Chapter Eleven.
A date with the Saluja.
Alibaba had to admit that he was nervous. He had arranged a reseveration at a decent restaurant, and Ja'far had offered to pay, as thanks for staying over and as a reward for winning the match. Currently, Alibaba was occupied with pacing in front of the restaurant. Sharrkan was running late, and neither Ja'far nor Morgiana had arrived yet. 'She wouldn't bail on me, would she? I wouldn't know what to do if that happend.' He thought.
''Alibaba-kun, you look like you are going to be sick. Don't you like fish?'' a female voice suddenly asked. ''Mor? You're here!'' he cheered elated. ''Of course I am. You requested me to come here, right?'' she asked.''Yeah, I suppose I did. Nii-san and Ja'far aren't here yet.'' he said. ''Ja'far is picking up Sharrkan, your brother had gotten himself detention.'' Morgiana explained. ''No suprise there. Wait, how do you know?'' Alibaba asked.
''My brother texted me.'' she said, dangling her phone. ''Ah.'' Alibaba said, feeling stupid for asking. ''Ja'far texted me as well, we could go ahead and order some appetizers.'' she explained. ''Ah, sounds good. No use staying here in the cold.'' Alibaba said, attempting to open the door for Morgiana, but she was a bit faster, as she opened the door first.
She gave him a playful shove, causing Alibaba to tumble in. Her face reddened a bit, she'd forgotten that she was that strong. ''Alibaba-kun, are you alright?'' she asked. ''Yeah, yeah. Let's just go ahead, see if our table is ready.'' he said, as he got up, wiping some dust off his shoulder. Morgiana nodded, glad Alibaba was undisturbed. Alibaba had reserved quite the table. It was near the window, and therefore, overlooked the beach.
''Wow.'' he said, pressing his nose against the window, ''Look at the view, Mor. It's spectacular.'' Their waiter, a boy around Alibaba's age, chuckled as he said, ''It's quite the view, isn't it, sir. I hope everything is up to your expectations.'' Alibaba managed to take his eyes of the view for a moment, as he replied, ''It sure is. Our friends will arrive a bit later, but I'm sure they are going to be impressed as well.''
The waiter bowed, ''Thank you very much. My name is Hakuryuu. Please tell me when you need anything, or any special wishes you may have. I'll be your waiter for tonight.'' he said. ''Ah, great. My name is Alibaba, and this is Morgiana.'' Alibaba said, as the girl just nodded at the waiter. ''A pleasure to meet you. By any means, sit down if you want.'' Hakuryuu said. They both sat down, before ordering something to drink.
''I'd like some tea.'' Alibaba said. ''Certainly sir. And the lady?'' Hakuryuu asked, making Morgiana look up, still frowning. Only Alibaba could tell that she was actually flattered. ''Water will do.'' she said. ''W-water, of course. Coming up right away.'' Hakuryuu squeaked, before bolting towards the kitchen. 'He must be busy.' Mor figured, before enjoying the view as well. ''It looks really impressive, doesn't it?'' she said, and Alibaba looked up. He blushed, before nodding. ''Yeah, it sure does.'' he said, deciding not to tell that he meant her, rather than the sea.
''How did you wind up in detention on such an important day as this. You're really letting your own brother down.'' Ja'far scolded, as he dragged Sharrkan towards the restaurant. ''It's not like I go to detention because I want to.'' Sharrkan sulked. ''I know that, but we're supposed to support them.'' Ja'far said.
''It's Mor and Alibaba.'' Sharrkan deadpanned. ''Your point?'' Ja'far asked, and Sharrkan thought it over for a moment. ''Oh my god, those two are more hopeless than you are. How could I've been so reckless?'' he said dramatically. ''Okay, probably not to that extent, but yeah, they do need a little push in the right direction.'' Ja'far said. ''A subtle push that is.'' he added, to be sure. One could never be too cautious around Sharrkan.
