Chapter 5: Dinner

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While I'm sure that most people reading this can deal, I think I should put this in here anyways: there's a bit of a reference to alcohol in this chapter. It consists of two margaritas and that's it. Not drunkenness or anything really offensive. Promise. And it's all legal and whatever, so don't go after me for promoting breaking the law. The vast majority of tropical islands have a drinking age of like 15 and lower, so there. On with the story!

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Noon rolled around fast and soon Kairi and Skye were sitting on one of the benches around the perimeter of Lilac Square, named such for the sweet smelling flowers that grew all around the outside. Kairi was sitting cross-legged on the bench, and Skye was stretched out on the bench next to hers. There was a long silence, broken only by the sound of gulls.

"Where's Selphie?" Skye asked after a while. Kairi shrugged.

"I dunno. She'll come soon I hope." She answered with a sigh. Skye nodded.

"M'kay." She muttered, yawning. Her eyes fluttered closed and a moment later, she was fast asleep.

"Stop poking me." Skye murmured trying to roll over. She let out a yelp as her stomach dropped and she landed with a crunch into a lilac bush, the pale violet petals drifting down onto her like snow. She sat up quickly and looked around, eyes wide in surprise. Riku was standing on the other side of the bench, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good job." He said, giving her a thumbs-up. She made a face at him, sticking out her tongue, and stood up. She then proceeded to attempt to climb back over the bench, tripping over it and falling into him. The lilac petals that had fallen into her hair when she fell scattered everywhere. He caught her quickly, pulling her into his arms until she regained her balance. Or at least, he intended to let her go when she caught her balance. But he didn't, and she certainly didn't seem to mind.

"Don't laugh, I just woke up. I'm not a morning person." She said defensively, resting her head against his shoulder. She smelled faintly of cinnamon. He smiled in spite of himself.

"But it's not morning." He answered into her hair. This was true. The sky was shaded pink and purple with bruised-looking clouds floating lazily overhead, glowing with gold closer to the horizon, where the sun was setting. She looked up at him.

"You know what I mean." She answered, sounding grumpy. He nodded in arrogant understanding.

"Oh is somebody in a bad mood?" He asked, teasing her. She nodded.

"I just spent who knows how long sleeping on a bench. My neck's stiff now. And that I fell into a lilac bush doesn't help." She replied, pouting. He lifted one of his arms from around her waist and pressed his hand against the back of her neck. All of her muscles were tense, painfully so. He pressed his thumb gently at first, and then harder, against the muscles at the base of her neck. She tensed, gasping at first in pain, and then relaxed against him.

"Okay?" He asked quietly, forming small circles against the knot in her shoulder, loosening gently. Her breathing slowed and she nodded, her head resting against his shoulder again. They stood like that for a long time until, smiling slightly, Skye rolled her shoulders and straightened up, looking up at him. Riku was looking down at her with a look in his eyes similar to the one he wore on the air mattress. She didn't know it, but her own expression matched his.

"Thanks." She whispered, looking out at the sunset, the last rays of light making her features glow. Then she cast him a quick smile. "I should go find out why Kairi felt the need to leave me here asleep all afternoon." She said reluctantly. He grinned.

"Sora only just came and found her about the same time I found you. She was just as fast asleep as you were." He answered. She looked mildly surprised.

"And I suppose you know why Selphie never showed up?" She asked quizzically. He nodded sheepishly.

"The surprise is tomorrow. My mistake." He answered, looking rather embarrassed. She grinned.

"It's okay. Shall we go see what Kairi and Sora are up to?" She asked. He nodded, and both of them became instantly aware that they were still wrapped in each others arms. There was a slight pause, and Skye, who refused to acknowledge how fast her heart was beating, stepped slightly away from him, keeping herself carefully within the circle of his arm still resting around her waist. They walked across the square like that, and just as they were emerging onto the street, Selphie, who'd been on her way to find them, let out a squeal and ran over.

