[IC] Digital or Real?

[Scout]

Sure. He heard the word, but it took a moment to process. He felt like he was still waiting until he felt a ton of bricks strike him over the head. She said yes... She was really okay with being a couple. Slowly, he began to smile brightly, "And that m-makes you my girlfriend..." He realized excitedly as she placed her hand on his and he felt his entire being just fall away from him. It almost felt like he was watching it all in third-person, yet still getting to feel it. However, the feeling didn't last long as her phone went off and she bolted away to answer it. His eyebrow quirked up quizzically as he hopped off of the rock and watched as the phone conversation grew deeper. She was about to be a big sister..? Yeah, he mom had been pregnant for a while, of course she was about to beco- Oh! James looked astonished for a moment before grinning, "Awesome! Congratulations, Sasha!" He said sincerely, giving her a hug without even thinking. After a moment, he pulled back, blushing hotly, "Heh... Uh, sorry about that."

As she asked about staying, he nodded, "Of course! We'll just tell my parents what's going on and I'm sure they won't make you go home alone. It's not a problem at all," James stated quickly as the cool air began to nip and the wind picked up. He set the torch down and pulled off his jacket, insisting as he handed it over to her. "You paid for dinner, I can't let you get cold," he said, "Plus, that's like... a boyfriend thing, right?" He rubbed his hands together for a moment as the breeze cut through his long-sleeved t-shirt, though he was glad for having decided to wear it over short-sleeves. He smiled and kicked the ground, pocketing his hands in his jeans, "Big day for you, huh?" He said, "We should get back, before we get in trouble for being back too late." As they walked back, every now and then, he smiled and nudged into her playfully; it felt like he was on top of the world, he'd actually done it... He'd asked her out. As they reached the road again, he looked over to her, "Hey, should we, uh... hold hands or something?" He asked pensively, not wanting to make her feel too uncomfortable.

They made it back to his house and stepped in the door and, as if on cue, his mother entered the room, "You could have called me yourself, James! All I get is Matt telling me that you two might be going out for food and you only get back now, after dark?" She asks almost angrily. James, however, seems less than fazed as he tries his best not to seem like he's just had the best day of his life. His mother sighed and shook her head, "Sasha, your father called. You can stay here tonight..." After a pause, she looked from one of the pair to the other for a moment, "Mhm. You two can stay in different rooms tonight after lights-out. We've a guest room, Sasha, feel free to stay in there. Of course, it isn't that we don't trust you, but I'm sure your parents wouldn't really approve." She turned around with a smile, "You know, you sleeping in the same room as you boyfriend."

James blinked... She knew everything. He shrugged, deciding not to pursue it. It was probably Matt that tipped her off anyway. "Uh, of course, mum." He looked over to Sasha, as they walked to the parlour, sitting down next to each other on the couch and relaxing. It had really been a long day... James felt like he could fall asleep right there with his legs propped on the coffee table. He didn't even hear Matt's teasing 'aww' from the recliner.

[Genkai]

James' hug was quite welcomed.

"Thanks haha." She smiled nervously and picked up her things. "It's okay." She said, her heart racing. Now to breathe. How did you do that again? Something about lungs and air. As they got ready to go back home,he offered her his jacket, saying since she paid for their pizza, that she couldn't get cold. She smiled, "Pizza doesn't equal a jacket but thank you." She said lightly. They headed back and he mentioned that today was a big deal. "Oh yes, paintball, pizza, getting asked out, and getting a baby brother...next I'll be elected as Prime Minister or something." She joked. He asked if they ought to hold hands. Sasha really didn't know. They were both novices when it came to clumsy romantic gestures. "Okay." She took his hand, lacing her fingers with his.

As they walked, she decided she preferred clasping their hands together, rather than lacing fingers. It felt a little more comfortable at the moment. When they got back to his house and got inside, they were greeted by James' mother who was terribly upset. She quickly let go of James' hand, about to explain what had happened when the woman calmed down and mentioned that her father had called. And that she'd be in a guest room. 'What do they think is going to happen if we share a room together? We slept in the same tent just fine a month ago. What's so different now?' She couldn't help but ponder. But she just nodded, thanking the woman because it was only right to be grateful for someone helping her, rather than protest something that shouldn't matter.

And so the dance approached...

Between the arrival of her brother, Devon, and the dance, Sasha and James went out a few times together. After their third outing to get some tea, they declared it an actual date. Considering they got along so well, they didn't need to appear so nervous about. Even so, they weren't too sure how to act around each other. With a new label, they weren't sure what to change to make the shift between friends and more than friends. But by the time the dance came around, they had been out enough to get used to holding hands and joking as usual. The girl couldn't help but bask in the warmth of James and his presence. His smile was utterly fantastic and they had loads of fun together, despite being in unknown water.

The weather had changed and was pretty windy and cold, as was the usual for the city.

So her options for looking cute at the dancer were slightly limited. Sasha had a dress which could work though. While her dad was taking care of Devon, her mum helped her with her hair. "It's getting long."

"I like it, it keeps me warm." Sasha smiled as her mother brushed through her hair, the two ladies standing in front of the mirror. "Did you and dad ever go to dances?"

"Oh yes, he wasn't very good but we still had fun." Her mother replied and began to tie a nice plum ribbon around her daughter's neck. She seemed to like the bright colors like fuchsia and aqua and orange. Her daughter was pretty lively so it was only natural that she'd enjoy colors that reflected her energy and spirit. "You and James will have a lovely time, no matter what happens. I'm sure he'll be nothing short of a perfect gentleman. Or else." She laughed and looked at Sasha up and down. Sasha had on aqua tights and a matching color dress with white lacy frills. Under that was a pink long sleeve blouse and around her neck was a simple ribbon. "Don't wear your glasses tonight, let him see those pretty eyes of yours." Her mother said, causing Sasha to blush.

As Sasha headed for the door, her father set down the baby in his crib and went out to take a look at his daughter before she slipped through his fingers. "My baby girl, you look absolutely stunning."