''I am the master of subtlety.'' Sharrkan said, as they neared the restaurant. ''Vegas. The pushing me to Sin this morning. Any girl you flirted with after every match.'' Ja'far listed the examples of Sharrkan's supposedly greatest non-subtle moments. ''See, plenty subtle.'' Sharrkan grinned, before he went in. 'This is going to end up bad. I'm so sorry, Mor.' Ja'far thought, before following his date-that-wasn't.
''Wow, that's a pretty view.'' was the first thing Sharrkan said, when he had spotted Alibaba and Morgiana. Ja'far looked over, the seating was near a window, with a view of the beach. ''It is really pretty.'' he said, as he hung up his coat. ''Shot gun.'' Sharrkan called, before rushing over. ''It's like a toddler.'' Ja'far sighed to himself, before the waiter asked him if everything was alright. ''Sure thing.'' Ja'far said with a smile, thanking the waiter, before heading towards the group.
As Sharrkan seemed to have engaged in a battle with his brother over the seat next to the window, Ja'far took the seat next to Morgiana. ''I'm sorry we are so late.'' he said. ''I don't mind.'' she said, ''We talked about school, and the match that Alibaba-kun had won.'' she added. ''Ah, good.'' Ja'far praised her. ''And now we can join our fun double date.'' Alibaba suddenly added, as Sharrkan huffed and took the chair next to Alibaba.
''For this to be a double date, shouldn't the other pair actually date as well?'' Sharrkan asked, before adding, ''I could always call Sin and-...Ouch!'' Ja'far gave him a kick underneath the table. ''Shut up.'' he hissed, before smiling, ''Fun it should be. I heard some great stories about this place. They cook live in the restaurant, and serve the fish the minute it's done. It appears to be a spectacle, and I know few restaurants that dine along with the chef.'' Ja'far explained.
''Oh, that's sounds good.'' Morgiana said. ''Really?'' Alibaba asked, ''That sounds amazing.'' ''Just like the two of you together, unbelievably great.'' Sharrkan said, gaining a blush from both Morgiana and Alibaba, as Ja'far gave him a glare that just spelled, 'Really? Subtle?' ''So, detention. Spill the beans, what did you do?'' he asked, trying to break the awkwardness. ''Ah yeah, this must be good. Nii-san always does something stupid if he needs to stay for detention.'' Alibaba said.
Before Sharrkan could reply, Hakuryuu came back. ''A cup of tea, and one water. Ah, your friends have arrived.'' he said, as he served the drinks. ''They sure did.'' Alibaba said, giving his brother an annoyed look. ''The chef will start to cook within fifteen minutes. Can I offer you anything in the meantime?'' Hakuryuu asked. ''We'll be fine, right Mor?'' Alibaba asked, and Morgiana nodded, thanking him quietly for the water.
''Oh, can I have something with alcohol?'' Sharrkan asked, an idea Alibaba instantly vetoed. ''We'll have some tea as well.'' Ja'far said, before looking at Mor's water, ''Make that three tea, if possible one with strawberry flavour.'' he said. ''Of course, sir.'' Hakuryuu said, before fetching their drinks. ''You like strawberry?'' Alibaba asked. ''No, but I know for a fact Morgiana does.'' Ja'far said, indicating Morgiana's glass of water. ''But she'd never order it herself.'' he added.
Morgiana blushed, she had thought that bringing Ja'far would make her feel more comfortable. Somehow she should have known that her friend would be able to tell Alibaba a lot about her. ''Strawberry is sweet, so it does suit her.'' Alibaba said thoughtfully. 'Great going, Alibaba.' Ja'far praised in his head, but of course, Sharrkan just had to open his mouth. ''Ugh, so corny. Morgiana is badass, so she's more like a bramble.''
Ja'far rolled his eyes, she might seem badass, but one could hardly meet anyone as kind as Morgiana. ''Ooh, that's a fun question. What fruit would you be?'' Alibaba asked, making Sharrkan ponder. ''He'll be occupied thinking for the upcoming five to ten minutes. Better think of a new subject to think about in that time'' Alibaba whispered, making Morgiana chuckle. 'So clever.' Ja'far thought, as he watched them chat about possible outcomes.
