A/N
Howdy Hey! Welcome to the newest chapter of BA! I know it's been a while since I uploaded, but a lotta shit has gone down since my last update. I got in another really bad car wreck in October, which (combined with my first wreck) resulted in PTSD. I'm in therapy now, so I have gotten better, but shit is just getting real. Anyway, I am trying to do better with uploading, but I don't know how well I'm gonna stick to that. Have fun, and enjoy the chapter :)
PS; if I start sorta repeating myself, especially with how the Spartans and Tai interact, please tell me, I'm kinda running out of ideas, but I know where I wanna end this book, and it is starting to come to a close. If y'all have any ideas or want to see some type of side-story/ side-quest, lemme know and I'll do my best.
Swimming had exhausted Tai, spending the last four or five hours just hanging out. She had declared it time to go back to their rooms at around six pm, claiming they needed to shower and change before having dinner. Tai could tell that the activity had affected the Spartan's as well, even if they barely showed it.
About an hour later, the Spartan's stood around in Tai's room, watching the teen get ready. The teen sat at the vanity provided to the room, a green sweater and black cargo pants being chosen to wear for the night. A chain hung from the belt loops of her pants, along with a slightly too long green belt, finishing the ensemble.
She had been drying her hair when she heard a knock on her door, leading to four Spartans hanging out in her hotel room. Said Spartans had changed as well, looking much more like civilians than Tai had ever seen them.
Kelly was wearing a light purple short sleeved turtle neck and acid washed jeans with a random pair of tennis shoes. Linda had on a plain red crew neck long sleeve with dark ripped jeans. Fred was wearing an orange-ish polo and khaki-colored pants. And finally, John had on a black fitted T-shirt, dark boot-cut jeans, and his regular combat boots. Tai could proudly say that she was happy with their newest skill of dressing themselves in something not owned by the UNSC.
Tai was ready in a matter of minutes and soon their ragtag group was off towards the elevators that would lead them to the ground floor of the hotel. The hotel in and of itself was grand, all sparkly and shiny, and Tai couldn't help but wonder if this was where the planet's taxes went, instead of to people like her and the military programs. It was almost enough to ruin her foul mood. Almost.
The nineteen year old had done some research of the planet and was practically bouncing in her shoes when she saw they had an Italian place. The restaurant wasn't that far from the hotel, close enough to walk, and Tai had made a reservation ahead of time, before they'd even set foot on the planet. The Spartans didn't know what this "Italian" was, but the look on their youngest's face was enough for them to believe it to be the best type of food to have.
It didn't take long before the four Spartan's and Tai were walking inside the restaurant, following the host to be seated. The restaurant itself was spacious, but somehow had a homey feel to it. Most of the decor was from way before the Covenant rained hell on the planets, a time when Earth was the only known habitable planet. Tai was quick to take notice of the wait staff and their uniforms; a neat pressed white button down, a black vest, black slacks, and smart black shoes.
Even though the wait staff was uniform, nothing amiss from any of them, Tai
Tai had insisted that they go out for dinner, saying that "being cooped up in a floating metal box in the middle of space was one thing, I will not be doing it on a planet with actual gravity", and that's what the group was getting ready for. Once the teen had finished getting ready for the night, she grabbed her high-tops and satchel before beckoning to the Spartans to follow her. They did so without any hesitation, as they always did when she was trying to lead them somewhere. Fred couldn't help but smirk slightly at the fact that Tai had so much power in her hands and she didn't even seem to realize it.
The restaurant that the teen had found was an Italian place with a homey feel to it. It was only about a ten minute walk from the top-end hotel and Tai had insisted on walking. Subconsciously, she took in the fact that the Spartans were likely to be too large to fit comfortably inside a cab, not to mention they probably wouldn't trust the driver if she had called for one. She was acutely aware that normal civilian cars and the Warthogs the Marines drove were vastly different. So, walking it was.
As they walked, the group made easy chatter, Tai being the one to talk most. She was fine with that. She was aware that the Spartans she'd kept for company were not even close to the most sociable creatures, but she had enough to say for all of them. All though, she had to admit, they had started to come out more, talking more, even when she wasn't the one directing the conversation.
"I'm telling y'all, once we get there and y'all have a mere taste at what Italian food can be, you're never gonna wanna go back to eating those MREs or the grub from the mess." Tai stated, her hands making wild movements as she spoke.
"Whatever you say, tiny. But MRE's have gotten us through a lotta shit." Frederick replied, crossing his arms over his chest, a small smirk pulling at the scar on the corner of his mouth.
Tai let out a small, annoyed huff, crossing her own arms and rolling her eyes. She couldn't help the small grin that crossed her face when Frederick bumped his shoulder against hers.
Soon, the restaurant came into view, the off-white of the bricks stark against the blue backdrop of the sky. Tai had called ahead and put in a reservation for the five of them. Checking in, the group was brought to their table and given their menus. The teen found what she wanted pretty easily- Penne Allah Vodka- penne pasta with tomato and alfredo sauce and dashes of vodka.
It was almost laughable at how lost the Spartan's looked reading the menu. It was clear to the teen that the super soldiers had no idea as to what any of the food was. They all looked to Tai for guidance, the confusion on their faces written like ink on paper. Tai let out a small chuckle and set about giving suggestions to the Spartan's, trying to think about what they would like in food.
When the food came out, Tai dug into her pasta and side salad, stealing a garlic roll and studying the Spartan's opposite her. Seems like her choice of food for each Spartan had been spot on. For Linda, she had suggested Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti. Fred had some regular spaghetti with Italian meatballs. Kelly had a classic cheese pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni, red peppers, and jalapenos. John was given a classic four cheese lasagna. All four Spartans were given side salads, two houses and two Caesar. And, of course, Tai made sure that the amount of food handed to the super soldiers would be enough for their greater metabolism.
The Spartans had started out hesitant to try the new food, but willing to trust in Tai's suggestions. When they finally had some, they all went still for a moment, their expressions not changing. Without warning, all four started digging in to their meals like it was the first taste of food they'd had after starving. Yeah, Tai definitely picked the right dishes for them.
It didn't take long for the group of five to finish eating. After they were done, they sat and continued talking for a good half hour longer before Tai asked for the check. Before she could hand in her card, however, John snatched it out of her hand, placing his down instead. Tai balked. She didn't even know the Spartans had credit cards. Sure, she knew they were getting paid, they were still soldiers of the marines, but for some reason she hadn't thought about them having a form of payment.
John stared down at the redhead next to him, a small, smug grin on his face. Tai scrunched her nose at him in return. The other Spartans glanced at their leader and self-appointed mascot, watching as they interacted with each other. Everyone agreed that the kid had a big impact on their lives. And it was a good one. They saw that the Chief wasn't as reserved around the rest of his team anymore. And, they noticed changes to themselves as well. Linda and Kelly were more outgoing and less stiff. Frederick was coming more and more out of his shell and actually started to enjoy the random conversations he'd have with the other soldiers and marines onboard the Infinity.