"Daaaad." She rolled her eyes and looked off. He hugged her and handed her some money for after the dance. "We want you back no later than ten tonight, call if something happens." He said and she put the money in her wallet, thankfully her dress had pockets so it could hold her wallet, along with her cell phone. "Do you need an umbrella? A jacket?"

"I'm fine I'm fine." She waved a hand. She was warm enough and felt fine. Just then there was a knock and Sasha rushed to the door before either of her parents could. "Heeeey." Sasha said and was about to just slip through the door when her mother hurried over and suggested pictures. Sasha groaned and felt like crawling under a rock. Why were parents so bloody embarrassing? "Come on, let's get out of here." She grabbed James' hand and quickly jogged out into the street. They had decided to just walk to school since it wasn't too far. Sasha's parents had taken pictures of Sasha in her dress so Sasha didn't feel too bad about dragging James out of that stupid scene. They could take pictures of Devon with his date when he got one but Sasha just wanted to be left alone.

There was already a lot of pressure from adults as it was.

"Sorry about them." She finally let go of his hand when they started to walk down the empty street. It wasn't like her dress was special or new or anything. Sasha glanced down at her feet. She had on low heel pink shoes. They were comfortable but looked nice enough to be worn to dance, at least she thought so anyway. "You uh look good." Was that something she could say? She supposed so. As they neared the school, she could smell the alcohol and fags from the older students who were loitering in the back of the campus. It didn't really bother her, it was a norm for the city and UK in general. Glancing to James again, she found her nerves settling down a bit. "So how long should we stay? I don't have to be home until ten so...we've got loads of time."

Sasha

[Scout]

"I know, mom," James said, rolling his eyes for the millionth time as he was lectured about manners and girls. "You act like she's just some random girl... I'm not gonna hurt her," He said confidently as she adjusted a tie around his neck. It felt like it took ages for him to peel away from her while she worked to continuously 'fix' his dress clothes. Finally, the door was closing behind him and he had no doubt his mother would be watching him until he disappeared from view. He had a type of dark dress jacket over a white shirt and dress pants. It required a lot of argument to keep his mom from following him to Sasha's place. Despite the number of times that his mom looked him over, James still felt the need to do so again upon reaching the girl's door, clearing his throat and trying to keep his heart from racing as he reached up and knocked. When it was answered, he smiled brightly, "H-" He started before Sasha's mother cut in, wanting pictures and the like before the girl swept him away from the door and what, to a child, was a potentially dangerous scenario: embarrassing pictures of them before their first dance. Ugh.

As they reached a safe distance away, he started to laugh, shaking his head. "Thanks for saving me," He teased as she released his hand and he took a moment to catch his breath, taking her pace in the walk. All things considered, he was just glad he didn't fall over and humiliate himself in their escape as he finally got to see her dress and she complimented him on how he looked. He shrugged as though it was an outfit that had been thrown together at the last minute, "Your dress looks, uh... Cute," He stammered sincerely, blushing slightly. "We can stay as late as you like, I've not got a curfew," He said proudly, "As long as I don't wake my parents up if they're asleep." Cigarettes and alcohol filled the air, but it was the norm for most places in London. He lightly took her hand as they approached, a few older students asked for their tickets and they showed them before being let inside. The music could be heard from beyond the front doors, but James wasn't quite so familiar with it. It wasn't in his favorite genre so it typically fell off of his radar. He glanced down at his watch and wow was she right, they had all night, which was good simply because he felt like it would take him that long to get over his nerves.

After entering the gym, he looked around, scanning over the faces of everybody. He could see Matt with Aisha and even Alex, who seemed to be having a relatively good time. Honestly, James almost felt bad for asking her after him and still getting the date. Matt didn't quite see them, James figured, so they took their own walk out to the floor, James' most dreaded moment of the night. He tried to look at other people around him... Would he really have to look that stupid? Oh geeze this was going to be a trainwreck. It wouldn't take long before Matt did spot them, took his girlfriend's hand, and nearly ran James over. "Oi, little brother, good to see you finally came," He said and James flinched, half-expecting to get an embarrassing ruffle of his hair. Nothing happened though as his brother smiled down, wrapping an arm around Aisha, "C'mon, we'll show you two lovebirds how to have fun!" He said excitedly as the couple took the Freshmen under their wings and showed them around the dance floor and James quickly realized that nerves were something entirely created in his head.

As the night moved on, it seemed as though a lot of people were getting tired and the entire rhythm of the room changed at the turn of a song. Something slow... soft... James looked around in fear as he saw what felt like a million different options flood the room. They could have left minutes ago, and now it was too late. He looked back to Sasha, rather unsure what to do, wondering if Matt would come to their rescue a second time. There was no such luck, he and Aisha were buried in one another's arms, not to mention she had stopped him before he could help them, mentioning that it was their job to work it out. Matt simply sighed, giving her his tired, teasing line, "C'est la vie." The girl would roll her eyes as she always did, call him a jackass, and start the dance.

"U-uh..." James couldn't bring himself to look at her, "Sorry... What do you think?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer. He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't keep himself from walking on eggshells for fear of hurting whatever they had before the dance. If worse came to worst, they could always just... annul the night, right? Easy fix. Then they would always know it didn't work out, if she didn't want to. It wasn't like it would actually ruin them. He silently, and every so slightly, shook his head, Don't be a pessimistic idiot, He scolded himself, finally looking her way, smiling. Even if he had wanted to, there was no way he could keep himself from doing it.

[Genkai]

The dance was just as she thought it would be, no surprises there.

Sasha had spotted a few of her friends and made small talk with them. She and James were soon approached by Matt and his lovely date. Sasha was happy to meet the girl, Aisha. Things went by alright, Sasha had nothing to complain about. Well, James did seem rather high strung, wound up tight about the issue of a dance. She didn't think he needed to be so nervous, after all, emotions could be infections. If he was uneasy, she would get uneasy as well. But if they relaxed and kept enjoying themselves with the food and chatter, then it would be easier to let the drama of the rest of the world slid off their shoulders. She had spotted Alex but hadn't gotten the chance to speak with him. She did feel bad about turning him down but with James being the other option, as her new boyfriend, she didn't feel too bad.

