Three Months Later

"... Harrah's is fun, but there's one dealer that likes to work the Hold 'Em tables and I swear he cheats. What about the Audubon? They've got an aquarium and insectarium across the river, and the zoo is only a little ways down in the Garden District..."

Obi and Shirayuki were seated at a table on the patio of the Dry Dock Cafe. They had stopped to take a rest from walking, and Obi insisted that they had a specialty drink that he'd been craving for a while. It was a bright Sunday afternoon in May and the weather was warm with a clear sky, so the outdoor seating was really nice. The sounds of boats and cars filtered through the New Orleans air, mingling with the Jazz music being played by the gentleman sitting on a bench on the levee. The two of them had hopped on the ferry to Algiers Point earlier that day so Obi could see a man about some new speakers for the bar (which were actually very nice - they were being delivered the next day). Shirayuki had tagged along at Obi's request, his specific words being, "Come on, Miss. It's your day off, and you've hardly been out or seen any of the city. Live a little."

He was right. Since coming to New Orleans, the most sight-seeing she had done was when Obi had taken her shopping. She hadn't really gone outside at all since then except to take out the trash at the bar and to go to the bank one street over to cash her checks. She had offered to do the grocery shopping, but that was also something he apparently paid Geneva to do, and he didn't want to cut Geneva's pay. So Shirayuki hadn't really left the building since she first met Obi.

"The aquarium would probably be nice, though there - "

The sound of a ship horn interrupted her. Looking over, they could see a Carnival Cruise ship leaving the docks, and it just narrowly missed the ferry crossing the river.

Obi chuckled. "You were saying, Miss?"

"Um…" While, yes, getting out and experiencing the city was a pleasant idea in theory, it didn't change the fact that going out and doing anything was more than likely going to cost money. "Well, I don't really know…" she finally replied. "I mean, I should save my money. A freeloader like me shouldn't be spending frivolously on something like an outing."

"Did I mention you paying for anything?" he asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair with a smile. The motion really accentuated the muscles in his forearms at that moment, and the black t-shirt he was wearing clung to his chest in that position, which also brought attention to the ripples hidden under the thin material there. "Miss, a freeloader wouldn't leave piles of money around her boss's home trying to pay her way."

Shirayuki gaped. It was the first time he'd mentioned that out loud.

Working at Juke's did really well for her. She was hauling in regular paychecks on top of the generous tips she tended to receive, usually from drunken frat boys or her regular customers. However, she was trying to build a boat, not just keep her head above the water. She needed to save every dime she could if she wanted to become self-sufficient again. The only time she willingly put out money for anything was when she tried to pay Obi for groceries or the power bill, or even a few dollars for rent. She even tried to pay him back for the clothes.

Obi wasn't having it though. At first, she tried to directly approach him with cash in hand for the food bill. As she stood before him, holding out the wrinkly stack of money, he just looked down at her and laughed a "no" before walking away. He pretty much did the same thing when she tried to give him cash for the clothes, the electric bill, and when she tried to pay him something for rent. Each time he would just walk away. From there, they turned it into a type of game.

First, Shirayuki just placed the money in an envelope and left it on his nightstand. Later, she found the same envelope in her hoodie pocket, which had been hanging by the door. Then she tried leaving it on the coffee table on his usual side of the couch. He left it there. She did too. After that, when she tried to give him money for her clothes, he again just walked away. So, she shoved that into an envelope and hid it under one of his boots by the door.

Again, he left it there.

Now, three months after she had started trying to pay him back, there were random envelopes stuffed with money all over the place. On the floor by the door, on the bathroom counter, in the liquor cabinet in the kitchen, the coffee tables, the tv… She was honestly running out of ideas of where else she might could leave them.

Even still, Obi ignored the blatantly placed envelopes, just leaving them there as a testament to their battle of wills.

Her second plan was to just refuse her paychecks. She did just fine with her tips, so the loss of the paycheck wasn't a huge hit. She did Obi the same way he did her - when he tried to hand her her check, she would just walk away without a word. But then Obi caught on pretty quickly, and started leaving her checks in random places she would find them. So, on top of the multiple envelopes of cash stashed around the house, there were also random envelopes with checks in them everywhere, too.

