Thursday, Apartment, Morning
As the Sun pierced through the glass panes of his room, Michael arose from his sheets in a tired fashion, yawning softly. He had to get out of bed soon as there was much to be done. Along with the typical morning routine of brushing his teeth and showering, there was also the need to make some breakfast for himself before leaving to take on the day.
Stepping into the kitchen with the aroma of sweet apples wafting from his skin, his eyes trained onto the large metal box that promised the ingredients needed for his breakfast. Since he had already planned to go to the gym in the coming night after his date with Nikki, this gave him the time to make another sizable breakfast. The promises of delectable ingredients for his recipe were swiftly shattered as emerald orbs scoured the inside of the refrigerator, a disappointed sigh leaving his lungs as he fished out the remaining ingredients to concoct his morning meal.
"That sucks. I could've sworn I had more strawberries in here." He said as he nudged the door shut with a foot. All he needed were those small, red and delightful berries to complete everything. The lack of which bothered him not; he could just make normal pancakes instead of the strawberry ones. He could also have some fruit on the side as he often does-
"You're kidding. I'm out of fruit here too..?" Michael blinked as he stared at an empty metallic basket that was once populated with fruits such as apples, oranges and avocados.
"Yeesh. Guess I'm going fruitless today." He said as the plans he had for the morning were replaced with a much-needed trip to the market. The lack of fruit in his breakfast didn't bother him much since he had been making more exceptions in his diet as of late. It didn't annoy him, but if Haric were in his place then he'd already be out the door on the hunt for groceries.
Preparing the same breakfast as he did yesterday, his pocket began vibrating as somebody was calling him.
"Hey Haric." Michael nestled his phone between his shoulder and cheek, pouring batter into his pan. If his phone's alarm somehow failed to go off in the morning then the call from Haric would be the next best thing. He had no need to scream at Michael over the phone to wake him up either since his motorcycle provided all the noise one could ever need to awaken the artist.
"Morning Michael! You sleep alright last night?" He asked as the wind roared alongside his motorbike. Michael winced at the incessant bellows of the outside, shifting the cooking batter around in his pan before responding.
"I kind of did. I'm feeling a little stiff so I'm gonna do some yoga at the gym tonight." He was feeling stiff as of late, a majority of that in his back and legs.
"Did you do your stretches after exercising like I told you?" Haric was Michael's go-to guy for fitness advice, and he had much reason to trust him since he had worked out with him ever since college.
"Yyyyyyeah..?" He didn't.
"That's a load of BS Mikey." Despite not him being there, Michael could see his friend wagging his finger at him like a parent.
"That's what happens if you don't stretch. You get tight!" His friend had made it an effort to guide Michael, and although they had been doing this for years at this point there were always going to be small kinks to work out.
"I know I know. I got too caught up in doing other things and it just slipped my mind." Michael tried to formulate an excuse, but he knew that there was none to be made.
"That slipped your mind whilst you slipped something else into somewhere else huh?" Haric's playful jab made Michael blink.
"She told you, didn't she?" He sighed.
"Nah, I just assumed it happened. She forgot her earrings at the gym yesterday and when I went to her place to drop them off her babysitter said you two went out." So that's what happened. Haric pieced the puzzle together with the story that Tiffany had given him.
"Congrats on that by the way." He chimed out as Michael shook his head.
"Thanks. How did you know where she lived?" He replied sarcastically, wanting to move on from his nightly activities.
"Oh! She sometimes asks me to come over to watch her kid when her other babysitter is at her university." That would explain him knowing where Kyanna lived. It seemed like he only knew her inside the gym but it turns out he was friends with her outside the gym too!
"That makes sense. You can't stop making friends." Michael said as he flipped his pancake.
"Anyway, I'm guessing you're on the way to the gym right now?" As if it were going to be any different. Of course Haric was going to be headed to the gym. He always goes to the gym in the morning-
"Nope! I have a shoot I've got to get to!" Haric stated.
"Dude it's seven in the morning. Why would your boss want you to model this early?" Michael asked as he expertly flipped his pancake.
"Eh, you know my boss; the early bird gets the worm and all that shit. He's lucky I'm a morning person though!" Michael could practically see him shrug with how carefree his voice was as he drove.
"You're not going to be at the gym then?" Michael asked as he poured in the last of his pancake batter. He only made enough for two this time since he wanted to get to the farmers market when he could. The earlier the better.
"Not this morning sadly!" Haric shouted. "You know how to workout so just go when you can today. I might be there tonight but in the case that I'm not; don't miss me too much!" He joked. After being workout partners for so long Michael definitely knew how to get in a fulfilling workout without his friend which was perfect for his schedule for the day.
"That's fine. I'm meeting up with someone later on today so you might see me tonight too if you're there." Michael's explanation was met with
"Got another date do ya?" Haric joked as he shut off his motorcycle.
"Was it that obvious..?" Michael sighed, hearing his friend laugh from the other side.
"It kind of is. You've been hitting it off with a ton of ladies lately! I think I have a guess in mind on who it is too." There was only one person who he met recently that Michael had gotten to know previously.
"It's Blueberry right? The girl at the cafe?" His guess was confirmed by Michael sighing out loud, which ushered him to cheer at his correct guess.
"You're just on a roll all of a sudden!" He laughed.
"Yeah, and her name is Nikki by the way." Michael corrected him, making Haric let out an 'ooo' at his defensive tone. The artist couldn't help but smile at his friend's childish antics, teasing the man from time to time as he prepared to walk into the studio.
"Alrighty, I'm gonna have to get going man." He began. But right as he was about to hang up he had one final thing to say to Michael.
"And good luck on the date, man. You've done great before!" Before Michael could retort the call was cut and Haric had turned his phone to silent, negating any chances of his friend calling him and chewing him out.
"That guy has too much energy in the morning…" Michael chuckled as he looked at the picture he had set for Haric's number. Tucking his phone into his pocket, he took his plate of pancakes to the table and poured himself a cup of orange juice before partaking in his meal.
Surprisingly Kyu didn't show up this morning to talk about the day's plans. She said that she had other clients to take care of after all, and Michael wasn't too bothered by that. It was more of him expecting the trademark pink flash to appear every time he took a bite of his food but that never came.
After putting the dishes away and slipping on his shoes and glasses, it was time to go grocery shopping. There was one small problem; the farmer's market that he went to was a bit of a ways away on foot, but with the quality of their produce it was always worth the trip. This also gave him ample time to type up a list of goods he needed.
Thursday, Farmers Market, Morning
Away from the hustle and bustle of the main city, the Farmers Market stood beautifully as the Sun's light glistened upon the wide variety of produce. Michael couldn't help but take in a deep breath as he snagged a nearby basket, the fresh smell garnered a satisfied sigh from the man.
"Haaaah, the smell of fresh produce." He cooed. This market was always his go-to place for all of his fruit and vegetable needs. The quality of everything could simply never be beaten by the likes of the supermarket chains that decorated the suburban areas of Glenberry. This wasn't secluded however; many individuals from the city knew of this market as well.
Pulling out his phone, he needed only a quick glare at the screen before moving towards the wooden baskets containing each fruit written down. Michael wasn't reckless in his choosing of the fruits; he tested each fruit to determine if they were just ripe enough. As the minutes passed and his basket filled, there was only one item left on his list to grab and the dew that dotted their red skin shimmered like stars as they sat packed in their plastic prison. With a swift approach, Michael used the knowledge he gained from Haric to determine which was perfect and as he reached for said pack a white gloved hand made contact with the strawberries at the same moment.
