All you, always you."
Akio hardly knew the names in the movie aside from the obvious - Moana - let alone the songs, so there wasn't any real fear of him ruining the night for anyone else by singing to it. It was a tease, simple as that, but the fact she so easily agreed to the notion of him being silly and singing along with the plethora of children that would be in attendance... well, it was sweet. But that was Aurora, through and through. Sweet and perfect, wrapped up in the small, beautiful woman that fit perfectly in his arms.
It was almost as if they were meant to be, that his lov---
Okay, wait.
He stilled as his wandering thoughts caught up with him. Was he ready for that sort of business? Had it really evolved into that?
"We should probably get going," he finally managed to murmur in her ear before releasing his hold of her, a sudden concern flickering in the back of his mind. She was still new to the relationship game and he wasn't about to pressure her even further in it.
Not without sorting out his feelings, first and foremost.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:49 am
For one moment, Rory tensed in surprise, but upon realizing that her boyfriend was merely being touchy and needy as always she relaxed. Too easy was it to lean back into him and let him rock her while he held her. Akio's words were reassuring, even if she hadn't been worried to begin with about his attention wandering away from her if she wanted it.
It was, after all, Akio. Akio who had only ever showered her with affection and held her close. Who respected that she needed space sometimes and would be distant and he didn't push her. She knew, deep down, that she didn't deserve how much he cared about her, but she wasn't ready to let go of something so wonderful.
The voice in her ear made her shiver, lashes fluttering, but he was gone and pulling away before she could respond. Rory felt the loss of his warmth against her back immediately and when she shivered this time, it wasn't from how close he was. "Yeah, right. I'm ready." All of the food had been carefully placed in the proper Tupperware and she had placed those in a reusable grocery bag for easy carrying.
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Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:57 pm
He lifted the grocery bag from her hand, a silent insistence for him to uphold his gentlemanly duties. The bag of clothes was tucked away in an undisclosed location - namely one where Aurora assured her boyfriend that the animals would not find. Akio would like to think that Bob and the little kitten had no interest in his shopping, but... well. Judging by how the orange cat treated him, he wouldn't put anything past the devilish cat.
A quilt was obtained for the purposes of laying on, presumably big enough for both parties to sprawl out on. With that, they were out the door and on the way to the park - where, it seemed, that dozens of other families had already arrived and were setting up their stations accordingly. The giant screen was positioned against the side of the communal building, where Akio assumed the bathrooms and service area were, although he'd never ventured into the actual place, himself.
They managed to find a cozy little spot beneath one of the park's trees and he hesitated, glancing at the spot and then to the screen in the distance. "Is this alright?"
His gaze turned to his girlfriend, who still clutched the quilt against her. "Or would you rather be closer to the movie?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:36 am
Relinquishing things for her boyfriend to carry had become routine. Rory was perfectly capable of toting thins around herself, but he always insisted and she had learned to stop trying to keep him from doing so. So, the bag went easily without a protest and she sidled up to his side as they made their way to the park with the quilt pressed against her chest.
"This is perfect Akio," she replied, smiling before she went about setting the quilt down on the ground and smoothing it out before she reached for one of his nearby hands and tugged him down onto it with her.
"I like the movie, but I like you more." She assured him, sitting up on her knees so that she could steal a kiss. "Besides, this is a date." They hadn't had a proper date in a while and that was mostly her fault and she was determined to make it up to him with this. "Movie's just a bonus and an excuse to get to spend time with you that doesn't involve a couch."
Rory didn't mind quiet nights spent in the apartment with Akio, but this was nice too. "That's great too, but summer is almost over and we won't get the chance to do this again until next year."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:12 am
He descended to the quilt with little prompting, following her gentle tugging as his knees landed against the soft cushioning. It was tempting to yank her into his lap with her in such close proximity but the young man resisted, choosing instead to keep their fingers locked with one another as he adjusted his seating.
All across the grass in front of them, families had gathered with their own blankets and coolers as children ran about screaming and squealing with one another.
