Reviews :

chuckiboo : You're definitely on to something, there, friend ;) Thank you so much for that. And yes, Gunner eventually meets Ace, and yes, it's exactly as you'd expect. xD

Jay Sketchin : Thank you so much ;_;

Burgie : Thank you! It won't be so bad. Hopefully it'll be over shortly.

Snake557 : Thank you! Aw, they are pretty fun huh. And yes, you're definitely not wrong there haha


*Chapter 94*

Like promised, Gunner made absolutely certain to reserve the best table at the fanciest restaurant Keppel Crest could boast. High on the clifftops of EZ Living's most gorgeous peaks, the full moon glinted down on the two, their private balcony was nearly on top of the entire world. With the soft, cool ocean breeze that whisked the lovely white canopy curtains about in a whisper of lapped cloth, their candlelit table was abundant with food, and much to Berri's surprise, Gunner had caved and ordered the two alcoholic beverages, after he had been rather wary about it, due to his previous issues with his ex-girlfriend, Sama. A golden tiled terrace on top of the entire world, the moon and stars glowed down on the two, a heavenly sight that Berri hardly could take her eyes from. Although she was used to being treated like royalty inside Sugar Rush, the way the wait staff and the entire resort and restaurant staff treated Gunner and Berri was otherworldly; prepared to wait on their every single need, no matter how silly, Berri sagged into her seat and allowed herself to feel beyond royalty, in this evening. She beamed Gunner a kind, closed-mouth smile as she carefully picked up the gold-rimmed wine glass and took a dainty sip, an extraordinarily expensive wine, a price tag that Gunner wasn't even phased by.

"THAT was your smallest show? Seriously?" Berri choked a small giggle, she eyed Gunner in delight; he wore a sleek tux and a cute, dark red bow tie. His jet-black hair was cut, slicked and faded to perfection, not a single strand of hair was out of place. Entirely suave and looking like an entire vision, Berri had a hard time feeling like she was even staring at a real human being. She got lost in the glint of gold flecks in Gunner's hypnotizing eyes, the warmth and ease he radiated was otherworldly.

"Can you believe it? The whole place sold out, and then some," Gunner pressed with a chuckle as he set his glass down; they had both nearly cleared their plates, and with as much grace and diligence as one group of wait staff could afford, they rushed the table as silently as they could and moved like clock work to clear plates, fill glasses, refresh hand towels and so silently ask Gunner or Berri if there was anything else they could supply, nearly as if said celebrities were doing the wait staff a favor, and not the other way around. Berri cocked an eyebrow and nearly reeled, not even the guards at the palace were this robotic or starstruck, "I'm pretty sure the fire marshal had a hay-day... We were fined a hefty amount, that show was simultaneously amazing and terrible, all in one."

"Sounds like it," Berri muttered with a small smile, she diligently straightened out her slick, black dress, a scooping neckline that showed a decent amount of cleavage though draped in other areas, a beautiful give and take of reveal and conservativeness.

"Tell me a little about your childhood, Bear," Gunner pressed sweetly as he cleared his throat and set his drink down, and although another wait staff rushed over and offered to fill his glass, once more, silently and politely, Gunner shook his head and gently waved him off, as kindly as he could, "I'm sure growing up in the palace was an incredible experience. I know Sugar Rush went through a really rough few years, there, right?"

"Yeah, I... I only know snippets of that story," Berri started as she furrowed her eyebrows, looked down and tried to recall amidst all the oddities happening around her, in this instance, "Supposedly, my family was roughing it, out in Sugar Rush's wilderness, for nearly two weeks before everything finally went back to normal. Th-they bumped into Turbo, and he helped them turn it all around."

"... For User's sakes, I keep forgetting you guys know Turbo," Gunner pressed with a forced smile and a light-hearted demeanor; little did Berri know, Turbo was now becoming a rather hot topic, due to the near-traumatic time Gunner had in the flyer's enclosure, just a few hours prior, "Pretty wild. I'm assuming he's a cool dude. Think I'd be able to meet him sometime?"

"Oh, User, I-I don't know," Berri staggered with a sheepish smile. She quickly came to regret mentioning his name, knowing full well that she was prepared to do anything and everything to keep both boys apart, for as long as she could afford. As twisted as it all maybe would sound out in the air, she kept the idea of double dipping to herself. She grimaced at herself, how terrible that all maybe seemed, though she figured it was harmless so long as neither boys jumped out on a limb and decided to sink his teeth in and claim Berri for his own. She looked off, furrowed her eyebrows and reeled at the strange idea of being sought out by two guys, though she somehow felt invigorated by it all; whoever was brave enough to call dibs on Berri first, she figured that only then would she stop toying with the idea of catering to two suitors at one time. Berri cleared her throat, cleared her thoughts and tried to daintily carry on, "I guess I can maybe see if my parents would ask him. He's pretty reclusive, he's hardly ever on the lot."