"I'm sorry, were you going to take these?" An elegant voice sailed through the air as the hand was retracted, ushering Michael to lift his eyes from the fruits.
"Yeah, I kind of…was." His voice trailed off as soon as he saw the owner of said voice; that beautiful stewardess from the coffee shop. Lola.
"Oh..! I didn't think I'd run into the prince from the coffee shop out here." She playfully chirped, her lips curling into a smile upon recognizing the man. 'Prince from the coffee shop…' she did call him a prince, didn't she?
"And how could I forget the angelic stewardess?" Michael smiled back as he heard Lola's gentle giggle.
"Well I am good at leaving first impressions." She affirmed before turning her eyes to the strawberries.
"You saw the best of the bunch here as well?" Her eyes motioned to the fruits, waiting for one of the two to take them home. Michael tightened his lips for a moment before saying anything; he liked the fruit and they were definitely the ripest but he wouldn't feel right taking them now that he saw the wondrous stewardess wishing for them as well.
"Yyyyyyeah but…you can have them." The indecisiveness in his voice wouldn't go unnoticed as Lola shook her head, holding her hand out to the container and offering it to him.
"No no, you take them. You seem to be more interested in them than I am." Despite how right she was Michael still insisted on her taking it, bowing himself down slightly and holding his hand out in a fashion that mimicked hers.
"I saw the way you were looking at them; go on and take them, I insist." He couldn't hide the smile as they continued firing back and forth at each other in an attempt to decide who got the fruit. That moment was ended by the woman as she snatched the container from the shelf. Finally, the debate was over.
"I said you take them." Lola's insistence beat Michael's out as she stepped forward and placed the strawberries into his basket. He thought that she was going to take them instead of this.
"O-Oh..! Are you certain about that? I won't give them back if you are." His eyes were reacquainted with her gorgeous smile as she gave him his space.
"I'm sure. There's always a better group anyway." She playfully winked before fishing out an even brighter container of strawberries that almost put the ones Michael had to shame from under another container. He rolled his eyes as he crossed off the final item on his list.
"Now I can have proper pancakes tomorrow." Lola tilted her head curiously at his words as he tucked his phone away.
"Oh you cook..?" She asked.
"Yep. It's a skill I acquired when I started living on my own. And I haven't heard any complaints from the people who've tried my pancakes yet." Michael answered.
"That sounds nice. Do you put anything special into them..?" She asked.
"Not really. I think they taste just perfect. The strawberries add a pleasant sweetness to them to boot. You can eat them with anything." Michael shook his head.
"I bet they taste great with coffee too, right?" Lola's question had arched Michael's eyebrow, seeing where she was going with this.
"Careful Lola, I can practically see you drooling." He joked. Calling her out on her musings made her blink, reflexively reaching a hand to her mouth to check if there was indeed drool. There wasn't but it was enough to make Michael chuckle.
"I can make some extra for you tomorrow if you wanna give them a shot." She considered the offer but as she was about to answer a problem stopped her acceptance like a brick wall.
"I'd love to, but I've got an early flight I have to be on tomorrow…" Michael blinked, tilting his head.
"What time? It can't be that early." He said. He's gotten used to waking up at the strangest hours of the night, be it him suddenly waking up or God forbid a certain love fairy taking him out on a date.
"We start boarding at four in the morning. I was actually stopping by here since I need to get some food for energy tomorrow." Lola explained.
"Oh jeez that is early…Sorry." He was willing to get up earlier than normal in order to make her some, but four o'clock was too early for him.
"Hmm…how about this: the next time I'm in town I'll give you a call and I can come for some brunch? I'll make a little something for you in exchange." Her offer was met with glistening eyes, nodding in acceptance.
"Ooooh, I wonder what you'll make?" Lola smiled at his response. Michael was an artist and he stayed up late for sure, but this wasn't going to be something that she was going to tolerate so this was a fine compromise.
"You'll just have to wait and see~" She giggled.
Having come to the market for only a select handful of items, it was time for her to leave and go take on what her day had to offer.
"My expectations are through the roof, Michael. Farewell..!" She waved as she moved off to purchase her groceries and go on her way.
"Can't wait to see what you'll make..!" Returning the reply, Michael looked at the strawberries that he had been given and huffed out a chuckle.
"Fruit? Check." He said as he stared down at the strawberries in his possession. Taking his basket to the checkout counter, he paid for his produce and made sure to triple bag it considering his apartment was an arduous walk away especially with his new haul of groceries.
Thursday, Apartment, Afternoon
"Home at last…" Michael sighed as he slipped off his shoes. The contact of his warm feet against the cold floor was enough to have him start relaxing but before he could do that he needed to put his groceries away. He was quick to sort the fruits and vegetables into their respective places once they were carried to the kitchen.
"Now then…back to work." Placing some of the strawberries he had just bought into a bowl, Michael strolled back to his room, ready to take on what he had planned the day before. Although being a full-time playboy was in the cards for him, it was high time he fired up his passion for art and start taking clients again. A couple days break was all he needed before getting back to it. With a bowl of strawberries on his desk and pen in his fingers it was time to whip up an updated commission sheet.
As seconds transitioned into minutes, the only sound that could be heard was the rapid tapping of Michael's foot against the floor as he wracked his brain for an idea on what to make for his sheet.
"God…I'm getting nothing…" He had always had the habit of openly talking to himself. It helped him articulate his thoughts better, and with the silence in the room he could babble to himself without much repercussion. At least that's what he thought.
"Come on man, two girls in a couple of weeks is better than most of my clients..!" Kyu's voice suddenly made the man jump in his seat, turning his head to find her floating behind his chair.
"And you're also working on a third." She added.
"Jesus, the people you work for should put a bell on you." He exhaled, feeling the beating in his chest soften.
"Oh come on man, it's not like I pop in while you're going down on a chick; my timing is spot on." She smiled.
"Spot on to give me a heart attack if you ask me." He replied as he turned his attention back to his blank canvas. By the time he had finished turning there was the slight hope that an idea would just suddenly pop into his head and yet there was nothing. Kyu peered over his shoulder to see what her client was up to, her flowery scent wafting into the man's nose.
"So whatcha working on, champ?" All she saw was Michael drawing circles and random lines repeatedly in the belief that an idea will reveal itself once he began scribbling. However, nothing came.
"I want to update the prices for my drawings but I'm trying to figure out what to draw. Usually an idea would pop into my head…right…now." The duo would slowly turn their heads to meet each other's gaze, Michael's lips curling into a grin as he had found the inspiration that he was searching for.
"Hey Kyu, could I ask you a favor?" His voice lacked the sarcastic hook that was so prevalent in their conversations; it sounded too sweet.
"Don't you have internet in this place?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips with a cock of her brow.
"Yeah but why do I need to use the internet to look up cute fairy women when you're right here?" He leaned onto his elbow as he spoke. His flattering words managed to get a cute giggle from Kyu as she accepted his words.
"Awww you're sweet words aren't gonna work on me, bro. Thanks for the compliment though!" Michael sighed, tossing a bit of his weight onto the back of his chair, rocking it. Not even a minute would pass before her giggles would be heard once again, ushering the man to turn his eyes to the fairy.
"I'm just fucking with you man..! Of course you can draw me! You better give me a fucking RACK though." Her sudden acceptance caught the man off guard, his lips curling into a determined smile.
"Gotcha covered Kyu. Now then-" Right before he began working he was stopped by the love-fairy one more time.
"What'll you give me?" She asked.
"As in like, payment?" Michael replied, earning an exaggerated nod from the floating woman.