"Yeah, not many opportunities like the present, huh?"
The question came about as more of a statement than a sentence, Akio glancing over at his girlfriend and offering a simple smile before diverting his gaze back to the crowd in front of them. Parents were forcing their children to settle down as the park coordinator began with his introductions.
As the sun set across the horizon in the distance, the projector cast a beam of light against the screen pressed to the building wall, starting the feature film. It didn't take long for the young man to pull a container out and take a carrot stick for himself with one hand, the other still occupied with Aurora's.
The scene was perfect. Idyllic, even.
Well, almost.
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:16 am
They were far enough away from most of the gathered crowd that the giggling and screaming of children didn't bother her. Even if they had been closer, she doubted she would have paid them much heed. She liked Moana, enough to have seen it all the way through when Akio hadn't been present, but that wasn't why she was here in the park.
She was here to enjoy the company of a wonderful boy that she thought she might be enamored with enough that thoughts of another boy were almost non-existent.
While his glance had been brief, Rory continued to stare at him. Jade eyes took in the sharpness of his jaw, the tanness of his skin, and the dark hair that fell in a clearly styled messy manner. Akio was handsome, undeniably, and the girl never missed the way girls talked about him in hushed tones as they walked together. Some days, it was easier to believe that someone like him could be interested in her but he was and the mere notion made her warm.
After a moment, the teen decided that she wasn't content with just hand-holding and lifted Akio's arm to drag it across her shoulders as she scooted closer, arm sliding along his back to grip his waist. Reaching for a carrot she bit off a piece and leaned into him. "Thanks for coming with me."
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Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2017 6:58 pm
He let her take control of his arm, watching as she draped it over her shoulder. Taking the hint, he pulled her in alongside him, welcoming in the scent of her as she snuggled up against his side. Aurora was the perfect height for snuggles, short enough that she fell perfectly against his side but tall enough that her head could rest on his shoulder, nestled together like two puzzle pieces finally coming together.
She thanked him for agreeing to the date but he said nothing. The broken carrot fragment was gnawed slowly between teeth as he watched the movie... or at least pretended to watch the movie. His mind was far away from Moana's shores, namely on the beautiful young seventeen year old at his side.
He should tell her, if they were going to be completely honest with one another. She probably deserved to know. Really, if they wanted to have any sort of future together, this would be the start, right?
Or the ending.
The thought crept into his mind and festered there, worrying his face as the children clapped and laughed at the little rooster that continued to conk its head against a coconut.
He should just watch the movie. He should just stop thinking altogether and focus on the film and not on keeping secrets or hidden feelings or...
"Aurora."
He swallowed hard, cleaning his mouth of the lingering snack he'd been working on for the past minute. Akio's voice was soft as he tilted his head down to gauge her expression for a response. "I need to tell you something and.... I want you to keep an open mind about it, okay?"
As in please don't get freaked out and run away.
His fingers squeezed around hers "You've gotta promise me."
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:24 am
The teen was blissfully unaware of her boyfriend's internal struggle of should I and had been snacking on another carrot as song erupted through the park. Frankly, if she had been thinking she would have wondered what kept him so quiet and...well, not handsy. Usually by now he was at least snuggling his face into her neck if he wasn't trying to kiss her but he hadn't done anything more than tug her close.
Which, wasn't a problem, because Rory loved the movie that was playing and was enjoying it.
A carrot snapped off between her teeth when he said her name. Automatically she glanced up with a questioning look. "Hm?" The look on his face had her stomach fluttering and not in the usual happy way. Worry began to set in nearly right after as he spoke and she pulled away to sit up and face him properly. Half a dozen thoughts about what he might be wanting to talk about, especially if it was here.
Her jaw moved as she finished chewing, swallowing the remains of carrot down her throat. "Am I usually not?" She asked carefully, concern gnawing at her stomach. What if he told her that he didn't want to be monogamous? That was something to keep an open mind about, right?
There were couples...relationships that worked with more than two people but Rory didn't think that was something she could do. Would she be able to be open minded about it like he asked?