Even without including the money in those envelopes, though, she could still honestly say she had saved up quite a bit in four months. She figured it would only be another month or two before she could afford a place of her own. Maybe not a great place, but she figured somewhere on West Bank may be within her budget. But only if she continued saving every penny possible.

"I'd feel better about it if you'd just take the piles of money."

"Maybe," he smirked. "But why would I do that? Watching you get flustered over it is way funnier." He laughed, his aureate eyes glinting in the bright sunlight. Before Shirayuki could respond, the waitress suddenly appeared at the table with a pad of paper and pen.

"What can I get for y'all?" she asked, her southern accent apparent.

Before Shirayuki could say, "Nothing for me," Obi spoke first.

"Two Sex on the Levees. And do you guys still do that Seafood Delaronde thing?"

Shirayuki tilted her head at that. Two drinks in the middle of the day? He must have been serious about that craving.

"Yes sir, is that what you'd like to order?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks," he said, flashing her a quick grin as he passed her the menu.

"Sure thing. Ma'am?" The waitress looked at her expectantly.

"I'm fine, thank you." Shirayuki could feel her stomach protest her answer, since it had been nagging at her the moment she smelled the delicious food wafting from inside. No matter, though. She didn't need it. It was an unnecessary expense when there was already food at home.

'Home…' Thinking of Obi's place as home always gave her such an odd feeling.

"No problem. Be back in just a minute with your drinks."

As the waitress sidled back inside, Obi leaned forward to prop his elbows on the table with folded hands, looking at her. "So," he started. "Again, what is something you've been wanting to do here? We've got all day and it's my treat."

"Again, I technically owe you money, so - "

"My. Treat," he stressed again, not letting her finish. He raised an eyebrow at her, silently telling her he was awaiting her decision.

"Uh…" Even back in Tanbarun, Shirayuki never went out and did much. Occasionally a friend (well, what she passed for friends, as she was never really close with anyone) would drag her to a club or something similar, but she was more of a homebody than anything. "Can… Can I have a little time to think about it?"

"Of course," he said brightly, beaming. "We'll go back across the river when we're done here and see if we can figure out something you'd like to do."

Shirayuki relaxed at that.

In the past four months, her and Obi had pretty much become best friends. He was literally the closest friend she had ever had. They joked and laughed together, watched TV together, cooked together, played games with each other… It was honestly a bit surreal to have become so close to someone so quickly for Shirayuki. Maybe it was the side-effect of living together, but it was nice. And while she couldn't speak for him, he never once indicated that she was any kind of trouble or bother to him. She would even go as far as saying he seemed to enjoy her company just as much as she did his. It was starting to feel like she was indebted to him much more deeply than just financially.

"Here's your drinks," suddenly came the voice of the waitress. Approaching the table, she set the drinks in front of the two. "Your Seafood Delaronde will be out in just a few minutes. Y'all need anything else right now?"

"We're good, thanks," Obi answered cheerfully, picking up his drink and taking a sip.

"Alright, let me know if ya need anything." With that, she disappeared inside again.

Shirayuki reached forward, picking up the glass the waitress had mistakenly set in front of her and setting it in front of him. "Here, she probably didn't realize these were both yours."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Miss," he said, his devious smile half-hidden behind his glass. "I only ordered one drink."

Shirayuki immediately gave him a skeptical look. "No, you ordered… I mean, you said two - "

"No, no," he argued, taking another sip. "I specifically remember ordering one. Both of you probably misheard me. But it's alright. You should have the other one, anyway. I think you might enjoy a little Sex on the Levee."

Shirayuki felt her face flame up to the roots of her hair, and a tingle shot up her spine at the sultry way his words rolled from his tongue. She leaned back with shocked green eyes, wide and staring. Stuttering over her words, she tried to figure out how to respond without much luck. "I-I didn't… I m-mean you can't j-just… Why would y-you - "

At that, Obi burst into laughter, setting his drink on the table so he could clutch his sides as he threw his head back in a delightful howl. It took him a minute to pull himself back together before finally saying, "I'm just teasing you, Miss. You make it too easy sometimes. But seriously." He grabbed the second glass by the rim and slid it back in front of her. "It's delicious. I think you'll like it."