"Duh! This fairy ain't free ya know!" He stopped for a moment, stroking his chin. She wasn't originally from this place so money wouldn't be much of an offer…
"I dunno. Sex?" Michael shrugged as he gave his half-baked answer. Kyu couldn't help but groan with a roll of her eyes, moving through the air to get right in his face.
"Really dude? I thought I taught you better than to just whip out your dick. And coming from you of all people! I would've expected an answer like that from your friend." She said as she crossed her arms. Michael could feel his ears slowly heat up as he thought about exactly what he had said. It was definitely not like him to say that outright.
"Well I assumed since you're a being whose literal job is to get people laid, you'd just want something that was a one and done..!" His reasoning wasn't far off, but it still seemed rather irresponsible of him to offer his body as a form of payment instead of having a prepared answer.
"Good guess but not good enough." She told him. That's when something sprouted into the pink head of hers.
"Since I'm letting you draw this gorgeous body of mine it should only seem fair that you owe me a favor in return. A solid in other words."
"Charming word selection there, Kyu." Michael chided.
"It's either that or you get no fairy posing for you. And don't think about taking a picture; love-fairies can't be picked up by cameras. Unless we want to." She added. With that ultimatum on the table, Michael sighed before acknowledging her conditions.
"Fine. But it's only ONE solid. And that solid can't have instructions to do multiple things." He held a finger up to emphasize his point.
"What do you think I'll do with that? Relax dude." She said as she moved so she was floating on her back, one leg crossed over the other as if she was lounging on an invisible couch.
"I don't know what you're scheming in that little fairy head of yours." He said as he turned to his tablet.
"I don't even know what I'm gonna have you do yet. Just draw and chill my guy." Kyu spoke. Michael was far ahead of her as he was taking quick glances at her form, taking in her characteristics as he jotted down line after line. The fairy's only instructions were to pick a position and stay in it, much like how she witnessed their encounter with Celeste. It wouldn't take more than a couple hours of floating before Michael was finished drawing her and her…improved assets.
"Okay, you can take a look if you want." Michael raised his arms in a stretch. Kyu did a similar gesture, uncrossing her legs and stretching her entire body out before floating down to see the finished product.
"God Mikey, you don't mess around do you?" She let out an impressed laugh as she viewed the stunning figure that Kyu wished she could have. "It's like you drew a mix between me and my boss..!"
"Really? Your boss looks like this?" He asked, growing a little curious about Kyu's employer.
"Oh yeah, built like how a goddess should." She confirmed. Michael could only imagine what her boss was like if she was built like how he had portrayed; maybe she was a gentle and kind motherly figure, or perhaps she was extremely work oriented and had a straight to business mindset.
His musings would be cut short however as his eyes fell upon the clock. It was getting rather close to go out so he reached for his phone and pulled up Nikki's number. It would take a couple of seconds before the sound of his date's voice spoke from the other side which was understandable, she was still at work.
"Michael..? Texting exists, you know." Her typical almost emotionless voice brought a smile to the man's face as he responded.
"I know, but I just missed hearing you talk." The silence on the other side of the line was palpable as Nikki searched for the words to counter his playful flirt.
"Nikki?" The second he called out her name she spoke out, cutting him off.
"I get off in an hour, just meet me at the park." The request was immediately followed by her hanging up the call, leaving Michael slightly confused.
"That wasn't too much was it?" He looked to his fantastical confidant who was now sitting on his bed. She looked at him and waved her hand dismissively.
"Nah you did fine; you gotta remember that she's an introvert. They normally have trouble reacting to compliments like that." She explained.
"Normally you see reactions like that in cartoons or movies though." He stood up from his chair, stretching his legs out before taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.
"Yeah, but trust me man, I've seen my fair share of introverts. A majority of them definitely act like that." Kyu said as she kicked her feet up and down.
"Well…I gotta get going." He said as he went to his drawer and pulled out a small bottle of cologne. With a small spritz on his neck, he pulled his hair from its ponytail and slipped his glasses back on.
"Go get her Champ!" She cheered him from his bed, remote in hand. Michael knew exactly what she was going to do before he even left his room.
"If you get off on my bed I'm revoking that solid." He threatened.
"I'll clean the sheets before you get back, it's fine!" She told him.
"It's not about the sheets, it's the fact that you'll jack off on my bed..!"
"Jill off." She corrected him.
"Jack, Jill whatever! Just don't stain my sheets!." Choosing to forgo the conversation he slipped out into the hall.
"She better clean the sheets if she does anything…" He grumbled as he made his way to the elevator.
Thursday, Dawnwood Park, Evening
Seated at one of the many benches in the park, Michael tapped his feet rhythmically whilst drumming on his knees as he waited for Nikki to show up. The peaceful silence wouldn't last long however as an unexpected sound invaded his ears; a meow.
"Did I just..?" Michael tilted his head as he turned his head to find the source of the sound seated right beside him. How it managed to hop onto the bench he was at without him noticing will remain a mystery.
"Oh…hello there." He said as his eyes connected with its piercing gold hues. Its fur was also just as interesting with a black spot on its face that looked like a mask which slowly blended outward to a red coat. The black would return on its tail as well as its ears.
As the seconds passed the cat still sat across from him, the slitted eyes slowly widening as it became more familiar with the man. Against his better judgment Michael slowly hovered his hand over to the strange feline. Instead of swatting at his hand with a defensive hiss as he expected, the cat leaned its head out to gauge his smell before stepping forward and pressing its head against his palm. He could see its eyes close as he brushed his thumb against their forehead.
"Glad you're friendly." He sighed with relief. The cat's fur was surprisingly soft as it pressed against his hand. Before anything else could happen however the voice he had wanted to hear called to him from nearby.
"I didn't know you were a cat person." Nikki's voice called as he continued petting the cat with a grin on his face.
"If they like me then I like them." He said as he continued petting the cat. "What about you? Do you like them?" He asked.
"I don't hate them. I actually give this one treats sometimes when I come out here." She said as she stepped closer and stroked the cat's back. He took a second to admire her change in attire. The blue shirt underneath a black cardigan was a pleasant change to the usual gray sweater and shorts she normally wore
"Ooooh I like your clothes..!" Michael cooed as he stood up, the cat walking over to take his spot on the bench. Nikki blinked, looking down at her choice of attire. "I didn't think you'd put in the effort for me." He chuckled playfully.
"Oh shut up…I needed a change of clothes and this was all I had." Her attempts at deflecting the compliment only made him more excited for their date, giving the feline one more pet before inevitably stopping.
"So, wanna show me the way to the arcade?" He asked, dusting his hand off of any fur that might've stuck to his hand.
Doing the same, Nikki dusted off her hand and nodded at the taller man. "Sure…follow me." She paused for a second and looked back at Michael before beginning their walk to the arcade.
Exiting the park, Nikki would look to Michael again, her eyes accidentally locking with his. Upon seeing her his lips curled into a smile which ushered her to quickly look away to keep her eyes ahead of her in case she walked into something.
"So how much does this arcade have?" Michael asked, his voice piercing the silence that was between them.
"There's tons of cabinets to choose from. You're kinda spoiled for choices really…" Nikki said as she walked. Due to the height difference she was trying to find a pace with Michael since she was leading the way, but it proved to be more challenging than expected. She was so used to walking beside Audrey that trying to keep up with a significantly taller person was almost forcing her into a light jog.
"Can we slow down? I'm not as tall as you." She finally asked, a hint of irritation in her voice mixed into her request.
Michael nodded and upon noticing the effort she was putting into walking he held his hand out to her. "This might help us keep each other's pace." She arched an eyebrow at his offering.