"I knew it! Come on, we have to go find Kairi! It can't wait until tomorrow!" She said much too fast, grabbing Skye's hand and pulling her away. Riku caught her other hand and pulled them both to a stop.

"We were just on our way to go looking for them anyways." He said. Selphie looked at him suspiciously and dropped Skye's hand. Skye saw the look on her face and nodded.

"We were going to see what her and Sora were up to." She added. Selphie nodded.

"So, did Riku tell you about the surprise?" She asked, excited. Skye grinned.

"Yep. He did. Not too clear on his facts though." She answered. Riku reddened.

"It was on honest mistake." He answered. She shrugged.

"Oh I agree. But that doesn't change the fact that I spent the afternoon sleeping on a bench because of you." She stated with a pout. Selphie, though confused, had a smug grin on her face.

"I saw Kairi and Sora by the docks a few minutes ago. She's in on the surprise too. I wanted her to be anyways, but I never got the chance to tell her. It's a surprise for you, Skye." She said. Skye looked surprised.

"For me? Now I'm really curious."

"You'll find out at noon tomorrow." Selphie answered. Skye shot Riku a look.

"That's right. Tomorrow." She said, laughing. Selphie shook her head.

"I don't get it, what happened?" She asked. Skye opened her mouth to answer, but Riku spoke first.

"Nothing." He stated overly-quickly. Selphie gave him a look that said she knew he was lying, but he was saved by Irvine's timely appearance.

"Selphie! Oh, hey, Riku, Skye." He nodded to each of them. Skye smiled and waved. Riku nodded back. Irvine was a year older than each Skye and Riku. He had long brown hair that he wore tied back, and a ten gallon hat. He also wore a silver ring in one of his ears and leather gloves with the fingers cut out of them. He was very much a ladies man and liked to think of himself as tough even though he was even more of a hopeless romantic than Selphie (and that's really saying something). He smiled indulgently at Skye and Riku, and both of them realized very quickly that Riku still had a hold of her hand. He dropped it very quickly. Skye fought the urge to blush.

"Well, we're off to go find Kairi and Sora." She said quickly, and hurried off before they could reply, Riku following just as quickly. As soon as they were out of ear shot of the pair, Skye let out a giggle. Riku looked curiously at her.

"What's so funny?" He asked. She flashed a grin at him.

"That was…interesting." She answered simply. He still looked confused.

"Why?" He asked slowly. She grinned bashfully.

"If Selphie's as big a gossip as I think she is, by tomorrow it'll be a well known fact that we're a bona fide couple." She answered. Riku blinked.

"But, uh, last time I checked…we aren't." He said awkwardly.

"I know that, and you know that, but I'm pretty sure Selphie will have told the rest of the world otherwise within the hour." As they passed Grandma Rose's house, the door swung open and the woman appeared on the porch, covered to her elbows in flour as per usual.

"Hello Riku! Skye! You two happen to be just who I was looking for!" She called, motioning for them to come over. As they walked up the steps, Skye smiled at her.

"Why were you looking for us?" She asked. Rose smiled back.

"Because I was looking for four extra hands to help me finish getting dinner ready, and you had already told me you wanted to learn to cook. Besides, you two were the first two to pass by my house." She answered with a chuckle. Riku let out a resigned sigh.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked. Skye nudged him.

"You don't sound very happy. It'll be fun!" She stated, walking inside. He shrugged.

"I guess." He answered, following her. She sighed exaggeratedly.

"Come on, you could at least try." She answered with a quirky smile. He shrugged.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry…hey it smells really good in here." He observed, walking into the kitchen. Skye stuck her tongue out at him and washed her hands. She turned around, looking for a towel. Smirking, Riku picked it up off the table and held it out to her. She grinned, flicking water at him and taking the towel.