As the mood took a slight turn from hyped and bubbly, Sasha noticed a few people heading off, holding hands as they left the building. It seemed the new tone of the night was sparking a lot of mushy romance. She and James had yet to really kiss each other, they had only been together a short time as boyfriend and girlfriend. They didn't want to rush things but now, at the moment, it seemed like they had a chance to make the actual transition from one thing to another. Some people were snogging by the snack table while many of the chaperons were calling it a night. The dance had about a half an hour left but she wasn't sure if she really wanted it to end so soon. She had fun and she hoped James could say the same too.

"Ah." She looked over when James regained his power of speech and turned to her, asking what she thought they should do. "Ohh." She looked back at the dance floor which was only home to a few couples at this point. Sasha held her breath and decided they could carry on with their little date but that it didn't have to be where everyone or anyone could see. Our of the corner of her eye, she spotted Alex heading off in a group. Somehow she felt a little less in the spotlight now, even so, it seemed James was still nervous. "Why don't we head off and go somewhere else?" She suggested. They could walk around, meddle and loiter as all the kids did. She and James headed off and she was hoping that a chance in scenery would do them some good, well James some good.

Despite being away from their peers, Sasha did still feel a little nervous but she saw it as a good thing.

"I've got a massive craving for ice cream." She gushed as the cool air hit them as they left the campus. "Like if I don't some soon, I might go mad and try climbing a tree. Can you imagine? In this dress? My mum would kill me an' all for ice cream." Sasha laughed a little as they walked, her face still a little red. Ice cream was a great way to cheer people up and she wanted something sweet and cool. "I wonder there's any frozen custard around here." She said aloud. She spotted a petrol station up ahead and decided they'd have some good cheap ice cream for sale. "Come on." Sasha grabbed James' hand and hurried to the stop light and waited for it to turn before she jogged across the street. They got their ice cream treats and both paid for themselves since they both wanted to pay for each other, and couldn't budge on the matter. Once they got back out on the street, they were back to wandering again.

The girl had picked a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, plain but yummy. She did her best to not make a mess but when it became too much of a hassle, she threw out half of it and wiped herself off with a napkin. Everything was changing for them, she liked it though. Sure, it was new and scary but it wasn't like they needed to be afraid of each other. "You know when I first met you, I thought were totally mental, like, someone who would be so tough to get to know but I was wrong about you." Sasha smiled. "I'm glad I was, not so glad you beamed me with a football but...you know things sorted themselves out." Sasha shrugged a little as they walked back towards their neighborhood. Checking her phone, she saw it was 9:24 so they didn't need to rush home by any means.

The two ended up wandering back to the rock that James had showed her the day everything changed. She took a seat on the edge and looked around. While things were changing, it was hard to consider that in a few years, they'd be in Matt and Aisha's shoes. Would they still be together? Sasha wasn't sure, that was a peculiar thing to consider but she'd like to believe that no matter what happened, they'd still be mates. She pulled out her phone and picked out a song, the slowest one she had anyway, which was tough since she loved peppy songs. It was a really old one by Vance Joy called Riptide. It was cute and kind of made her think of James. "Come on, we skipped out on that last dance but I still want one last one." Sasha grinned and jumped down, holding her hand out to the boy. If they didn't want to make fools of themselves in front of strangers at a stuffy dance, they should at least be able to do it by themselves.

[Scout]

He was relieved when she suggested that they leave the dance. It felt so strange being surrounded by so many people, it felt too exposed, seeing as they had only recently become more than friends - it was all new to them. At the mention of ice cream, he laughed and nodded, "Yeah, that sounds really good, come to think of it," He agreed, more confident than he had been before, now that they were outside and more relaxed. He had chosen a basic Drumstick cone with chocolate shavings on top, which he quickly found running down his hand and dangerously close to his sleeve. However, he fought on, catching each melted drip and quickly devouring the cold refreshment, leaving part of the cone for the rubbish bin. It felt so much more fun now that there wasn't any pressure from the dance, he could just feel the next one being more effortless and enjoyable. Despite her not letting him pay for her ice cream, he found their compromise to be fair enough for now. He couldn't help but laugh as the ice cream in her sandwich would press from every side whenever she took a bite and she had to give up on it halfway through. He was nearly done when she pitched it, so he did the same with his, making sure to clean up his hand before wiping it off.

He smiled slightly, "Yeah, my football skill could use a bit of tweaking, but I don't think it could have happened any other way..." He pointed out, laughing, "Then again, I'm not the one who got hit with the ball." It really was funny how things worked, James hadn't even realized how their wandering about took them back past their homes and toward the rock where he had asked to be her boyfriend. It was also the night that she had become a big sister, so the location had quickly become someplace very special. Somehow it felt like the one place where everything could just be true, where nothing would have to change. Consistency was nice, especially during times like this. As she pulled out her phone and started playing a song, he nodded, "Sure, I'd love to."

It was easy to ignore feeling silly around Sasha, because she wasn't afraid of doing it too. Not to mention, nobody else was watching, it was so much easier, seeing as he had no idea what to do. He took her hand when she offered it over and hopped off the rock himself, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. It wasn't exactly a slow song, but it was sweet. It was so much less nerve-racking when they were secluded. Tentatively, he placed his free hand on her hip, his heart starting to beat more quickly as he took a step closer, meeting her gaze. "I had fun tonight," He said brightly, "I'm really glad we decided to go together, Sasha." Their hands disconnected as he wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling more natural after the song had been going for a bit. As the chorus began to repeat for the song to pan out, he looked down slightly to her, tilting his head and leaning forward. He tried his best to quell the part of him that actually understood the situation, wanting nothing more than to calmly handle what he hoped would be his first kiss.

He brought a hand up to her cheek, pushing her short hair back as their lips met. A few moments later, he pulled away, blushing hotly, blinking in surprise at himself. "Wow..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as the song ended. Part of him knew that it was okay, but another part was worried she would be mad or that he had moved too quickly, assuming she would accept the kiss. To break the silence, he smiled slightly, "So... Was that okay?" He asked with a small laugh, wanting nothing more than to keep the air from becoming too awkward.

[Genkai]

He accepted her hand which was quite a relief.

She'd hate to have to dance all by herself.