Shirayuki gave him an unamused look. "You think you're so funny, don't you?"

"Absolutely," he said without hesitation. "I think I'm hilarious. Drink up, Miss."

She gave him a disapproving glare as she picked up the glass, bringing it to her lips to take a tentative taste. Jade eyes widening in surprise, she said, "It's good! What's in this? I can taste the rum and club soda…"

"Passion fruit," he said simply, taking another sip. "I mean, yeah, I can make one myself, but I think this location just makes it taste better. I like this place."

"It certainly is a nice little dive," she agreed, taking another drink. "Not too crowded since it's not on the other side of the river. And… taking the ferry was fun too. I… I had never been on a boat before. The view of the river was lovely."

"Never been on a boat before?" he asked, recoiling in surprise. His brow furrowed as he seemed to think on something for a long moment before looking up and snapping his finger in an "Ah-ha!" moment. "I know what we can do! Ehh…" He hesitated and looked down, contemplating his thoughts for another moment. "Well, it'd probably be better if we did it later this afternoon or this evening." Looking back up at her, he continued with an excited grin. "So, Miss, how about we check out Jackson Square and the French Market for a bit after this?"

"Sounds like fun," she replied warmly, giving him a bright smile. Shirayuki couldn't seem to ignore the way his elated expression made her stomach flutter.

"Oh, what's going on over here?"

After the two left the cafe (both pleasantly full from the seafood dish Obi had insisted she help him with because, "Please, Miss. Do you not see the amount of food on this plate? I'm only one man. Why would you let me suffer like that?" and then a, "Do you really want me to be reheating seafood leftovers in the house? In the microwave?!") and hopped back over the river on the Algiers ferry, they made their first destination the French Market. The market was filled to the brim with a wild assortment of clothes, jewelry, trinkets, and food. Though Shirayuki had no plans to buy anything, she still had a great time looking around and hanging out with Obi.

Her question was in reference to the crowd she saw by the cathedral in Jackson Square. There were quite a few people gathered around in a circle, but she couldn't see what they were watching. Instead, she heard some weird ringing noise. It wasn't bad though. It sounded… pleasant.

Obi gave her a smirk. "Let's go find out."

Walking up on the crowd, Obi somehow managed to clear room for Shirayuki to slip through and see what was happening. There was a man standing behind a table there, and the table itself was covered in crystal drinking glasses filled with varying levels of water. The man was running his fingers back and forth over different glass rims, causing the crystal to sing. He was playing some melody she didn't recognize, but it was a beautiful sound.

"That's incredible!" she said excitedly, looking back at Obi. She caught him staring at her, but it was brief before he gave her a beaming smile. The two of them listened to and watched the man play a few different tunes on the glasses before finally exiting the crowd and making their way to the street, which was lined with several horse-drawn carriages.

Pulling out his phone and checking the time, Obi said, "Well, Miss. It's almost four o'clock. We should probably head to our next destination."

"Are you going to tell me where?" she asked, walking beside him as they ambled up the sidewalk towards the docks.

"You'll see when we get there." He gave her a wink, causing a slight heat to rise to her cheeks.

Walking down the sidewalk for several minutes, Shirayuki could hear another strange type of music vibrating through the air. This time, however, it sounded more like carnival music. As they drew closer to the docks, she could see a couple of different boats positioned there. However, they weren't ordinary boats.

"Oh wow," Shirayuki breathed, looking up at the impressive constructs. Two massive steamboats were positioned in front of them. On the side of one, it read "Natchez", while the other one read "Creole Queen". The one called Natchez had pipes sticking up from the top deck, from which puffs of smoke billowed in quick bursts as they emitted the tune she was hearing. "Is that a calliope?"

"Sure is," he said, gently placing a hand on her back and leading her towards it. "But you'll have plenty of time to ask questions and learn about it. Come on, Miss. It's time to board."

"I can't believe you decided to bring me here," Shirayuki said, again, for probably about the fifth time.

She and Obi were on the third floor deck of the steamboat, watching the sunset as the giant paddle-wheel below churned into the river to propel the boat forward. They had had an amazing meal of down-home cajun cooking, which was served buffet-style to the guests of The Steamboat Natchez. There was also a live jazz band to serenade the guests, and she couldn't help but think that they weren't half bad to listen to. After finishing their meal (and Obi embarrassing her with a few naughty jokes loud enough for others to hear) Shirayuki and Obi explored every inch of the steamboat they were allowed to. They took the small museum tour, and made sure to inspect all the different levels before raiding the souvenir shop.