"You can just slow down; I don't want to be dragged." Her point was fair, but it stung a bit. Slowly, he retracted his hand and stuck it into his back pocket as he slowed his pace so that Nikki wasn't on the cusp of a jogging pace. It was going to take longer with their slowed pace and that rejection of holding her hand had definitely made the atmosphere a little awkward.
The time would pass quickly as the arcade could be seen in the distance with glowing neon lights pulsing from the inside. Nikki had a smile on her face upon seeing the glowing sign. Pulsewire Arcade.
"This is my second home." She informed him as they entered the building.
Thursday, Pulsewire Arcade, Evening
The golden natural light of the Sun soon disappeared as the doors behind them closed and was immediately replaced by the glowing multicolored LEDs that lit up the arcade. Loud music played through the speakers as arcade cabinets stood in rows, flashing their title screens. The title themes of each cabinet merged into a cacophony of nostalgic noise as Nikki led Michael further into her second home.
"This place looks amazing..!" Michael's glittered from the LEDs that flashed on the wall that hung on the wall.
"And there's so much here..! I feel like I can get sucked in here for hours..!" He could feel his childhood memories resurfacing as his eyes fell upon familiar gaming mascots and cabinets. Despite him being here for the first time he had already fallen in love. There were so many games to choose from, from the classic air-hockey to the rail shooters of modern day, there was something for everybody no matter the age and he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into the experience.
"Wow. I didn't think you'd be so excited." Nikki chimed in. It was different to see the confident and flirtatious man she had previously known now rendered to almost a kid in a candy shop.
"Do we need to use tokens to play?" Michael asked. As he was looking to Nikki he saw that she was digging around in her purse until she had found the one thing that they needed; a white card that had the building's logo displayed onto it.
"This answer your question?" She held the card up so he could see it, the material of the card changing color in accordance with the lighting of the building. Michael blinked, slightly confused as to what the card was.
"You use that on the machines, right? Or does it hold tickets?" Nikki blinked at his question.
"...Have you seriously not been in an arcade since you were a kid?" She asked, her deadpan tone returning as she questioned him. The silence between the two was stunning as the music of the building kept blaring.
"This is the first time I've been in an arcade in over ten years, give me a break..! I didn't know there were arcades here until you showed me..!" He could see Nikki's stare seemingly get colder as he spoke.
"God you're old." He swore he felt something in his chest crack when she said that.
"I'm twenty-three! I'm not old!" She couldn't see it due to the lighting, but his cheeks had lit up red after hearing her speak.
"For all I know you might be older than me!" He tried to fire back, but his fire was quickly extinguished by her answer.
"I actually turned eighteen just a while ago." It was as if she had almost forgotten how old she currently was and he didn't know whether to feel good or bad.
"You're eighteen..?!" He said in disbelief. She was certainly the youngest person he's taken out on a date so far. He saw her give him a stern look, mild irritation radiating from behind her glasses.
"Yeah, but don't start treating me like a kid just because you're older than me, got it?" Her words were as sharp as nails. She seemed rather annoyed at the concept that he would start treating her differently because of the age difference between the two. Audrey is only three years older than her and it was that reason alone that she had always been given the shorter end of the stick in terms of how people treated her.
"Of course not..!" He nodded.
"I'm sorry about that reaction. Guess I didn't expect that." His words didn't seem to remove that sharp glare she had, crossing her arms as she held her card between her fingers.
"Let's just get going. We're getting in the way of the entrance." She started walking further into the arcade wanting to leave the conversation at that and leading him to a machine that looked similar to an ATM.
"We can load some money onto the card and get to some games." Her explanation was brief but it served its purpose as she swiped her arcade card and before she could start fishing for her debit card Michael had already taken his card out.
"I can put my money onto the card." His offer pulled Nikki's eyes from her purse as she looked up at him.
"I asked you out, so I'll pay for it as well." He smiled, not letting her lingering attitude get to him as he held his card out in a similar fashion to her.
"Well I'm not gonna say no to that offer." She stepped to the side, allowing Michael to insert his card and input his information. The process wasn't even a minute as he retracted the card from the machine, a grin on his face as he nodded towards her while the receipt printed. As the receipt printed, Nikki saw as he took the paper and tucked it into his wallet along with his debit card.
"How much did you put in?" She asked.
"Don't worry about it. How about we do what we came here to do?" He replied back, pointing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the arcade cabinets. Nikki stared at him for a moment, looking back at her card and then back to him.
"Alright, let's get going. Just so you know, I'm a master at pretty much every game here." Her voice took a slightly more confident turn as she led him to one of her favorite fighting game cabinets.
The cabinet was decorated in cracks with LEDs pulsing from them. Two chairs were placed beside each other, indicating the two-player nature that this game was designed for. As Nikki took a seat at the cabinet, Michael followed suit and the title appeared in front of them in white and yellow lettering and a deep voice calling out the title; Combo Breaker.
Michael's eyes lit up once he saw the title, instantly recognizing the trademark song that shot him back to the days of sitting with his friends and taking turns playing against one another.
"Have you played this before?" Nikki asked as she swiped the card for the both of them. She could see something glitter in his eyes once he had reacquainted himself with the character select. Michael scanned the familiar characters displayed on the screen, remembering the one character he always played.
"I wouldn't say that I'm a world champion of fighting games but I crushed my friends when we played this." Michael's smile radiated a pride that got Nikki's competitive side burning.
"Try not to demolish me too hard, o-great master. It's been a while since I played this." Michael's words only stoked that fire in her and they selected their characters.
Nikki's character was a tall man with a wolf mask hiding his face, wearing a cape of white and stood on the right side of the screen while Michael's character stood on the left. His character was a cactus that wore brass knuckles over the tips of its pin-covered arms. His date shook her head, wiggling her joystick and tapping her buttons as the fight was beginning.
"How did I know you were gonna pick P.H?" She asked. Her question was met with a laugh from Michael as he did a similar button check. Or what she assumed was a button check.
"Cause he's a cactus?" He shrugged as the game announced the beginning of round one. As soon as the text disappeared they were in control and Nikki immediately began attacking into Michael's block before attacking low and sweeping the character off of their feet. Thus began the combo that wiped out half of Michael's health and put him into a bad position in the corner, forcing him to make a decision on how to defend himself. Luckily his guess was correct and he managed to punish her constant offense.
The character he had chosen was the token 'awkward character' that was consistent in every fighting game he'd played, and he used the strange movements of the character to his advantage, forcing Nikki to decide if he was going to strike her high or low.
"Man I forgot how stupid this guy is..!" Michael laughed as his offense had dwindled from strings against her block to waiting until she made a move, capitalizing on her slower strikes. Nikki's eyes narrowed onto the screen, using the offensive capabilities of her character to turn the tides in her favor once again; it didn't stop Michael from laughing at his attempts at interrupting her offense.
"You're just mashing at this point!" Nikki turned her head slightly in his direction, not daring to take her eyes off of the match.
"I'm just using the moves that work for me!" He laughed back, constantly putting in the same few inputs in varying patterns to keep her on her toes. His strategy could only keep him alive for so long as Nikki landed the one counter she needed to end the round. Michael couldn't help but be impressed by the combo that she had managed to confirm off of a singular counter, not to mention the added style she incorporated with a finishing super.
Nikki took her hands off of the cabinet for a moment to crack her fingers. "That first round was only a warm up." She saw Michael shaking his hands and wiggling his fingers; he was warmed up as well.
"Getting my groove back." He smirked as the second round had begun.