"Really," Gunner pressed lightly, though he narrowed his gaze and now had to wonder just who was telling the truth here, be it Berri or the pack of flyers he had previously bumped into, "I think it's great he's so... Resourceful. Now the King and Queen rely on him for tasks, I think it's really nice he's turned himself around and now wants to help out."

"Yeah, he's really great. He knows Sugar Rush like the back of his hand, so... He's definitely been a great help to my parents," Berri nodded, she desperately now wanted the topic of Turbo to drop off, though Gunner looked as if he wanted to press further into it.

"You should invite him to our shows, wow... That'd be HUGE," Gunner bobbed a nod, "Certainly he likes music, no?"

"Oh he does," Berri revealed in certainty, though she flinched and staggered with a nervous shrug, "I-I mean, I THINK he does... I can try and invite him, who knows if he'd show up. I think he's pretty nervous about what the public thinks about him."

"I don't blame the guy," Gunner shrugged, he narrowed his eyes and looked off in nagging confusion, the very idea that said flyers kept mentioning Turbo as being Sugar Rush's next King. He furrowed his eyebrows and softly peered into Berri's eyes, he prayed he'd get clarification, here, "Is... Turbo trying to be Sugar Rush's future King?"

"... Wait, what?" Berri blurt in whole bashfulness, she held her hand to her sternum in now reeling confusion and peered to Gunner in a show of bewilderment, "Turbo? Sugar Rush's future King? Y-You realize for that to happen, he'd have to ask for MY hand in marriage, right?"

"Right," Gunner pressed in a show of innocent concern, though Berri bugged her eyes and looked off; although she had contemplated that very notion, as secretly as she possibly could afford, she staggered as it was now real, genuine conversation.

"User, I-I... I don't THINK he wants to be Sugar Rush's future King, I mean... That'd mean him pursuing me, as his wife," Berri almost fumbled with the words, she beamed a bashful smile and furiously shook her head, "N-No, I don't think Turbo is so bold to go out of his way and do something like that. H-He... Hardly knows me."

"I mean like... Your parents wouldn't arrange a marriage like that, Sugar Rush doesn't operate like that, does it?" Gunner felt like a fish out of water, he shook his head an gingerly reached his hand across the table, so to hold Berri's hand in a gentle show of love, "I-I... I'd hate to lose you, like such."

"N-no, my parents don't arrange marriages, that's not how our game operates," Berri kindly reassured with a soft giggle, she gripped Gunner's hand and felt her heart do a weird dance, this topic seemingly had her heart in a choke hold; the very idea of being Turbo's wife, alongside the raw fact that Gunner eagerly did not want to lose Berri, she tried not to feel dizzy with it all.

"C'mon," Gunner pressed with a lilt of kind sweetness after a moment of kindly peering into her eyes, he stood and eased to her side, so to help her stand; upon their stand, the wait staff so quietly rushed their table and began to clear it as Gunner and Berri stepped away. In tenderness, Gunner warmly wrapped his arm about Berri's lower waist and began to lead her to the glass railing, an incredible view of the stars that reflected off of the ocean below, the two stood tight to each other's sides as Gunner warmly pressed on, "I'm... I'm really glad you've decided to join me on these dates, Bear. I've had an awesome time getting to know you, and... I really hope these weren't pity dates," Gunner rushed with a small, deep chuckle and a bashful shake of his head.

"No, for User's sake," Berri blurt a small giggle and looked up at Gunner through the glint of her incredible, moonlit blue eyes; the two caught in a glance of wind-swept hair, "I won't do anything I'm not comfortable with. If I didn't want to go on these dates with you, I would've said no."

"Good to know," Gunner sighed with relief, his hand and arm still held Berri secure by the waist, a sweet and gentle tug of love he finally got away with, and with such, Berri easily sagged into his comfortable side embrace.

"This was really wonderful... Really romantic, too," Berri pressed in a lilt of kind curiosity, and although she was having the time of her life, she bashfully peered up to Gunner and almost felt spoiled by the ability to lounge around the palace and not have to really prove to the rest of the palace that she was this pristine, put-together princess, "...Surely all of your outings aren't this crazy and expensive and glamorous."

"Did I go overboard?" Gunner wondered in a tone of sheepish, sweet defeat, he eyed Berri almost in apology as an adorable smile sprawled his face.

"N-No, I mean... WOW, I'm Sugar Rush's princess and even I don't ever get this kind of royal treatment," Berri gawked, she smiled back at the wait staff across the way and was shocked at just how 'at attention' they looked, ready to do absolutely anything, at the drop of a hat, "Certainly, our next date can maybe... Include pjs and... Maybe we can order a pizza and just be stupid, back at your place, y'know?"