"Good, yeah me too." Sasha replied happily to James. They weren't well versed in dancing but it didn't really matter. Supposedly they were going to be taught various forms of dance during their time in high school but she wasn't even thinking about how to do things properly. All she wanted was to have fun with James. She moved her arms around his neck loosely when their hands disconnected, following his lead. Sasha found herself starting tune out the music as they moved along, trying not to stumble over rocks or each other's feet. Her eyes were torn between looking at him or anywhere else.

She was sure her face was a bit red and she decided that for the next dance, they might need to bring some beer or something. Just to not be so awkward. Maybe. James moved a hand to the side of her face as the song began to fade away and she was sure her heart had ceased beating. Her evil plan was working but a small frantic part of her wanted to abort. Was this okay? Sasha looked to James and then surrendered, closing her eyes as his lips met hers. He soon pulled back and tried to stiffen his awkwardness. She found it all very cute. "Um yeah..." She said, though any other possible words she could think of were lost in the wind.

Since she neglected to put her music on lock so it ended up going onto the next one, Thunder Clatter by Wild Cub. She wasn't thinking much about whatever came on, it could be horrible heavy metal for all she cared. "Brilliant really." She said, her face feeling like it was on fire. It wasn't so bad though, because the wind was picking up. And staying warm and so close to James was a great way to combat that. When she caught her breath, she leaned up and slipped her hands down from his neck to around his lower back. Leaning up, she pressed her lips back to James', her eyes closing once again.

Yeah, this wasn't so bad. If they had stayed back at the dance, they might not get to kiss. Staying in the same place never did anyone any good in the long run it seems. Suddenly her ringtone broke through the mood and the music. "S-sorry!" She jumped backwards and hurried over to her phone and saw it was her mother calling. Sasha rolled her eyes and just ignored it and glanced back to James. The clock showed she had time but it seemed her parental units were using some other super fast clock to tell time. Quite unfair and embarrassing. Just when things were getting good, she had to go back home.

"I guess I better go before they send a search party." Sasha muttered and cleared her throat. What a mood killer. "Um d'you wanna hang out this weekend...?" Better to try and end on a good note, rather than a weird one right?

[Scout]

He smiled in slight embarrassment as she said she enjoyed the kiss and gave him another. He melted into the moment, letting the entire world freeze around him as he squeezed her in a comfortably tight embrace. And for the second time within a month, the 'Play' button on life was clicked by the ring of her phone and they broke apart awkwardly. His heart had stopped racing so much as the rush of the first kiss ended. He leaned against the rock as she took up her phone and rolled her eyes, hanging up. He was a bit surprised at her ignoring the call and he tilted his head when she looked at him, embarrassed. The slight glint in her eyes as the moon's gaze drifted through the trees and across their little clearing only made him smile. He blinked when she spoke, snapping back to reality and he nodded, "Oh, yeah, for sure," He said quickly.

He took her hand and planted a kiss on her cheek. Everything felt so open all of a sudden, like the awkwardness around them had melted away with their first kiss. He put a hand around her waist, resting it on her hip as they started back for her place. He felt a lot more confident with her and it showed. "Hm... what are you gonna tell your parents about tonight?" He asked, looking down to her curiously.

Months later, December 31st, New Years' Party at the Delacourt household

In the months following the dance, James and Sasha had become one of the most talked about couples of the Freshman Class simply because they were one of the first "mature" relationships in their class, at least between two students who were actually known in the school. It was strange, but so many things had changed for the better since they became a real couple. Even Alex congratulated them and he and James had become good friends since, the other boy moving on seemingly with ease. James wrapped his arm over Sasha's shoulder while they both sat on the couch lazily. Matt and Aisha were a few seats down, but lately Matt had seemed a bit quiet, as did his girlfriend. James wasn't sure quite why, but he was also sure that everything would turn out fine. It seemed like nothing could go wrong for him anymore, not now that he had Sasha and life was actually beginning to move forward. It was funny how one day he was adamant against growing up and then it happened so naturally that he barely noticed.

[Genkai]

They headed back and she leaned against him as they walked, rather close, back home. "I dunno." She grinned. "Do I need to say anything? Do they need to know?" She shrugged a little. "I guess I say I had a good time." She wouldn't be lying there. "What about you?" Sasha asked him, wondering what sort of things he'd tell his parents, or worse, his brother. For now, she wanted to enjoy being with James without having to worry about gossip or parents or school. When they parted ways, they shared one light kiss. Sasha headed inside and found her parents in front of the telly watching the evening news. She quickly went to her room after muttering that she had a good time. If they stopped her now, her face would probably give everything away.

Months later, December 31st, New Years' Party at the Delacourt household

School was going fine, the clubs were keeping her busy.

It was nice to hang out with James outside of school where no one was watching them.

And tonight they were spending the new year together as his house. Her parents had been invited to another party in the city so they got a babysitter and Sasha was free to hang out with James until the celebration was over. She looked around as everyone was watching the celebrations on telly. They were broadcasting various cities around the world, showing off firework shows and other notable attractions. She was getting more comfortable around James' family but she still had a feeling his parents weren't too thrilled at their son's maturity.

She could understand that, parents would always be protective of their kids. Sasha sipped the champagne in her hand. Since it was an occasion, they were given something festive to drink. She was curled up against James as they listened to the music and commentary. A new year, who knew what it could hold. There would be new video games to play, books to read and movies to see. It was hard not to be hopeful about the future in her mind. And in the new year, she would become a Sophomore which meant she was closer to becoming a more mature person.

To try and help out, she decided her new years resolution ought to be finding a part time job.

That way, she could buy things without bothering her parents. And she was sure there would be something somewhere close by. Like at a cafe or shop. As the time neared close to midnight, she glanced back to James. Things were nice and comfortable between them. She wasn't sue what the future would hold for them as a couple but she was happy to go along with it. She had no complaints. "Five more minutes and it'll be 2019." She grinned as she took another drink. She was feeling nice and buzzed thanks to the drink, but even if it had just been water or juice, she would probably still be content with the night's progression. "You gonna make a resolution?" Sasha asked James, nudging him a little.