Stepping backwards, Michael's character managed to out-space Nikki's opening attack and gave him the perfect opportunity to launch his opponent into the air and start his own combo. His excitement rang out as he let out various 'ooh's and 'ahh's with each hit he connected in the combo. Unfortunately the combo he was working to land had very strict timing and he inevitably missed a hit, allowing Nikki to get back up and punish him. That combo had taken almost a third of her health, which is impressive with such an awkward character like P.H.
"I wouldn't get cocky if I were you!" Nikki stated, her character's onslaught of attacks was a reminder to Michael of who was the more skilled player between the two. Her character's combos were extensive and hit the hardest out of anyone in the cast, and that was made abundantly clear when a telltale blue spark shined from her character. The start up to the move was long, but was it still able to catch Michael's character before they hit the ground.
The wolf-masked man howled into the air before grabbing P.H and smashing them into the ground. Tossing his opponent into the air, the wolf shot up and piledrived the poor cactus into the ground, causing fire and rock to erupt from the ground. The round finished with the wolf-masked man standing atop the mountain of rocks and fire, howling into the sky with only P.H's legs sticking out of the ground.
"Awww damn. Good fight." Michael sighed, stretching his arms as he looked to Nikki who was grinning with the satisfaction of demolishing her date.
"I told you I was the master." She smirked as she saw him stand up, shaking his hands out.
"Don't want to get destroyed again?" Her trash talk ushered Michael to arch an eyebrow, putting a hand on his hips.
"I'd like to keep your pride intact, thank you very much." He smirked back, firing back with his own trash talking.
"My pride? I'm pretty sure you were the one that got one-touched that last round." Her retort had some fire behind it, standing up to glare at Michael with that same competitive fire she had in her eyes before.
"And I haven't played the game in over a decade. How does it feel whooping on practically a noob of the game?" He asked.
"It felt pretty good knowing it was you." Her unwavering glare was met with emeralds as Michael glared down at her.
"As much as I'd love to make you eat your words, let's try and find a game where we AREN'T trying to kill each other." He said as he began stepping away from the cabinet, searching for another cabinet that would catch his eye.
"I don't mind waiting to knock you down a few pegs again." She replied as she walked beside him. She could see him shake his head, chuckling to himself as they began their search for the next game for them to play together.
It felt like the rows of cabinets and other games stretched on forever, various nostalgic media littering everywhere they stepped into. Nikki provided some explanations to Michael on what games were in each row and thankfully enough they eventually found the row that contained the cooperative games like rail-shooters and the like.
"God…I'm so happy this place has almost every game I played when I was a kid." Michael sighed as they approached another cabinet, the jagged lettering reading out 'Blitz Crisis'.
"Yeah, the retro games are what I always play here. I can't stand the new FPS games." Nikki added, her face wincing at every encounter online she has had while playing a first-person-shooter.
"Mhmm. Nobody can get more obnoxious than when they're playing online." His agreement was met with a nod as Nikki adjusted her glasses.
"Exactly..! These games and online MMOs are the only ones I play because I can at least tolerate the people there. FPS-bros are just so damn annoying." She growled.
"Oh yeah, I get that." Michael didn't want Nikki to get too annoyed at thinking about the people that played FPSs so it was best that they fire up the cabinet that they had stationed themselves at.
"So I take it that you're a master at this game too?" He asked.
"Duh." She lifted a finger and pointed to the number one spot, the first three letters of her name stood beside the giant five-figure score that she had managed to accrue. Michael blinked at the number, never thinking that someone would have reached a score that high before.
"Well. That's…big." he stared at the number and how it stood head and shoulders above even the second placed individual. Looking at her, an idea popped into his head that he was sure that she'd enjoy. "Wanna see if we can beat it?"
"You read my mind." Nikki swiped the card for the both of them again and the game's theme played. It didn't take too long for their ships to appear at the bottom of the screen.
"Let's do this." The beginning levels were easy for the both of them, enemy ships arriving in clusters small enough that Michael could acclimate himself with the childhood memory.
"I'll take the left side of the screen and you get the right." Nikki ordered, to which Michael nodded in agreement. The duo cleared out stage after stage without losing so much as one life, skillfully maneuvering around the bullets the enemy ships were firing towards them.
Michael was too focused on dodging the increasing volume of bullets to see the ever increasing score. Level after level was beaten and soon enough previous boss ships from earlier levels appeared as the common enemy ship now, heightening the difficulty to the upper limits to what he had witnessed as a kid. Time continued to pass the longer they played this seemingly unending game, but two words revealed themselves after what felt like hours of gameplay: Final Boss incoming.
"You ever gotten this far before, Nikki?" Michael asked as they prepared themselves for the race to the finish line.
"Yeah, but I haven't beaten it yet." She said as she cracked her fingers.
"Let's make that happen then." They were well maxxed out on lives from the continuous scoring they have been making throughout each level, leaving a strong ten for each of them. It was now time to finish this beloved childhood game. Narrowing their eyes, Michael and Nikki focused primarily on their survival as the boss's gargantuan health bar was doomed to be slowly whittled away like a chisel and stone.
"Come on…we almost have him…" Michael mumbled as he focused on his ship, moving it ever so slightly to avoid the cascading bullets that rained down from the top of the screen.
The patterns changed with each phase of the final fight, and they were drastic enough to cause the both of them to lose life after life until they were on their final ones. The nerves were getting to the man and one move a bit too far to the left caused his demise, leaving only Nikki left. His eyes were trained on her ship and right as he thought a bullet was going to end their streak it happened. All of the bullets on screen vanished and the boss was seen covered in fire and smoke as explosions appeared on multiple spots of the ship. They had won.
"Finally!" Nikki sighed, cracking her sore hands after a job well done from the both of them.
"We aren't done yet. What's that score say?" Michael pointed to the rising numbers that indicated their score. It kept going up and up until it had finally passed Nikki's previous score.
"Now we're done." Nikki was satisfied with the significantly higher score that she and Michael had attained, smiling at the larger number that was now displayed on the screen. Moving her joystick, she went to type out her name but right before she was going to press the enter button she stopped.
"Something stopping you?" Michael asked, looking at her as she paused her pressing of the buttons. A moment later she erased the name and replaced the N with an M; MIK.
"Mik?" He tilted his head.
"Since we both beat it, we both share the top." Nikki explained as she hit the enter button and the game returned to the starting screen.
"Aww, that's sweet." Michael cooed. Fortunately for her he couldn't see the blush she had on her face thanks to the neon lighting of the arcade. Getting up and stepping away from the cabinet, the both of them stretched their legs after an extensive time of sitting.
"That took a little while. Anywhere you want to go next?" Before Michael could suggest their next destination he felt his stomach notify him that it was empty, rumbling and pleading for sustenance.
"I don't know about you, but I'm like, starving. Like I'm withering away where I stand." Nikki's hyperbolic comment squeezed a chuckle out of the man and he couldn't agree more.
"Looks like our stomachs think alike. Where's the food court?" He looked to the shorter woman for guidance.
"Follow me, it's over here." Waving a hand over her shoulder, she took the lead as Michael walked behind her. After a lengthy time enjoying memories of his childhood, the one thing that could top off the night was some junk food to enjoy.
Thursday, Pulsewire Arcade Food Court, Evening
No arcade would be complete without a food court along with its list of unhealthy meal options, which it had in spades. This part of the building was the only place that had relatively normal lighting; white fluorescent lights glowed overhead as the pair obtained their respective meals. The music was also more subdued than the bass they felt on the floor, which was a much preferred change.