"Thank you." She said, placing the towel on the counter and walking over to the stove, looking through the glass at the pan inside. It looked like lasagna with a ton of cheese and an oil sauce instead of tomato sauce. It looked and smelled wonderful. Her stomach grumbled loudly. Riku looked at her, surprised.

"I heard that." He told her. She grinned.

"I guess I didn't realize I was that hungry." She answered, straightening up. Rose walked in a moment later.

"I need you two to make a salad. I'm having a few friends for dinner in about half an hour, so it'll need to be big enough for four people." She paused, and then added, "and since I'll have guests… I'm sure you don't mind going out for dinner tonight? I can give you a little money. I'm sure you'd find four old ladies very dull." As she spoke, she started to place the filling into a pie crust. Riku was accustomed to eating both at his grandmother's and at his house. His family spent more time eating here than they did at home. He nodded, while Skye rummaged through the fridge for vegetables.

"We'll go out, but only if you promise to save some pie." He said, eyeing the apple filling. Rose chuckled.

"Not a problem Riku. Now, would you get out some oil and vinegar for the dressing?"

……………………………………………………

Once the sun went down, the temperature dropped surprisingly fast. Riku and Skye were standing on the front porch. Skye shivered, frowning. All she had on was shorts and a tank top.

"I'm going to put something warmer on, I'll be right back." She said, heading back in the house. Riku nodded and waited for a surprisingly short while.

"And here I though women were infamous for taking much too long getting ready." He noted as she walked back outside. She looked slightly surprised.

"Thanks…I think." She said, her tone unsure. She'd changed into a pair of low cut jeans and a black top with long sleeves that hugged her subtly in all the right places. Subtle or not, he still noticed. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Are we going to find Sora and Kairi?" He asked. She nodded.

"If you know where they are." She answered, stepping down onto the first stair. Riku looked up and down the street, frowning.

"I don't have a clue where they are." He admitted. Skye smiled.

"Then they miss out. I'm too hungry to go searching. What about you?" She asked, jumping the rest of the steps and landing like a cat on the walk.

"Starved." He agreed, stuffing the money Grandma Rose had given him into his pocket and following her. She folded her hands behind her back and looked at him, tilting her head to one side.

"Where are we going?" She asked after a moment. He shrugged.

"Wherever there's food." He answered. They were walking towards the shopping district. The buildings were taller, with hundreds of little shops lining the streets. Most of them were closed, but a number of restaurant windows were still lit, the only establishments open at the time of night. Skye grinned amusedly and her eyes settled on one of the restaurants. She could smell chili spices and fresh baked bread.

"It smells sooo good." She said hungrily. "Mexican!" She exclaimed when she read the sign. Riku looked inside the window.

"Wanna eat here? It's not too busy." He said, walking towards the door and holding it open. She nodded vigorously and they walked inside. As they stepped inside, the smell of food became stronger and Skye stomach growled again. She grinned sheepishly.

"I'm really hungry." She stated as if explaining herself. Riku nodded, grinning back at her.

"I gathered that. Me too." Just then, a young woman walked over.

"For two? Okay, right this way please." She said brightly, leading them through the restaurant to a booth table near the back, putting two menus down on the table. "Your server will be with you shortly." With that, she turned around and walked towards the family who had just come in. Skye picked up her menu and started to look through it. She held it open in front of her and it was big enough that it completely blocked her from Riku's view.

"Mmmm mrgtas" Her voice was muffled and not exactly understandable. Riku reached up and grabbed the top of the menu, pulling it down flat on the table so he could see her.

"What's a mrgtas?" He asked, smirking. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I said 'Mmmm margaritas!'" She answered. He stared blankly at her. She gaped back.

"Oh come on, you've never had a margarita? What kind of a tropical island is this?" She asked, grinning. He shrugged. She nodded. "Okay, you're going to get one tonight." She looked back down at her menu. "Let's see, what is there to eat here…" She looked up at him again. She smiled sweetly at him. "Don't stare at me, look at your menu. I though you said you were hungry." He didn't answer, just picked up his menu and pulled it up in front of his face to hide blushing. She grinned, peeking over the top of his menu. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" He asked, still trying to hide behind the menu. She grinned.