Morgiana seemed to visibly relax, or so he noticed. ''Here you go, your teas.'' Hakuryuu said, as he served the warm beverage. ''Thanks a bunch.'' Alibaba said, and the waiter nodded thankfully, before helping out another table. ''Nice waiter, seems like he likes his job. Come to think of it, Ja'far, what kind of work do you do?'' Alibaba asked, and Morgiana was kinda curious as well. ''Nothing too spectacular, I can assure you that.'' Ja'far said, before they heard the noise of a lot of cutlery.
''It seems like they are about to begin.'' Morgiana said, feeling excited, she was very curious to see how they'd prepare dinner. ''So it seems. Amazing to be able to cook in the middle of so many guests. I feel embarrased when I work with four pits, and try to figure out when to cook what ingredient.'' Alibaba said, before asking, ''Can you cook, Mor?'' 'Not really.' Morgiana wanted to say, but it felt embarrassing to admit to such a thing.
It was not that she couldn't do it at all, her brother just preferred to cook, and she hadn't bothered to make food, not when Masrur insisted it would be fine. And she didn't mind, because it gave her time for other hobbies such as dancing. 'This silence is getting weird, I should answer by now.' she figured, as she shook her head. ''She makes the best smoothies, though.'' Ja'far said with a smile.
Morgiana gave him a look, making smoothies wasn't that impressive. All she required was a bowl, ice cream, milk, fruit- depending on the desired flavour, a whisk and some strength. Anyone with the strength of the Fanalis siblings could do that. ''Wow, really? I love smoothies, I'd like to try one sometime.'' Alibaba said. She cocked her head, was Alibaba really that enthousiastic? ''Sure.'' she said.
''Oooh, cherry.'' Sharrkan suddenly said, making the three look at him. ''That was faster than anticipated. Why exactly, are you a cherry?'' Ja'far asked. ''No, I heard smoothies. I want cherry.'' Sharrkan said. Ja'far let out a sigh, before he said, ''You were thinking about what fruit you were. Don't you have an answer yet?'' Sharrkan shook his head, before restarting the thinking process.
''You're good at this. I practiced it a lot with nii-san as well. The distracting method, that is.'' Alibaba said. ''I've had years of practice with Sin. A shiny ball, or a bead does the trick as well.'' Ja'far said drily. ''Try a flashlight, and then shine it upon a wall. It's funny.'' Alibaba joked. ''I think he'd be a pineapple.'' Morgiana answered in all honesty, before adding, ''You would be a banana, Alibaba-kun.'' she said. Banana's went well enough with strawberry's, right?
Ja'far had to put a hand in front of his mouth, trying to contain his laughter. ''Of course, Ja'far would be a Lychee.'' she added, making him stop laughing. ''Banana's are soft and good for your health. How exactly am I a banana?'' Alibaba asked. ''You bruise easily, and a smile that you carry around, which could be like the shape of a banana.'' Ja'far said. Morgiana nodded, Ja'far had at least tried to think of an explanation.
''Ah. I get it. So, my brother is as sturdy as a pineapple, but with an actual sweet core. And Ja'far-'' Ja'far stopped him right there, ''Look, they're starting.'' he said, making Morgiana turn. ''That doesn't work on me.'' Alibaba mouthed, but watched in amusement as the chef made his way to the grill, in the middle of the restaurant, followed by Hakuryuu, who pushed forward the cart with fish.
''Good evening, my name is Ren, and I'll be your chef for tonight.'' the giant red haired chef said. People clapped as he started cutting the fish expertly, making a bit of a show as he did so. Soon enough, he was grilling, and Hakuryuu started preparing a lot of salads. It was kind of amazing how fast they went. ''Wow, that smells really good.'' Sharrkan commented, who was watching in amazement as well.