Michael had a fondness for the golden-skinned strips of chicken, feeling himself salivating as they sat on a bed of fries salted to the point of them nearly becoming overbearing. The steam puffed from the chicken as he carefully pulled its crispy shell apart to expose its hot insides. His fingers were already glistening from the hot oil that his meal was pulled from. As expected.
Seated across from him, Nikki was sipping from her straw her carbonated beverage. The burger that lay unwrapped before her was ever so slightly dripping with juice from the patty, soaking into the bun as well as some of the fries that it had been placed upon. Pulling the straw from between her lips, Nikki wasted no time in taking a bite of her sandwich. Ketchup squeezed out the opposite end of where she bit, falling onto the fries below without a care. The heat didn't seem to bother her either as she took another bite before she even finished her first; it seemed she really was hungry.
"Slow down..! It's not gonna run away from you." Michael joked before his teeth sunk into deep-fried poultry. The crust sang out as it was crushed, the flavors cascading over his tongue and reminding him of how delectable it was. But he needn't forget how unhealthy the food was as well, but that was something to worry about in the future. When his focus isn't on the woman seated before him with a cocked eyebrow.
"I haven't gotten to eat anything since breakfast this morning. I'm hungry." She swallowed before speaking. That was her only reason for feasting as fast as she was. Right after her statement she took a trio of fries and stuffed them into her mouth.
"I can tell." Michael agreed, nodding his head. The tone in his voice was not lost as Nikki looked at her meal and then to the man across from him remembering that this wasn't just a hangout, but a date. She went quiet for a moment before putting her burger down and looking up at the man as he took a quick swig of his bottle of water.
"Is…Is this what you expected when you asked me out earlier? Be honest." She asked, using a napkin to wipe the grease from her hands. She must've caught herself in how 'unladylike' she was acting a moment ago. Michael let out a hum after hearing her question, placing his bottle down as he forced the water down his throat in order to speak.
"Was it because of what I said?" Him answering a question with a question didn't help Nikki as she spoke once more.
"I know I'm not as 'ladylike' as the girls you've probably dated before. I just want to know if you're okay with all of this. How I act and all." Nikki voiced herself.
"Nikki, I just don't want you to choke..! I know what it's like to eat after not eating for the day, trust me." Living like Michael, one would think that he would have to keep track of what he ate thanks to Haric, but there were moments where the artist got too absorbed in his work. "And to answer your other question; I'm having way more fun than I thought I'd be."
"Really..?" She had been worrying constantly about how Michael would think about the arcade. She thought that he wouldn't be as interested and was going along just to be polite. Most guys that had managed to get her on a date were only there to get in her pants anyway.
"For sure..! It's better than what I expected." Michael smiled.
"Better..?" Confusion was written on her face, half expecting the man to be put off by her.
"The games here are just as good as I remembered playing as a kid." He started. "And the atmosphere is great…but the one thing I've really liked seeing tonight is you."
Nikki's eyes widened after hearing him, confusion clearly visible on her face as her speech started to shake. "W-What do you mean by that?"
"Well I've only seen you either at work or in places you don't like being in. This is the first time I got to see a genuine smile from you, and that alone makes tonight worth it." And he didn't even stutter whilst saying all of that.
His words made her pause for a moment, taking time to register what he had just said. They played on repeat over and over in her mind and her pale face reddened with every playback. The cat had her tongue hostage and she couldn't say a thing, not even to deflect the compliment. All she could do was quickly reach for her burger and stuff her face even faster than before, taking every second she could to put either a fry into her mouth or take a drink of her soda. After finishing her drink and right as she was about to take a bite of her burger, she suddenly jumped up, letting out a hiccup slip through her lips. Then another. Then another.
"Ah-See? I told you to slow down." Michael chuckled while resting an elbow on the table as he took another bite of his bisected chicken tenders, getting a rise out of seeing Nikki's flustered face.
"Sh *hic* ut up!" She couldn't even get a full phrase out before being interrupted by a hiccup and all her date did was sit there, amused with the sight.
Seeing her try her damndest to stop the onslaught of hiccups, Michael slid his bottle of water over to the girl. The solace that he offered her was almost instantly accepted. Nikki wiped off the opening of the bottle before taking a gulp of the water that resulted in only less than a quarter being left over. Her hiccups were quelled however and that's what the girl cared about the most, letting out a sigh of relief and wiping her face.
"Thanks…" She still had a red flush on her face and the smug grin Michael had on his face didn't help in removing the redness on her face.
"My pleasure." He took the bottle and down the last of the water inside of it, swishing it and swallowing with a sigh of satisfied stomach. Taking their empty trays, they poured their garbage into the trash and walked off into the neon lights once again. Things had only just started of course.
The date continued on for a couple of more hours; playing every fighting cooperative game they could get their hands on. They made the most out of every dollar loaded onto that game-card she had. Victories and losses were shared all the same, some at the disappointment of the other if the game required a victor and some not. Competitive fires were lit in their chests and they enjoyed one-upping each other in some of the games like skee-ball or the air-hockey, but like every date, it had to come to an end. And that end arrived in the form of a blinking red light on the scanner of an arcade cabinet, indicating that there was no more money left on the game-card. Looking at his phone, Michael had suggested that it was time for them to leave and Nikki, albeit begrudgingly, agreed.
Stepping out into the cool air of the night, the bassy music of the arcade became muffled as the doors shut, bringing the pair back into the real world after hours of reminiscing.
"How could you score on yourself that many times?" Nikki asked as Michael was laughing to himself over the events of air hockey.
"Look, sometimes I pull my arm back too early…" He tried to reply before laughing again, his date rolling her eyes.
"You did it four times. At some point you must've done it on purpose." She said.
"Yeah…the first time was on purpose. The other times were just me being bad at games." He replied after recovering from his giggling fit. Now that they were out of the building, there was one place that they would need to go to now.
"Want me to walk you home?" He asked. Nikki blinked. Normally she walked out on the few dates she was asked out on, so being offered to be taken home was out of left field in her mind.
"Are you sure you want to..? You don't have to be nice all the time." Nikki told him, clearly not used to that.
"Of course I want to..!" Michael grinned. Not wanting to waste too much time, she took him up on his offer and started walking, the taller man walking beside her. After walking from game to game for a few hours it only made sense for Michael to grow used to her pace, although he was still adjusting his speed so that she led the way. As they walked, Nikki noticed Michael doing his best to stay behind her so she thought of a way to make things easier for him that he had attempted earlier in the day. She held her hand out and grabbed at his.
"Hm?" Michael hummed, looking down at their joined hands.
"This way you don't have to keep adjusting your speed. Just walk next to me like this." Her reasoning was met with a nod and Michael proceeded to walk next to the girl. Not meeting his eyes, she slipped her fingers between his and held it, to which Michael squeezed her hand in return. 'This was so he doesn't keep slowing me down' she thought to herself, when she knew that even doing something as simple as holding his hand made her heart flutter.
Thursday, Nikki's Home, Night
Their walk eventually had to end as they entered Nikki's apartment building and approached her room. She would've liked to hold his larger hand a little longer, but sadly that's not how things went. Maybe next time.
"Did you have a good time?" Michael asked, pulling Nikki out of her mental space.
"Yeah…It was more fun than I thought, honestly." Nikki said, stroking her upper arm with her hand.
"I guess I underestimated you on that…Sorry." She saw Michael shake his head, a smile still visible on his face.
"You don't have to say sorry. People have expectations all the time. I'm just glad I got to blow yours out of the water." He stated with a confident smirk, puffing his chest out.