Some people made them but never followed through, while others just didn't bother with them.

[Scout]

James had already decided that champagne was not his drink, causing Matt to laugh and his paternal grandfather to be a little bit appalled at his lack of sophistication. He was convinced the boy would "grow into it," but James doubted it. Matt made him something with quite a bite to it, some kind of soda and whiskey. It was more bothersome to his grandpa that they took to their mother's side for their drink enjoyment. The boy looked over to Sasha at her question and thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah... If I felt like there was something I needed to change about myself, I'd already be working on it. Not that I'm perfect, but it just feels... Well, it wouldn't work for me, I can't set a start date for doing something to get better because if I don't start right the moment that I realize it, then it'll be really hard for me to stick to it," He admitted with a shrug. "What about you?" He asked, kissing her cheek with his feet up on the coffee table. For the last few weeks, it was clear that somethin was on Matt's mind, but when anybody asked, he'd dismiss it as work or his last semester at school. James felt that he was lying, but he didn't push, lest whatever it was would upset their mother.

Since he and Sasha started going out, everything else in life just felt natural. It would only be a few minutes before Alex fell onto the couch beside James, also kicking up his feet with a relaxed sigh, "I gotta say, guys, I feel like this is going to be a really good year. I think the club needs to do more paintball when summer rolls around, I talked to some of hte other members and they said they really wanted to do it again. I don't think anybody would protest laser tag or... Oh, next year, around Halloween, we could go to one of those live-action zombie survival things. I heard that they let you stay overnight in the woods and it's... I can't remember if it's like laser sensors or airsoft... But anyway, you and your group have to survive on limited ammo overnight - if you get turned, you have to join the zombies and try to 'kill' your friends," He said excitedly. "I think it'd be a really, really fascinating activity for us."

James listened intently before looking to Sasha, "Well... that sounds really cool - maybe next year we should bring it to whoever we vote as president," He proposed with a bright smile.

[Genkai]

With James' long-winded response as to if he was making a resolution or not, she felt a little silly about giving her response but she didn't see the point in lying to save face or something. "Oh well yeah I think so." She admitted lightly. "But I think I wanna keep it a secret so no one bugs me about it or jinxes it." She told him, leaving it at that. The topic and tone was changed when they were joined by Alex who was also invited. "Laser tag would be a fun change, a lot less mess would be welcomed in my book." Sasha told the boys. She wasn't too sure if she wanted to do the zombie thing, she didn't mind the idea at all but she had hoped she wouldn't be stuck doing too many zany guy fantasies.

"Yeah." She looked back to James. "By then we won't be stuck at the bottom anymore and maybe we'll get some new members." She began to think about the incoming Freshmen and how that would go. It was an odd thought and a very faraway one at that. The girl just looked back at the telly. "Either way, we can talk more with the club and find plenty of ideas and adventures for everyone to enjoy and sign up for. You can't please everyone so it's better to have other ideas and meet-ups for different sorts of interests." She pointed out. "Oh it's almost time, you guys!" She said and scooted to the edge of the couch as the clock began to countdown from the two minute mark. "The last teen year for the 2000s, they grow up so fast."

Sasha was looking forward to 2020 as well but that would be in another year and then some extra minutes.

For now, she was happy to be where she was and around good company. As it began to enter the under-one-minute time, she glanced back to James and the others. She had so much to be grateful for and look forward to. She wasn't sure where she'd be in a year or even five for that matter, but she could enjoy the present and wanted to make the most of it. As the final ten seconds began to countdown, she sat back and grabbed James' hand, holding onto it. "Yeah! Happy New Year!" She cheered and turned to him, kissing him softly which earned a few comments from the others in the room.

She laughed and blushed. "I better go now." She said to James. "I better go relieve the babysitter of duty so she can go have fun ringing in the new year." Sasha sighed and got up. It was fun to spend the once in a lifetime event with James and everyone else but she was a little drained and glad that 2019 was upon them so she could go home. "See you." She waved and headed outside. It was chilly, as to be expected but for now, there wasn't any rain which was a real shocker. Sasha hurried over to her house down the street and took over for the babysitter and called her parents to inform them that she was now home, safe and sound, not blowing up things with fireworks like other kids her age.

February 11'th 2019

There were only three days that separated her and Valentines Day and Sasha couldn't be more excited.

This would be the first time she'd have a date, a real date with a real boyfriend. She wasn't sure what they should plan but she was hoping it would be something amazing. The blond walked around the school, hearing people talk about plans they had for the holiday which would happen on a Friday this year. Some were nervous and talking about asking people out with baked goods, while others were bragging about going someplace in the country and having a romantic night. The girl hadn't really talked about it with James yet but she was planning to over lunch. After the morning classes concluded, she pulled James aside before they met up with their group of friends. "Hey." She smiled. "I thought we should have lunch by ourselves today if that's okay." She suggested, her hand holding onto his still.

[Scout]

James walked Sasha to the door, though Alex accompanied them, so it was a mere hug and a wave goodbye. It wasn't fair that she had to leave so that somebody with a job could have a party, but then again, Sasha might also not have been a late-nighter like James was. However, after the ball dropped, the party began to generally disperse anyway. Everybody seemed vanish within the hour and, though they would have liked ot wait until morning, the Delacourt family was left cleaning up the most noticeable parts of the mess. As James was left with his mother in the kitchen, wrapping up leftover snacks and taking care to make sure that they were put away correctly to prevent spoiling.

"So," the woman began as she emptied the contents of a pot into some tupperware, "You and Sasha seem to be having a lot of fun with your first relationship." She smiled brightly to her son, but something felt off.

"Uh... y-yeah, I guess so. I mean, we really like each other, so... Why?" He asked, looking over curiously, quirking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well... Uhm... I just wanna make sure you two aren't moving too fast... You know, at your ag-"

"Mom! No, stop, don't," He dropped what he was holding and it fell to the counter as he turned and waved his hands, "Let's not go there. Nothing, uh... er... l-like that is going on," He said, clearly flustered and blushing hotly in humiliation. Matt had just started walking by at the wrong minute and the older boy nearly fell to the floor, laughing his ass off.