Soon enough, the dishes were served. Their mouths watered as they received their plates. ''This is fantastic, Alibaba, you picked a great place.'' Sharrkan said. ''I have great taste.'' Alibaba said, eyeing Morgiana, who was occupied with devouring the fish. Sharrkan couldn't help, but have the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips. 'So smooth. They didn't actually need us at all.' Ja'far thought, wishing he could be as smooth with Sinbad. Instead of lingering on that thought, he decided to try the fish.
''Wow, this ís good.'' Ja'far said, and Morgiana nodded in agreement. ''Almost as good as my brothers food. Come over for dinner sometime, Morgiana. Alibaba only really puts effort in it when we have a guest.'' Sharrkan said. ''Hey.'' Alibaba objected, but didn't deny it. Sharrkan didn't appreciate most things like he did, but would just shove it in his mouth and devour it. '' Morgiana sat awkwardly, mouth full, unable to answer right away.
''If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back. Sharrkan, could you check my coat for my wallet, I'll join you there.'' Ja'far said, and before the tanned athlete could protest, Ja'far headed towards the toilets. ''Sorry, gotta help my student out.'' he said, leaving a grinning Alibaba, and a blushing Morgiana. ''So, what did you really want?'' Sharrkan said, once Ja'far turned up. ''I did call you over because you're not playing it subtle. Morgiana is shy, we shouldn't be that obvious, or she will leave.'' Ja'far said.
''Aha. You see, there is a reason why I became your coach. Here is why, I'm good at it! Firstly, the compliments are supposed to embarras them, it's where they gain understanding for each other, and thusfar, they confirmed the positive things about each other. Secondly, the spacing out thing. I'm not dense enough to be distracted by something shiny, unlike your Sinbad, because, really, who does that? I can assure you that I'm just pretening to be spaced out. You, however, did interfere, but had you spaced out as well, they would have made jokes, and flirted. The fruit thingie, all a comparison method. Don't you know strawberry and banana go well together? So do those two.''
Ja'far stared bewildered. ''And third, the occasional pun I made gives Alibaba the confidence he needs to say the good things, like when he said that he had great taste. So, still to un-subtle for your taste? And, still wondering why I am helping you out, rather then the other way around?'' Sharrkan sarcastically asked. ''It's amazing what goes on in that mind of yours. You actually thought this through. So, the detention?'' Ja'far asked, somewhat impressed. ''Ah, ehr, that was, nothing I had planned beforehand.'' Sharrkan admitted. ''What did you do?'' Ja'far asked. ''Nothing in particular. Let's head back to them.'' Sharrkan said, taking a few steps already. ''You didn't find my wallet yet.'' Ja'far deadpanned as he drew it from his rear pantpocket. ''Smartass.'' Sharrkan snorted, as he headed back to their table.
''Why do you suppose they really left us?'' Morgiana asked. ''I think Ja'far wanted some time alone with Sharrkan.'' Alibaba responded innocently. ''Ah, the mentor thing is still on, then?'' Morgiana asked. ''Yeah... Well, sorta, we'll see them together more, I think. I'm glad that we came here.'' Alibaba said. ''It's a nice place for a first date.'' he added, before blushing furiously. Morgiana joined him, as she asked, ''This is a first date?'' ''Unless you dont want it to be.'' Alibaba said, adding in his mind, 'Kinda hope you want it to be.' She smiled, ''I want it to be the first.'' she said, before adding, ''First implies that there are more to follow.''
''There will be. I can cook for you the next time.'' he said. ''So.., this means you'd like to go out with me? Like.., a relationship?'' she asked. Alibaba nodded, and Morgiana felt herself exhale. Knowing Alibaba it could've taken ages to say so. They smiled lovingly, each elated that the significant other had confessed as well. Of course, that's when Ja'far and Sharrkan returned. ''Something going on?'' Sharrkan asked. ''Nah.'' they both answered simultaniously.