"Wait, you grabbed my hand in front of my mom! What if she thinks we're a couple?!" I blurted, paralyzed by the thought.
"I don't care."
His nonchalant response stung more than I expected. I guess my feelings don't matter to him. Maybe he was lying when he said we were friends. I was too busy spiraling to notice how close he'd gotten—his face now just inches from mine.
"Are you okay? You've been staring into space for a while," he asked, voice softer this time.
"I'm fine!" I yelped, backing away quickly. He laughed.
"Are you feeling embarrassed?" he teased.
"I said I'm fine! Now, where are we going?"
"I don't know... what do you mortals do for fun?"
I tried not to be offended by the phrasing.
"Arcades, bookstores, movies, skating, food, swimming, hiking... bowling," I listed.
"Let's go to the arcade. You said it first, so you must really like it," he decided.
A spark of excitement fluttered in my chest—maybe too much excitement. But it was too late to rein it in; I was already buzzing.
The arcade was packed, loud, and buzzing with energy. The lights and sounds set my nerves on edge—but also filled me with adrenaline. I rushed to the counter and grabbed a card. Serco watched in silence as I loaded five dollars onto it—my entire allowance.
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
"I'm loading money so we can play something together," I said, trying not to sound awkward.
"Then may I contribute as well?"
"Sure, if you want—"
Before I could finish, he pulled out his wallet, inserted three hundred-dollar bills into the machine, and pressed confirm.
"Wait—!" I reached out too late. "You didn't need to put in that much."
"We can try to get some refunded—" I offered.
He chuckled. "No thanks. It's just money."
To be able to say that so easily… he must be filthy rich.
"Besides, I want to fully experience the arcade you love so much. This is my first time."
His words made my heart flutter. I guess the smile on my face gave me away.
"Then let's play everything!"
First up: laser tag. Big mistake. He's fast, a quick learner, and surprisingly competitive. I got wrecked.
We tied at skee-ball. He crushed me at basketball. I finally redeemed myself in Dance Dance Revolution. He looked a little shy at first—oddly adorable on someone who usually radiates confidence.
We tag-teamed a VR adventure game, then mini-golf. I won that one easily—he couldn't control his strength and kept launching the ball across the room.
After nearly three hours, I finally said, "I'm hungry. Are you?"
He turned toward me, smiling faintly. "No. But if you are, we shall eat."
"Let's check the food court menu—"
"We're not eating here," he interrupted flatly, with a quiet laugh.
"Why not?"
He stepped closer. My face flushed.
I slapped my cheek to shake it off.
"The food here is poor quality, overpriced, and smells unappetizing," he explained—still using that calm, overly formal tone even when insulting the place.
"Fair enough... Do you have somewhere else in mind?"
He nodded, then beckoned me closer. When I did, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me into a dim corner of the arcade.
His hand slid to my waist as he gently pulled me in front of him. My heart practically seized.
Darkness swept over us—and then our surroundings shifted. We were suddenly in an alley.
"Where are we?"
"Near my favorite restaurant. Sorry if I scared you—I didn't want anyone to see me teleport."
"If you can teleport, why fly?"
He smirked. "I'm a Guardian. I have to watch over the city. If I teleport everywhere, I won't see what needs seeing."
"I... don't follow."
He paused, then opened the restaurant door for me. "Imagine you're walking to your grandmother's house. Halfway there, you find a treasure. But if you teleport, you miss it. That's why I fly."
I stepped inside. "That's... a pretty romantic explanation."
He grimaced at the word romantic, and I couldn't help but laugh at his reaction.
The hostess greeted us with a smile. "Nice to see you again! And you brought a girl this time."
I blinked. So he usually comes alone...
We were seated at a quiet table. My nerves kicked in again.
A waitress approached.
"Oh, it's you again," she said, then turned to me. "Is this your... sister?"
My stomach turned. We looked nothing alike. Different skin tones, hair, eyes...
"No. This girl is..." Serco paused, finger to his chin. "My date."
I nearly fell out of my chair. The waitress seemed just as shocked.
"Oh... well, can I get you something to drink?" she asked, changing the subject quickly.
"Lemonade," we both said at once.
Serco laughed. I just sat there, stunned.
A play date. He must mean a play date. Friendly. Very... friendly dating.
Once she walked away, Serco leaned on the table, chin in hand, watching me.
"Are you alright?" he asked, clearly enjoying my flustered state.
I nodded too quickly. He laughed again.
"I'm sorry if what I said upset you. I just didn't want to answer more questions."
"You mean the... dating thing?" I mumbled.
"Yes. It was easier than explaining our situation. Don't you agree?"
"I agree," I said. But inside, I didn't know how to feel. A mix of relief... and disappointment. Do I want more than friendship with Serco?
No. That would be ridiculous. Right?
Our drinks arrived. The waitress—Kimberly, according to her name tag—took our orders. I got a jalapeño cheesesteak hoagie with fries. Serco just ordered fries.
He barely touched them.
"You really don't eat much, huh?" I asked.
"My kind gathers nutrients from other sources. I rarely need to eat. Even among Infaniyans, I'm... unusual," he admitted.
"What about drinks?"
"Hydration's still necessary. I especially enjoy alcohol, though it doesn't help with hydration."
I nearly choked on a fry. Alcohol?!
"How old are you?" I asked.
He glanced away. "Two hundred seventeen."
What?!
"And you?" he asked.
"Just regular seventeen."
"That's a good age," he said. "You'll soon be seen as an adult among your kind—but you still have time to enjoy being young."
I smiled faintly, hesitating before asking the next question.
"Have you... Come here with others before?"
His smile vanished.
"No," he said coldly.
Did I touch a nerve? Perhaps that was too nosey of a question...
"I'm sorry."
He looked at me again, this time with warmth.
"Why are you apologizing when you've done nothing wrong?"
He tilted his head, still watching me. I wish he wouldn't—my heart couldn't take it.
"You're such a mystery to me," he said. "You're the first human I've ever spent time with like this. Recreationally, I mean."
I smiled and lowered my gaze, stealing a glance.
Only to find him doing the same.
Our eyes met.
Again.