"Oh, look at him, poor little guy," He teased.

"Shut yer trap, Matt!" The boy snapped, turning back around to take care of the leftovers, trying his best to just... disappear. The subject, thankfully, was dropped.

February 11'th 2019

James was just about to sit down, open his lunch, and tear into it. He was starving. His friends were all waiting with a friendly hello as he was just about to sit down. "Hey, guys, o-oh!" He yelped as he was quickly tugged away, "Nevermind! Guess not today!" He said with a laugh as he was pulled away, almost missing his lunch bag as he stepped away, just barely managing to grab it. He would be the last guy to let go of Sasha's hand, so he caught up to her rather than being dragged along and softly squeezed it inside of his own. "Oh, uh, sure," He said, shrugging. They almost never ate without their friends. They hung out nearly every day after school, anyway, so "alone time" wasn't really a problem. As they took their lunch a little farther from their friends, the two found a place under a tree at the edge of campus. They were allowed free roaming, so long as they were back to the school before class started again, so some students would even go home for it; James knew a few who would go home and play PlayStation until the break was over.

"So... did you hear? The next Sony console was finally announced a few weeks ago. It's pretty huge news, the style of actual console gaming, they said, is going to die with the PlayStation Five. The next one is going to take their Morpheus and turn it into a fully-supported gaming device - entirely run by digital copies of games, which was entirely expected anyway. Looks like VR is taking quite a while, but the head and hand tracking is making leaps and bounds, I wonder how it'll play..." He mused, "But I think I'm going to sit the next Sony generation out - I hear Valve is funding a little third-party company that's been working on full-V.R. for years now and from what I've seen in leaks, it's going to be huge. Knowing Valve, I wouldn't be surprised if the release date wasn't announced until only a few months before it hit the market, but I wanna be the first one in the running while everybody else is still clinging to the media-hyped stuff," He explained, "We'll have to see how limiting it is, I don't imagine they've cracked the code for all five senses in one fell swoop when all they've gotten thus far is some neat head tracking and motion control."

It was sadly true, the hype of the "VR Movement" was a bit underwhelming at the turn of the last decade. The senses were really hard to recreate, as was expected, but even more so than most realized. Even still, five years later, they were still trying to find a way to control a character without placing a controller in somebody's hands. Third-party consoles had been making a huge amount of noise in the community, but few beyond hardcore or passionate gamers and tech-lovers knew much about them.

James then realized he'd been completely out of it and rambling about something that was clearly far from Sasha's mind. He felt like an idiot, looking over to her, he knew she wanted to talk about something, and there he was, back on technology and games. "Oh, geeze, sorry," He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck and he unwrapped his sandwich. "So... uh... what's up, Sashie?" He asked playfully, using his pet name for her before nudging into her with a bright smile and placing an arm over her shoulder. James leaned his head back against the tree and took in the scenery while he waited for her to speak. If he was being perfectly honest, he'd almost completely forgotten about Valentine's Day. He knew the weekend was important, but he just couldn't remember why. His mom had mentioned something, but he'd not really listened, he was on his way out the door when she mentioned it a few days ago.

[Genkai]

It wasn't that she minded their usual group of friends but a change wouldn't be such a bad thing, especially since she wanted to talk about something personal and most of their friends would make stupid noises in the background. A little privacy would be welcomed in Sasha's mind. "It's cool innit?" She smiled, remembering she had read that online somewhere. James went on to talk about Valve and how it was going to release something big soon, hopefully. As she ate, she found herself half listening to what he had to say. It wasn't that she wasn't interested, but she had other things besides video games on her mind.

Part of her worried that they wouldn't get to do anything really special for their first Valentines Day as boyfriend and girlfriend. Sasha wasn't looking forward to the idea of them just sitting around playing games or wandering the city and people watching. As she finished her small meal of rice and curry, it seemed James had finally winded down from his ramble about games. "Oh it's uh okay." She smiled a little and considered not talking about what was on her mind now. She took a few grapes from her box and nibbled on them, still wondering if he cared about it as much as she did, or if she was possibly making it bigger than it actually was. Sasha didn't want to be an awful girlfriend after all.

"I was just thinking..." She looked back over to James. "You know Valentines Day is coming up and I wasn't sure...what we wanted to do." She said nervously. A few things had come to mind but she wasn't sure. Should they just go someplace nice? Or should they just go to the movies and walk around? The last thing she wanted was to put pressure on either one of them. She wasn't expecting much but that was because she didn't know what to expect. She and James were still novices when it came to dating, all the experience under their belt was thanks to the past few months of dating. "I wasn't sure if you had something in mind or if we should talk about it...?"

Now Sasha felt a bit silly for bringing it up. James' mind was on something else, not that she could blame him much. The gaming world was finally showing a bit of promise. It was pretty exciting. As she finished her own lunch as James was just starting his, she wondered what she'd look like in a few months time, let alone a few years. Would she and James be together still? Would she want something else for a career? Would the world be less congested with politics? She really didn't know and while that was scary, it was kind of fun too. Sasha wanted to enjoy the present though. It was the least amount of time out of the three options: past, present, future. The past was ever expanding and the future could be just an infinite too. She wanted to enjoy what time she had at this very moment.

"Or should I plan something?" She then offered.

[Scout]

Valentine's Day...? James furrowed his brow, the words not really registering at first. What was- Oh! Valentine's Day his mind clicked and he instantly felt like an idiot for forgetting. He physically facepalmed as she explained herself nervously. He groaned, "I'm so sorry, Sash... I completely forgot... My mom even mentioned it the other day, I was barely listening... I hope it's not too late," He said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure if it was, she'd have said something already or tried to remind me..." As he rambled on about God-knows-what, he was packing up the mostly-finished lunch.