Or what if it was something entirely different?
"Akio, what is it? You're worrying me."
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 7:52 am
"I..."
The debate continued in his head - this was probably the furthest thing from appropriate timing, during a movie, for goodness's sake. He should tell her to ignore it, that they'd talk about it later. At the same time, he'd already opened up the can of worms and there was no sealing it shut - saying nothing would simply prolong the anxiety that coursed through him... and through her as well, judging by the concerned look on her face.
"Akio, what is it? You're worrying me."
"No, it's not a big deal. I mean, not really a big deal, depending on who you asked, but..."
He was stammering and knew it. Aurora's pulling away from his arm left his side feeling cold and lonely, which also didn't help the situation. He should have just kept his mouth shut and saved it for another time, ugh.
"I've been thinking about telling you this for a... well, not for a while, it just sort of occurred to me, honestly, and I don't like hiding things, per se," his free hand moved up to fidget with the collar of his shirt. "I just... I don't really know how you'll take it? So I'm worried to say anything but at the same time, I don't want to have any secrets between us."
That was....halfway reasonable, right?
He worriedly chewed on his bottom lip while on screen, Moana argued with the newly introduced Maui.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:02 am
If he was trying to make her feel better he was failing. Miserably.
Everything he was saying was causing panic to spike through her, anxiousness wrapping around her heart as she scooted back a little, gathering her hands in her lap so she could stare at them instead of up at him. Rory couldn't begin to know where he was going with this or what to expect. They had had the sex talk, sorta, and he knew that she wasn't ready, that she likely wouldn't be for a while but...wait, he'd been thinking about it for a while?
He didn't want to keep secrets?
What kind of secret could he have that she didn't know? Did he have one of those -- no, he couldn't...But what if he had another identity like her? Oh no. He couldn't she would know. Wouldn't she? But if it was something mundane and civilian...was it an STD he felt the need to tell her about? Or was it another girlfriend and the whole open relationship thought had been right?
"What do you want to tell me Akio?" She asked, trying to be firm. Her gaze lifted, but her hands stayed in her lap. "You keep dancing around and...it's confusing me." And stressing her out.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:41 am
There was a pained expression on his face as the sweetness of her words went cold, his girlfriend essentially telling him, in kinder words, to just spit it out.
A sweaty palm left his shirt collar and wiped itself against the side of his pants. If it wasn't clear that he was nervous before, it certainly was now. "It's... it's funny you phrase it that way, actually." The laughter that followed was forced and awkward, an unusual sound for the young man, "I... sorry, this is kind of embarrassing for me."
The hand slipped into his pocket and continued to fidget, his phone finding its way out as his thumb slid across the surface. It looked as if he was trying to distract his anxiety by casually browsing the internet, but suddenly the phone was offered over to his companion, the screen bright and distracting (though hopefully not too distracting for those around them, the nearest individuals still yards away).
On the screen was a picture of five young men in suits, all posed to look, presumably, enticing to the camera. On the left side, a tall young man with familiar brown hair and a smirk gave the viewer a wink.
Akio swallowed hard.
"I figure it would have to come out at some point, especially when I introduce you to my family," They'd spoken about introducing her on Skype before, but he'd respected her hesitancy - but also selfishly because it meant avoiding revealing his alter ego as well, "I... I was part of a musical group, back when I was a teenager. Before I came to the States."
Akio Yoshida was revealing his status as a former member of a J-Pop boy band and he'd never looked more terrified in his life. What sort of intelligent American woman wouldn't run for the hills (after laughing her head off) once she saw how absolutely ridiculous he looked in all of his videos? Or stillshots? Or anything??
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:38 am
Rory's expression blanked, because she couldn't process what he was saying to her.
Akio was...
He had scared her for...for that.
"God, you are a jerk!" She squeaked, moving onto her knees so she could punch his arm. "You scared me Akio." She didn't know what possibility had frightened her the most, but she hadn't expected his potentially shameful thing to be that he was in some japanese boy band. Akio looked like he belonged in one after all. She fell back onto the quilt, knees drawn up to her chest and a hand covering her face.