"Okay okay don't get cocky." Nikki jokingly punched his arm, making Michael chuckle as he rubbed where she struck him. After their laughter slowly dissipated, the two stood in the hallway for what felt like hours, trying to figure out what else to say.
"This…isn't going to be the only one, right?" Nikki asked.
"No, I don't think it will. If you enjoyed being with me as much as I did with you, then we'll definitely get together again soon." Michael's affirmation put her thoughts at ease as she opened her door, stepping into her apartment.
"Thanks for asking me out, Michael…I had fun." She told him.
"I'm glad you did. Shoot me a text when you want to do this again. I'll be waiting." He took his phone out, wiggling it in his hand to further drive his point across.
The woman stood there in the doorway as the man waited for her to enter and close her door. The air was still, as if there was still something to be done. Nerves were starting to take Nikki over and she couldn't commit to what she wanted to do, sadly.
"Good night." She told the man, taking the last few seconds to hear him repeat her words.
"Good night, Nikki." After her door clicked shut, Michael took a deep breath in and took one last look at the spot where she was before walking off to leave for his apartment. Date: Successful!
His night wasn't over however. There was still one obligation that he had to fulfill with a certain instructor at the yoga studio. After a quick stop by his apartment to change, he was off to the gym for a night time workout.
Thursday, Fitness Center, Night
Riding off the high of his outing with Nikki, Michael entered the gym with a bounce in his step and the hope to burn off the calories he had obtained from the arcade's food court. Stretching his arms as he strolled up the stairs to the workout floor, he saw a familiar mother have a conversation with the one and only math professor. Apparently he didn't have to say or do a thing as Kyanna had waved her hand with a wide smile. Aiko looked over her shoulder and her face lit up more upon seeing the blond haired man approach them.
"You're still out? Isn't it past your curfew?" Aiko was met with a pout from the younger man as he stood before them.
"I'm not a kid you know, I'm 23!" Michael's whining got a few giggles from the professor.
"Ugh don't remind me. Hearing that makes me feel old." Aiko groaned. Kyanna stepped forward and gently tapped the side of her fist against the professor's shoulder
"Oh come on Aiko, you're only 28. You're still young!" The reminder of her age didn't seem to help her as she rolled her eyes and groaned again.
"There's no need to be like that Aiko. You look great. I thought you were around my age when I first met you." Michael's words had managed to do something as a soft smile had formed on the teacher's lips.
"That's my Asian-genes for you." She shrugged. Her mood had improved a bit with the pair's kind words, and it was just in time since Kyanna turned to Michael.
"Is Haric making you do two-a-days now? I haven't seen you here at night before." She asked. Michael shook his head, shuddering at the thought of his fitness-fanatic friend making him go work his bones to the core not once, but twice a day.
"No way would I let Haric pull me out for two-a-days." His reaction got a laugh out of Aiko as she chimed in.
"I'd run for the hills if I had a friend like that." Aiko commented. She had already made an effort to find the time to come here to work out when she had the chance. Staying consistent to coming here once was one thing, but doing it twice a day was a whole different beast for her. Michael chuckled before continuing.
"I ran into Beli while I was out yesterday and she suggested I try out one of her yoga classes again so here I am." He lifted his arms, gesturing that he was indeed there.
"Same. She kept asking if I was going to stop by the studio. I got lucky this week." Aiko said as she turned her eyes back to Michael, a flirtatious smile forming on her face as she bumped her hip into his. "Very. Lucky."
Kyanna laughed at Aiko's flirtatious actions. "Well I'm glad you two were able to show up then! How about we get a few sets in before the session starts? We still have some time." Her typically energetic self was in full view, looking to her phone for a quick glance at the time.
"Did somebody say a few sets?" Looking back from the two ladies, Haric would be seen approaching the trio with his hair tied back into a ponytail, tank top revealing the ink that decorated his body. His track pants hung loosely around his legs and tightly at his ankles and hips, preventing them from falling.
"Hey Haric, I thought you said you weren't going to be here today?" Michael smiled as he and his friend smacked each other's hands.
"Nah, I said I wasn't going to be here in the morning. There wasn't anything else my boss wanted from me tonight so here I am!" Haric exclaimed. Kyanna approached Haric and gave him the same greeting Michael did, smacking his hand and squeezing his palm.
"Glad you could make it too man! Since there aren't that many people here we can all workout together!" Kyanna beamed. As she took Aiko's arm and Haric took Michael's, it was off to the machines as they killed the time with a quick workout. With Kyanna and Haric, hopefully things wouldn't ramp too much.
Thursday, Yoga Studio, Night
"You two are crazy…I thought I was gonna die…" Aiko huffed as Kyanna helped her set up her yoga mat, her attitude unchanging.
"What're you talking about? You did great! Especially on those last few sets of burpees." Michael approached the tired professor with a bottle of water, holding it to the sitting woman as she caught her breath.
"Trust me…burpees are suck the air out of everybody…Just look at Haric." Pointing over, Aiko saw the man pressing a bottle of water against the back of his neck whilst panting like a dog in the summer.
"God I love burpees!" He spoke in his temporarily psychotic state. His sweat was thankfully absorbed by a towel he kept on him, using it to wipe it from his forehead.
More people began to filter into the studio as it was reaching the time for the class to begin. The four of them had their mats in a line together; the benefits of showing up to the studio early.
Stepping into the studio was none other than the instructor herself, her purple yoga mat protruding from her carrying bag. Michael lifted up a hand and waved, catching the woman's eye and getting a wave back from her. There was still time before the class was to begin so she put her bag down at the front of the studio and moved to approach the four as they rested on their mats.
"Hey..! I'm glad that you were able to make it." She spoke. The soft tone of her voice was just as relaxing as the yoga she taught; an enjoyable contrast between the energetic attitudes of Kyanna and Haric.
Beli was especially happy to see Aiko as well as Michael. She knew that Aiko was a busy person with her responsibilities as a college professor so she was most glad to see her, but that didn't discount the others showing up as well.
"Yeah, I finally got some time to come here for once. I kind of needed this." Aiko sighed as she stretched her arms over her head, lifting her top exposing her midriff.
"There's nothing better that helps lead towards the weekend like a routine of nightly stretches." Beli spoke before looking to Michael as he observed Haric warming up with basic stretches.
"And I'm glad that you kept your word too." Her words caught the blonde man's attention, turning so his green eyes were connected with hers which was followed by a quick response.
"Of course..! Jessie really knows how to convince me." Michael joked as he stretched his wrists. Beli rubbed her upper arm sheepishly, knowing how persuasive Jessie attempts to be, despite not being here herself.
"I'm sorry about that. She can be a bit…pushy I guess. But I'm glad you went out of your way to come here anyway." Beli made it sound like this was more of a chore for Michael than a planned get-together and she couldn't be any further from the truth.
"What're you apologizing for? I've been feeling a bit stiff today anyway. The last class you hosted helped a ton." Michael looked over to his friends as they awaited the class to begin. The black sheep in that group was Haric as he was seated flat on his mat, reaching forward and pressing his forehead into his legs.
"Still as flexible as always…" Beli giggled at Michael's response to his friend's impressive flexibility. Looking at the clock and the amount of people already set up, it was time for the class to begin.
Informing the group that it was time to start the class, Beli bid them a quick goodbye before stepping towards the front of the room as everyone stood and awaited the instructor's introduction to the class. Having only minor experience with yoga and its poses, Michael was seen wobbling slightly with each transition from one pose to the next. Thankfully Beli was there to give anybody having trouble a helping hand, assisting the unstable man by adjusting his positioning to be more correct. Looking up at the woman, Michael gave her an appreciative wink before she continued to teach the class.