"... so, anyway, my mom realized a few days ago that we were going on vacation during Valentine's Day... And she mentioned that it wouldn't really be fair to separate us because it's our first one y'know... uh... with somebody... Anyway, she said I could invite you... If you parents said it was okay. I mean, we'd miss school on Monday, and we leave Friday night, so we really won't even be gone for a full vacation, but it was the first weekend in a long time that my aunt and uncle could have us over." He paused, taking a breath, "Oh, duh, I didn't even... Sorry. They live in Princeton, out in New Jersey... Uh... Eastern? I think it's Eastern America... I don't honestly know, I always forget when my mom tells me..." He shrugged, trying to stop rambling. "So... Y-yeah, I mean, we always have a lot of fun, even when we can't go out to the beach 'cause it's so cold," He explained. "She hasn't asked your parents, but she could talk to them, Mum's always so convincing... Plus, I'm sure your parents trust her almost as much as they do themselves with us," The boy gave a small laugh, clearing his throat nervously. Finally, he felt able to actually stop talking, though he wanted to keep going for fear of rejection.

His fingers fiddled with one another in his lap as he waited for an answer. It was astounding that the ground wasn't wet or covered in snow, but it would likely snow an obscene amount over the next few days. Or freezing rain. Or hail... Really, the air was quite brisk, but it was one of the few nice days they'd had since Winter started. Despite the cold over early February, the air still smelled slightly of Springtime, as it crept closer with each passing week. Flowers weren't quite blooming, at least not those flowers which filled the fields when the dreary grey of overcast skies cleared, but the scent in the air still held that faint anticipation of the season's arrival. Perhaps it was simple nostalgia. James gently rubbed his hands together before breathing into them, and finally hugging himself, tucking his hands under his arms. A lot of students were out today, simply because it had any semblance of warmth and nobody wanted to be the first guy to say it was 'too cold' outside. James knew that nearly every one of his friends, himself included, would sooner catch hypothermia than complain about the cold.

[Genkai]

She knew many guys didn't pay mind to the day, either because they didn't have anyone special or because maybe they were nervous about it. Either way, Sasha had hoped having a boyfriend meant they could have a nice time together, perhaps more meaningful than their usual dates. Then again, putting pressure on Valentines Day wasn't what she intended to do. It seemed James had other things on his mind, maybe it was for the better...? Thankfully he got around the point and mentioned he would be going on a short holiday with his family to America. Woah. She wasn't sure if she felt like going. It wasn't exactly what she pictured when she thought of a romantic holiday. Going overseas was a little scary but it could be fun, as James mentioned.

"I'll talk to them about it." Sasha replied, not feeling able to give a full response one way or the other.

She would be gutted if they didn't get to spend time together and though she didn't really want the company of his family, she didn't think it would be too weird or embarrassing. They sat around, watching students. Many were running around or trading stories, others were studying or on their cell phones. Sasha glanced toward James and nudged him a little. "Oy, we should do something after school." Even though they hung out, it still felt like they hadn't done anything in a while and she wanted to have some fun with her boyfriend. They were still trying to figure out a good pattern so they didn't fall into some rut, so Sasha had done some poking around online.

In doing so, she found a cool underground sewage system from decades ago that hadn't been used. it supposedly would take them to a cool site by the river. She got up after packing up, ready to call it an early lunch so she could get ready for the next class. "I got a place I wanna check out and if I don't take you, something bad might happen to me which would make you feel terribly rotten!" Sasha teased as she threw what trash she had away. "Anyway, I gotta go, see you!" She waved and headed off to catch up with some of her other girl friends to talk about what James had suggested for their Valentines Day plans.

Sasha waited outside the school when the day was over. She figured they could grab their bicycles and some snacks and she could show him what she found. It was out of the way but that was part of the fun.

[Scout]

It was a shot in the dark, if she was allowed and wanted to go, that would be an absolute blast. Otherwise, he'd spend Valentine's Day halfway across the globe, feeling guilty for missing it. He'd already tried to get out of going and his mother refused to let him stay home alone while she was overseas. The boy was content moving from the subject in order to revisit it later, though it was likely that Rachel needed some form of answer soon, lest they run out of plane tickets. However, he enjoyed pointing out their classmates and just spending time with her; he realized sometime during their lunch how natural holding hands had become. Their fingers locked and he barely even felt her hand in his. In fact, when they separated, his hand felt unnaturally empty. He smiled, a change of pace was rather welcome - he'd never felt like they were in a rut, but it was always such a treat to go "adventuring" with Sasha. She was so hungry for exploration and his mind was more than inquisitive enough for his curiosity to follow her wherever she wanted to go.

"I'd love to," He said somewhat brightly, trying to keep from sounding too excited about spending time with her. Enthusiasm was interpreted too much like desperation by the other kids anyway. As she went on to explain the place more he listened intently, rising before pocketing his hands and rocking on the heels of his feet. "Oh, I'd feel so bad," He lamented with an exaggerated tone, "What ever would I do with so much guilt for all my life..?" One more goodbye and then she was gone off with her friends. Did she talk about him as soon as they were separated? Or did she do what he did and keep all of it locked up inside her head, reveling in the moments past in reservation? He shrugged and brushed away the question, perhaps it was none of his business anyway.

The day couldn't go any more slowly and James was working over time to keep cool during class. He didn't hear a word any of the teachers said after lunch, but he rarely did anyway. He'd already finished the chapter for most of his classes. His biggest problem with grades was ignoring his homework; the assignments never felt helpful, they were just boring and wasted his time. Unless it was Maths or Foreign Language, he actually enjoyed doing the homework for those classes. Ironically, very few of his friends understood his interest in them. He worked ahead, but "studying" was a word he worked hard to keep out of his vocabulary, as he'd always been able to keep up without paying much attention and doing more self-teaching. Whe nthe final bell sounded, he packed his things away in his locker and put his free reading book in his backpack with very little else, as he was notorious for never taking home a textbook. Currently he was reading Black Swan Green by David Mitchell; he had seen his father reading the author's work and simply picked up one of the first titles he could find. He slung the single-strap bag over his chest and stuffed his hands in his coat's pockets. However, he didn't have to close the front today, as the air hadn't gotten any colder since lunch. He found Sasha waiting for him and walked more slowly to meet her, savoring the moment of her waiting. When he finally reached her, he couldn't resist the small smile that perked up the corners of his lips.

"Hey, Sashie," He said teasingly, "How'd the rest of your day go?" He asked curiously, trying to resist the powerful urge to ask about her joining them for vacation.