The redhead really didn't want to buy anything unnecessary, but her willpower very nearly caved when she saw a little charm bracelet that had a tiny steamboat charm on it. When she found it, she told Obi how she had always wanted a charm bracelet to start keeping charms of important things in her life, but since she hadn't started young, she felt it was too late to begin now.

After all was said and done, the two of them decided to head to the top deck and watch the sunset. The boat was already on its way back to the starting point, having gone as far down the river as they allowed. Surprisingly, there weren't as many guests as she thought there would be, so besides the three other couples towards the front of the top deck, they pretty well had their own space to watch and relax. Shirayuki's eyes absentmindedly followed the old run-down Dominos sugar factory as their boat passed it by, and she barely registered the fact that several of the windows were broken on it.

"Again, it's no big deal," he said nonchalantly, bringing her attention back to him as he, once again, brushed off her gushing. Leaning forward and resting his forearms on the railing, he turned his gaze from the sunset to look at her, his bright honey-colored eyes soft. "You said you'd never been on a boat before today. And maybe it's just me, but I don't think a ferry really counts. At least, it shouldn't."

"It's very different from anything I've ever done before," she admitted, leaning forward and resting her forearms on the railing as well, looking out into the sunset. The breeze ruffled her hood, a few long strands of red hair slipping out from under it. "I never really did much back in Tanbarun. Aside from working the bar, my grandparents and I never really did go out or take many vacations. If I ever did anything with my friends, it was to just go to a nightclub in the inner city or go to the movies. I don't lead a very interesting life."

"I wouldn't say that, Miss," he smirked at her briefly before returning his gaze back to the sunset to match hers. "I'd say your life is very much interesting. Not everyone can say they're on the run from a filthy rich billionaire. Or that they abandoned their life for their freedom. Or even that they've smashed a crate over someone's head."

Shirayuki laughed, but it was cut short as a large gust of wind finally knocked her hood from her head, letting her long red hair loose. "Oh!" She scrambled around to sweep her hair into one hand so she could tie it back and cover it once more, but Obi stopped her.

"You should leave it," he said, standing up straight as he crossed his hands behind his head nonchalantly. When she tilted her head at him in question, Obi lowered his arms and gripped his shoulder with one hand. Tilting his head with a wide smile, he continued, "It looks nice."

Shirayuki was caught off guard by the random compliment. "Um," she tried, bringing both hands to grip the length of red hair at her shoulder nervously. "Sure. This uh… This hoodie is getting a bit warm anyways. I'll just…"

Tapering off her train of thought, she grabbed the hem of her hoodie and pulled it off, exposing the white tank top she was wearing underneath. The relief from the heat was instant, the cool breeze from the moving boat caressing her exposed skin pleasantly. After combing her fingers through her hair a couple of times to make it appear manageable, she tucked a few wayward strands behind her ear and looked up at him with a smile. "Much better."

She noticed he was staring at her, his lips slightly parted with a distant look in his eyes. After a moment, he seemed to snap out of it. "Uh, right," he said quickly, turning to face the sunset pointedly. She followed suit, staring off over the water.

The two stood there for a while just enjoying the passing scenery, neither of them speaking until after the sun had finally given way to the darkness and the city lights were in view. They made idle chatter and jokes as the boat docked and they disembarked. When they made it out to the street, Shirayuki couldn't keep her thoughts to herself anymore.

"Um…" she tried sheepishly, scratching the back of her head as she peeked at Obi awkwardly. "Would you mind if we find somewhere to rest for a few minutes? My feet are kind of killing me after being on them all day and it's a bit of a walk back to the bar. I don't know how you do it."

"Ehh, to be honest, Miss," he said, scratching the back of his head as well. "I'm kinda tired too. But I have just the thing for that." Stepping out towards the street, he threw his arm out. In the next moment, a man on a bicycle that was pulling a two-person cart behind him stopped before us. Looking back at Shirayuki, Obi asked, "Ever ridden in a pedicab?"