For a moment it was hard to tell if she was upset or not, but then she was laughing.
"Why were you so scared about that Akio? I like you, no silly boy band past is going to change that." Her hand covered her mouth when she shook her head at him. "Dummy." It wasn't long before she was crawling back over and planting herself securely in his lap, back to the screen because she cared more about focusing on him and not the film playing in the background. "This just means you're going to have to serenade me with your old songs," she teased, giving him an eskimo kiss.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:07 am
His ears burned bright red as she proceeded to giggle, finding amusement in his deepest, darkest secret.
Okay, one of his deepest, darkest secrets.
He took his licks the best he could, one hand moving to rub the spot on his arm where she'd playfully punched him. Before he could protest (not that he would), she was already crawling her way into his lap, that happy, beaming smile returning to her face. Infectious as it was, his worried look soon blossomed into a smile of its own.
He gave her a helpless shrug as she chided him for being worried, "I love you too, beautiful - I just... I know it all seems rather silly, but it's a big part of my past though I try not to...advertise it."
It was hard, trying to figure out how to convey his feelings towards his boy band lifestyle. So hard, in fact, that he completely missed his own word slip.
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:16 am
"Don't scare me like that Akio, you really had me --" Rory cut off in the middle of her sentence, blinking slowly as what he said hit her. Leaning back, she swallowed hard while her eyes searched his face. He hadn't - no, he couldn't have meant -
I love you too, beautiful.
Had she said I love you to him? No, she was almost certain she had used like. She didn't - did she?
"I -- " Rory was at an absolute loss for words, mind blanking but some how whirling at a rapid pace at the same time. There were two things that she was absolutely certain of; she liked Akio, a lot and that she didn't know if she was in love with him. Love was such a strong emotion and concept, especially when she had never experienced romantic love before.
Did she feel that for him? Did she love him?
Someone else came to mind when she tried to think about who she loved and she felt shame crawling through her petite frame.
"I don't...have a problem with that, dummy, but, um....I'm not ready..I don't know about...the other thing."
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Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 10:45 am
Her smile seemed to fall and with it, the lines of his lips tugged downwards as well. She'd gone from being almost ecstatically happy to looking nervous again - had she changed her mind about how she felt? Maybe the realization that he truly was some pompous doof - on a national level, even - had finally hit home and she was making second guesses about matters?
When she finally spoke up, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at her. She wasn't ready for... his past? How did she need to be ready for... something that had already happened? Wait, what?
Hands fell down beside him as he paused to backtrack. Something wasn't right and he wasn't connecting the dots, apparently. He'd told her he history in the performing arts, she'd laughed at him, said she'd liked him and that it was okay. He confirmed that he'd loved her too and was just worried abou--
Oh, hell.
It would probably be easy enough to claim it was a slip-up, that he'd meant it in a friendly manner as opposed to the daunting relationship kind. Friends could love friends, right? Simple. Easy. Perfect way to skate by.
And yet...
He'd already said it. It was out in the open. Even if he lied about the intention behind it, Akio already had a feeling that Aurora would see through his ruse. She was clever like that. He'd let his guard down and entertaining thoughts like that had managed to make what was supposed to be a relaxing evening into an awkward one. Way to go, Akio, way to go.
"Hey, hey. It's okay." One hand rose up to cup her cheek as he leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose. With everything out in the open, there was no need to remain frantic - what would happen, would happen. Right now, though, his focus was on trying to smooth over the anxious look on his beautiful girlfriend's face. "I didn't mean for it to come out this way, I'm sorry. I don't expect you to feel the same way, Aurora, it's really okay."
His head tilted and rested against hers as he offered her a small, almost coy-like smile. "I didn't forget about what we said: nice and slow. We'll keep taking things nice and slow, at your pace. You just have to forgive my heart, it made the decision for itself after being around you these past few months."
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