"Anything you want," Gunner pressed warmly, though he grew shy as he finally eased his right hand into Berri's left hand, "Tonight is, well... Special..."

"How so?" Berri wondered warmly, she peered up into Gunner's eyes and felt a wave of weirdness fall over her, the raw fact that put-together, scared-of-nothing Gunner was now becoming riddled with nervousness.

"Well... I want this night to be remembered," Gunner sweetly pressed, a lilt of knowing in his voice, he gripped Berri's hand and looked prepared to land a romantic, gentlemanly kiss to it, though he hovered and waited for Berri to prod in curiosity.

"Remembered for what?" Berri cued, she felt her face get hot as Gunner so warmly brought her hand to his lips and continued on, his hot breath coat the back of her hand in a sensual manner.

"Remembered as the night I asked you to be mine," Gunner so warmly completed, he finally eased said hovering kiss to her smooth skin and held in a taut hold of love; Berri raised her eyebrows in prickled, girly surprise and knew she shouldn't feel so shocked. She huffed a bashful giggle and somehow felt blindsided, she shook her head in bewildered cuteness as Gunner huffed a trembling breath and peered to Berri in boyish cuteness, as if he potentially didn't even deserve to hear her answer, whether it be positive or negative, "I can't keep it in, any longer... I want to be the one for you. Please do me the honor... Please be my girlfriend."

"...I'd love that," Berri pressed in a lilt of sweetness, though she felt her heart jump in whole entire disarray; the raw fact that she went from a normal, average every day girl to now a taken woman, now in cahoots with a whole entire celebrity, she reeled in blinding confusion and felt as if her world was now very rapidly turning on its side. She knew everything, from here on out, would change drastically, and although she wondered if there'd be any repercussions, she felt naively okay with the fact that she was willing to ride out this incredible honeymoon feeling for as long as it would allow her. She long-blinked and almost felt anxiousness coat her, she shook her head and blurt a small giggle as Gunner so happily peered into her eyes, "Wow, that easy, huh."

"User, building up the courage to ask you that was NOT easy," Gunner huffed a hard laugh, which Berri bashfully joined in on, "I'm just... So glad we can do shows now, and go on tour, and... Not have to hide away or make things weird."

"... That was what Sama did to you, didn't she," Berri eased sadly, though she eased deeper into Gunner's arms, now knowing this was something she was dutifully allowed to, Gunner raised his eyebrows in bashful sweetness and so lovingly wrapped his arms about Berri's lower waist, and with a small tug, he was floored to feel the two sink into each other like a puzzle piece.

"Sh-she wanted our relationship to be private... Which was damn-near impossible because we were seen EVERYWHERE together," Gunner assured nervously, he shook his head and peered into Berri's eyes with a frown, "I mean... If you want our relationship to be private, Bear, I... I'd understand. Really I would. I just..."

"No, I don't want it to be private," Berri dared, her eyes aimlessly glossed Gunner's chest, suddenly the invigorating feeling of 'all eyes on them' seemed to feel like a never ending adrenaline rush, a sugar rush she didn't want to end, a craving that could only just barely be satisfied, she felt her veins wiggle with an intense desire. Berri gave Gunner a cute, cheeky, bold smile and narrowed her gaze, "Maybe Sama will regret ever leaving you behind. She'll see just how awesome it is to do life with someone, without having to hide away."

"I always thought it'd really make the dynamic of the band a lot better," Gunner assured, though he lulled his eyes closed and shook his head, "No more talk of Sama... I've moved on, so has she. It's you and me, now. Hopefully Wren and Theo will take to the news, well."

"Oh, surely," Berri shrugged, and although Gunner went down the line of Wren and Theo, she felt her brain nearly fry the second it stabbed to the next person in line, down the friend list.

The very idea of telling Turbo this news almost had her heart shattering, she held her breath and gingerly reached up to grip the guitar pick necklace around her neck, though she raised her eyebrows in surprise at the solid fact that she had decided not to wear it, on her date, so to avoid Gunner asking questions about it. She nearly felt the desire to well up, the torn feeling her heart was now enduring, her fingers gingerly rested on her bare sternum, where her necklace usually sat; she bit her lip and wondered just how in the hell she was ever going to reveal such news to Turbo. She narrowed her gaze in curiosity and wondered if maybe, just maybe, said news would light a fire under his ass. However secretly she hoped it fuel Turbo, however secretly she wanted to be with him even more than she wanted to be with Gunner, she sagged her shoulders and cursed herself for promising to say yes to the boy who gathered the guts first and foremost. She held her breath and knew she'd ultimately have to end all flirtatious encounters with Turbo, though she wondered if said information would cause Turbo to either play by the rules, as well, or fly through Gunner's red lights. Somewhere, in her heart, she was near desperate for the latter, though she stuffed the feeling and promised she'd never tell.