Shirayuki looked at the contraption curiously. "No, I can't say I have. So this is like a…"

"A taxi, yes. Except this way is much more fun and easier to get around the city with. Hey man," Obi said, turning to address the driver (peddler?), "can you cut through Bourbon?"

The metal balcony was vibrating with laughter as Shirayuki and Obi approached the back door from the stairs, Obi pulling his keys from his pocket with one hand while holding an almost-empty drink in the other. The drink was in a neon green container, shaped like a hand grenade at the bottom with a long stem at the top, complete with a tiny floating grenade in the yellowish concoction. Shirayuki was clutching a similar drink, only about halfway gone, though she was clearly much more affected by it. She swayed a bit as she waited for Obi to unlock the door and open it wide enough for her to saunter through. Making an unsteady beeline for the couch, she flopped down onto it unceremoniously while holding her drink in a way it wouldn't spill. Obi shut the door behind himself and locked it before joining her.

Dropping down onto the couch as well, Obi picked up the remote and turned on the TV. As Shirayuki sipped on her drink a bit more, he flipped through the channels trying to find something interesting to watch. Late night T.V. was usually pretty boring, but sometimes they would luck out and find an interesting nature show. If all else failed, the aliens on the History channel were entertaining enough.

"Why are there six different channels playing Harry Potter right now?" he asked, brow furrowed as he clicked through the menu. "It's not even Christmas."

"Just put on Ancient Aliens," Shirayuki mumbled, taking another sip. Her cheeks felt very warm, and she was nice and floaty. She was honestly surprised at just how strong her drink was. A few chugs in, Obi had to advise her to slow down as the drink solely consisted of seven different straight liquors. Shockingly, however, it didn't burn, and it tasted exactly like pineapple juice, which made it harder to pace herself.

"Again?" he asked incredulously, pausing his clicking to look at her as he pulled his straw to his lips.

As he paused to take a sip, she responded, "Well, what you youuu suggest?" with a drunken lilt.

"I don't know."

"Then give me the remote," she giggled, reaching over to snatch away the small controller.

"Not a chance, Miss," he replied with a chuckle, holding the remote out of her reach. She got to her knees on the couch and tried leaning over him to reach it, but his arms were much too long. After only a moment, she was basically pressed flush against him as she did her best to claw away the object, but he could only laugh as he easily held her back and the remote out of her reach. After several frustrating moments of reaching and struggling with Obi, Shirayuki let out one last irritated huff before fully lunging, knocking Obi over backwards. His head landed on the cushy arm rest and caused the remote to clatter away on the floor.

The two of them were laughing uncontrollably, not even minding the bit of drink that sloshed out from both their cups. Shirayuki was sprawled across his chest, her head still in the crook of his neck from where he was using his body to hold her back. Both their chests rose and fell harshly as they tried to catch their breath and laugh at the same time.

It took a very long moment for Shirayuki to realize her legs were straddling Obi's waist. The alcohol buzzed through her system, making her revelation come in slow motion. Getting one arm under herself, she did her best to lift her face from his neck. Her hand happened to be on a pillow, so it slipped from beneath her hand. She shut her eyes, knowing she was probably about to headbutt the hell out of Obi. In actuality, however, she felt both his hands clamp around her upper arms, just narrowly stopping her face from colliding with his. She opened her eyes, breathing harshly as they met those beautiful cat-like orbs. Obi seemed to stop breathing altogether, his brow furrowing in an expression she was uncertain of. It pulled at his forehead, twisting the scar he had there slightly. Only then did Shirayuki realize he had a scar there. Eyes locking with his, she realized that he was giving her an unusual look. Like a mix of heat and discomfort. She found him captivating, and they looked at each other for a lot longer than should have been necessary.

"Uhm, Miss?" he asked, the very slightest waver in his voice.

His voice snapped her to, and suddenly she was scrambling off him and back to her side of the couch. "Oh! I'm so… sorry. I guess… Those drinks are really strong. I think… Think I'm gonna go to bed." Her last few words came out in a slur. Obi only seemed to contemplate something for a quick moment before standing. It was hard to tell from the dim light of the TV, but his face almost looked flushed.

"Come on, then. I'll help you up the stairs, lightweight."

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