"Riku? Are you blushing?"

"No."

"You're a bad liar."

"Then it's a good thing I'm usually an honest person." He answered, putting his menu back down. A balding man with an unusually wide smile walked up to their table.

"Hi! The name's Trevor, I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you some drinks to start?" He asked. Skye nodded.

"Two margaritas."

"What kind?" He asked. Skye scanned the list.

"Hey, I want to try this coconut one." She answered, and then looked at Riku. He shrugged.

"I guess I'll have a coconut one too." He said cluelessly. Trevor nodded.

"Okay, I'll be back with those in a minute." And then, his disappeared into the kitchen, shouting out some indistinguishable orders to the chef. Skye was looking terribly amused. Riku watched her suspiciously.

"What's so funny?" He asked after a moment. She grinned.

"I'm not laughing." She answered truthfully. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, realizing that she really hadn't been. He had a look of such disorientation on his face then, that Skye burst out laughing. He grinned.

"You are now." He stated smugly. She paused, pondering the situation for a moment.

"So, what are you going to have to eat?" She asked. Riku started laughing now.

"Don't change the subject." He ordered. She pouted at him. He grinned triumphantly. "I win." He announced. She looked mildly surprised.

"You win? Oh you wish." She smiled innocently.

"Is that a dare?" He asked in reply. She nodded.

"You bet." Just then, Trevor came back with two drinks.

"Here we go, compliments of the chef!" He said brightly, putting the margaritas down on the table. Skye looked surprised.

"That was fast!" Trevor smiled.

"Thank you. So, have you decided what you'd like to eat?" He asked. Skye and Riku looked at each other, down at the menus and then back at each other again. Skye grinned.

"Chicken fajitas please!" She said, practically bouncing in her seat. Smirking, Riku shook his head.

"Tacos for me thanks." He said, handing the waiter both the menus. Trevor nodded with a quick smile and was off again. Once he was gone, Riku started laughing. Now it was Skye's turn to be suspicious.

"What?" She asked slowly.

"You're pretty excited about eating Mexican food, aren't you?" He asked with a grin. She blushed.

"Maybe, so what?" She asked defensively. He started laughing again.

"You were practically jumping out of your seat when you ordered. I was just wondering what you expect when the food actually comes." He answered. She pouted at him, and then seemed to notice for the first time the drinks sitting on the table. She grinned and picked hers up, sipping on it carefully at first. Then she nodded.

"It's good!" She proclaimed. Riku stared at her.

"Hyper any?"

"Yes, thank you very much. Now try." Skye ordered, pushing his glass towards him. He looked at the liquid in it for a moment as if he didn't trust it.

"What…is it?" He asked. She rolled her eyes.

"More or less just tequila and coconut milk. Maybe a little citrus fruit juice." She answered, taking another sip. Riku went red, his expression echoing hers a moment ago.

"Tequila huh?" He said slowly, procrastinating trying it. She shot him a weird look.

"Yeh, te-keel-ah" She said, over enunciating it, grinning. He inspected his drink further. She crossed her arms. "You're acting like you've never had anything like this before." She said. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"And if I haven't?" He asked. She blinked in surprise.

"You haven't? You've never drank at all?" She asked. He shook his head. She rested her elbow on the table and her chin on her fist. "Never would have guessed." She said, sounding almost awed. He shrugged.

"I guess there's a first time for everything." He answered, picking up his glass. She grinned, picking up hers and there was the clink of glass on glass. Both of them took a drink. Riku looked pleased.

"It's good." He said, sounding surprised.

"See? I hate to say I told you so." She answered with a smile.

"No, you don't." He said instantly. She paused, her smile spreading into a grin.

"…you're right. I love it."