The combination of relaxing music and Beli's gentle instruction helped time fly effortlessly, and along with Michael gaining some occasional assistance from the woman, the little focus he had on the clock before melted away. It wasn't until the class was ushered to transition back to their cross-legged position did time seem to catch up with them. An hour and some change had already passed, but it didn't even feel like it.
"I'd like to thank you all for coming out to tonight's class. I hope everyone had enjoyed themselves and got at least a little more flexible. I'd love to see you all next week..!" With a clap of her hands, like a school bell, the class was dismissed.
Pulling his feet out from underneath himself, Michael sighed. He definitely felt more limbered up after that hour-long series of stretches. But that limbered confidence would be countermanded as soon as he looked towards Haric who was doing some finishing stretches for himself.
"Jesus man, were the stretches not enough for you?" Michael asked as his friend spread his legs and reached his hands forward, nearly pressing his chest into the floor. Beli noticed this display of flexibility and strolled back towards the group.
"Wow, you're really flexible..!" She said as Kyanna got up and pressed her hands against Haric's back.
"Yeah dude, you're like a pretzel!" As soon as she pressed down on his back the man let out a whining yelp as he felt his hamstrings stretching.
"There you go! Gotta get a deep stretch!" Kyanna wouldn't admit it but she was a little jealous of the man's flexibility. Haric's bent fingers clawed at his mat, lifting one hand up to be held through the pain as he was held there by the woman. Beli was kind enough to hold his hand; it was like a child getting a shot at the doctor's. That's what Michael thought anyway before he looked at the professor who was doing a set of stretches on her own.
"Did the class not do enough for you?" Michael asked as he positioned his mat closer to hers.
"They were good, but they didn't hit a spot that needed stretching for me." Aiko said as she hovered a hand around her hamstring and glute area. Michael could understand the discomfort of having unstretched muscles in those areas, considering his main way of income next to dating was sitting in a chair for multiple hours at a time.
"Want a hand with stretching then?" Michael's offer was met with an arched eyebrow from the professor.
"Do you even have to ask?" Sarcasm dripped from her tongue. Michael arched an eyebrow of his own as he crossed his arm.
"I kind of do since consent is a thing." His words were met by a scoff, Aiko motioning him to get closer.
"Just get over here, wise-guy." She smirked as she mimicked the same position as Haric was in previously. Michael got behind the woman, pressing his palms against her shoulders and readying himself for when she began moving forward. It took her a second to start moving, and Michael supported her as she stretched her legs. It was only until she stopped moving where he gently nudged her forward. As he nudged her for the first time his partner let out a noise whose vulgarity was determined by whoever heard it. To Beli, Kyanna, and Haric that noise was just Aiko getting a good stretch in her legs, but to Michael it reminded him of the night of passion that they had together and that lit his cheeks up.
"Good god Aiko." Michael chuckled as she slowly let herself up and returned to her seated position. Unlike before where she only had a smirk, she had a full blown smug grin as she saw the man's face from over her shoulder.
"Aww what's the matter big guy? Can't handle a woman stretching?" Her words had Michael sigh as he sat behind her. The hands on her shoulders squeezed her, reminding the woman as well of just how strong his hands were. Before anything else could be said however, they were interrupted by Haric letting out a moan of his own.
Turning their heads to see what was happening, Kyanna now had a foot against his spine, slowly letting Haric bend back into a seated position with a face as red as possible.
"Christ..! That was a little mean, Kyanna!" Haric looked back at the woman as she giggled, Beli giving the man an apologetic look as he let his legs relax.
"You do that to me all the time man! Don't start getting hypocritical now." She told him.
The jovial shenanigans in the yoga studio were most enjoyable but Beli's class was the last one of the night, and so she was responsible for locking the studio up. It just so happened that they were the last ones there, so it was time for them to vacate the studio lest they get into trouble with security.
"Thank you all for coming tonight, again." Beli bowed her head appreciatively.
"Honestly Beli, I should be thanking you. Some of those stretches really worked." Michael said as he rotated one of his shoulders, rotating his neck as well. His whole body felt looser, which was a big plus since he was going to head straight to bed once he got home.
"Yeah, that class was great! Minus the bullying at the end." Haric added with a glare towards Kyanna who laughed, moving so Aiko and Michael were between the two.
"Thanks for inviting me out, Beli. The classes have had me on my ass for hours." Beli's smile widened upon hearing everybody's positive response to her guidance. Of course the typical 'keep up the good work' helped her out, but it meant more to her if she heard that from her friends.
"I'm glad..! Now…I think we all need to get going. It's almost time for the center to close." It was collectively agreed upon by the group that they all leave. Haric and Kyanna had to stop by the locker room to get their gear, leaving Michael and the other two at the front of the gym.
"I really appreciate you two coming out to the class tonight. I know you two are normally busy with your art or your classes so I-" Her appreciative words were stopped by the two.
"It's nothing, really Beli. You don't have to constantly say thanks." Aiko softly said as they felt the warm air of the city graze against their skin.
"Right…I just wanted to say thanks." Beli's lips curled into a flustered grin, knowing how much she says thanks when people come out to something she invites them to.
"I actually wanna thank you, Beli." Michael spoke, catching the woman's attention.
"I love how different the last class I went to was in comparison to this one. I definitely feel better." He repeated himself once again. Aiko chimed in agreement, fixing her hair as the wind blew.
"Th-Thank you. I'm glad that you were able to loosen up." As much as they wanted to keep talking, time continued marching forward and so the window for rest was gradually growing shorter.
"I've got to get going. I feel like passing out and don't want to do that here." Aiko's words were followed by a yawn.
"That's okay. Would I be seeing you two the next time..?" Beli asked. Aiko shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not sure. My schedule this week is looking a bit packed since I have tests to grade." Aiko explained, getting a nod from the woman before looking to Michael for his answer.
"I'm kind of in the same boat. I'll see if I can make time to come in though." That response was enough to satisfy the soft spoken woman as she nodded.
"It's no pressure if you two can't make it..! Aiko already knows this, but you're more than welcome to stop by the studio if you want to stop by." Michael smiled thankfully towards the woman.
"I'll keep that in mind. Besides, Jessie wasn't lying about seeing cute girls at the studio." He said as he looked at her, giving her a wink.
"Wh-What..?! No…she was just saying that." Beli's attempts at deflecting were met by a laugh by Michael as he looked to Aiko and waved. It didn't help that her cheeks were now lit up like a Christmas tree, the professor chuckling at the instructor's ease of growing flustered.
"Be careful with her, Mister. She'll stiffen up if you hit on her. Now be good out there!" Those were Aiko's parting words as she walked off.
"You have a good night too, okay?" Michael's tone softened once they were alone, making Beli's cheeks light up more than prior.
"Y-You too. Have a good night, okay?" She asked.
"Of course." Michael gave her one last wink before turning and heading back towards his apartment. A warm shower and soft sheets awaited him. Kyu was also there but she'll leave when he gets into bed. She wouldn't mix business with pleasure.
Author's Note: FINALLY AFTER HOWEVER MANY MONTHS IT'S DONE! Sorry about the wait ya'll, but I'm back! Life has been really getting me the past few months! Don't think I forgot about you guys! These chapters are getting a bit long, but I'll try not to make them too long so I can avoid burnout. I still plan on finishing this series up since I still plan on making a story for Huniepop 2. I won't stop writing until I finish Michael's tale. So until next time peeps, have a good Morning/Afternoon/Night