[Genkai]

Sashie.

It was a funny nickname he used from time to time.

Either she hated it or loved it, it just depending on the situation.

In the current one, she didn't mind at all. Sasha was happy to reunite with her partner in crime. He said he'd with her but he could have easily made different plans or change his mind between lunch and now. But he was here and evidently still interested to see what she had in mind for their random outing of sorts. "Oh it went fine, I figured out the secret to immortality, so not much really happened." She replied, grin still on her face, her voice giving a bit of a tune in reply. "Come on, let's go." She motioned him to follow her. The pair headed back toward their neighborhood. "Go get your bike." She told him, swatting his arm lightly as they headed down the street. The sky above was gloomy but that was typical for them.

While James headed off, she ran into her house. She grabbed an umbrella and some snacks and dropped off her backpack. She dumped her things into the basket of her bike and pulled it around from the side of the house. Soon James met up with her and she got in. "Alright, now we're really ready." Sasha told him. If she could, she wouldn't have minded blindfolding him and taking him to the place herself but that might get confusing and put one of them in the hospital. So for now she was happy to have someone to go with her, rather than someone to drag along and hopefully surprise. At some point, she did want to surprise him with something. Maybe a new game or something. Her part-time job was good for saving extra cash away.

"Got any homework?" She asked James as she led them into the thicker, more busier part of London. She had some, but right now, she was more than happy to push it aside. Sasha slowed down at a stop light as they were in the bike lane. Most cars were careful but buses on the other hand wanted to plow down any poor cyclists. "I already did my English." She laughed. Of course she did. Maths on the other hand, er she didn't want to go there. No thanks. As the light turned, they went back to pedaling. She took a right turn and slowed down. "We gotta go on foot from here." She told him as she got off and pocketed the snacks and grabbed the umbrella. It would make a nice weapon if they stumbled upon any king sized rats or monsters.

When James was ready to continue, she led them down an alleyway, it smelled furiously awful.

She pushed some trash bins aside and then positioned them against the wall to act as stairs to get over the tall chain link fence. She hopped over and made sure she hadn't torn her pants. If she did, her mum would be rather cross. "I know this seems weird but trust me." Sasha said cheerfully as they continued down the alleyway until they got to an unsuspecting lid that led underground. She pulled it off and used her umbrella to poke around the darkness. No monsters yet. She found a ladder and climbed down it. "Come on down and close it on your way!" She shouted as she stepped onto a ledge. There was a shallow stream of water underground but there were thin six inch ledges on either side of the small cavern. She wished she brought a flashlight but it was a little late for that now.

Feeling her way using the walls, she took a left turn and soon light from the other end came into view. "Oh we're almost there!" She hissed in excitement. As much as she wanted to charge forward, she knew if she did, she'd probably fall into the nasty muck. So she calmed herself down and looked over her shoulder to make sure James was alright. She took his hand and they finished creeping along the rest of the way. When they got to the end, fresh air greeted them as they found themselves over looking the famous river. They had a ledge to sit out and look at the sights. She sat down and dangled her feet off the edge. "I figured this place might be fun to check out." She panted softly and tossed James a Jaffa Cake.

[Scout]

"Well, somebody has jokes, it seems," He replied, rolling his eyes as he took her hand and they started walking back toward their neighbourhood. The idle chit-chat never felt like a wasted moment as they walked together. She was so bossy sometimes... But to be honest, he needed it sometimes. Rarely would he do anything progressive for himself if he didn't think it was necessary, like studying or homework, but she kept on him well enough when it came to those things. By keeping an eye on him, his marks were better than they normally would be simply because he found a lot of the assignments pointless. Plus, her found her bossiness to be just adorable, so he did as he was told and headed for home. He made sure his pea-coat was nice and firmly fastened around him as he decided to grab a pair of gloves and a white scarf, in case they were out late enough for it the temperature to drop dangerously low. He grabbed his bike from the garage, told his mom he was going out for the evening with Sasha. The woman stopped him before he could head out, however.

"James, wait," She called, drying her hands on a towel as she came out of the kitchen to see him. "Did you talk to Sasha yet about joining us? I really want to get everything in order. The plane has seats near us left because of the time of year and the fact that we're not going when traffic to the States is very high," She explained. "But still, we can't have things going last minute - I wish you would have asked sooner..."

"I remembered today and asked her at lunch, but uhm... I'm not really sure if she wants to go, it might just be because it's a flight and it's another country... She said she'd think about it and I don't wanna press too hard in case it'll bother her."

Rachel nodded and rolled her eyes, "Fine... but from now, make sure that you look into these things sooner rather than later, okay?"

"Sure thing, mum, I'm heading out," He said hurriedly, "Love you."

"Mmmmhmmm..." She hummed skeptically, "Bye, hon."

He walked his navy, metallic blue mountain bike out of the man-door of the garage and swung his leg over it. It didn't take long after that for the two of them to be riding down the quiet, neighbourhood streets. Within a few more minutes, they were forced into a bicycle lane and had to be wary of traffic.

"Uhm... Define homework..." he said, laughing in reply. "I did my French and Maths in class, but that's because Madame writes her assignments on the board before class starts and so does Mr. Lancaster... I didn't do the English yet, I speak just fine. I'll do the essays and read the books, but I'm not doing some silly grammar worksheet when I'm taking a class that has the same name as my nationality..." She had done her English, ironically, but he wondered if she got anything else done.

James always rode his bike with one hand, anything he could do to avoid working harder than he needed to. He pulled the hand brake on the handlebars and propped himself up with one foot when Sasha stopped. He flicked the kickstand down and hopped off the bike, "Where the heck are we...?" The boy asked, scrunching his nose. Luckily the cold had caused his sense of smell to all but disappear entirely. Over a fence and into the sewers, the boy's face contorted into one of perplexity. "God, Sashie... How the Hell did you find this place and where are we fekkin' going?" He asked, but he knew she wasn't going to tell him.

Finally... Fresh air, even if it was cold air, was the most welcome thing he could think of just as the light at the end of the sewer appeared. He gripped her hand firmly and followed her to the ledge, taking a seat beside her. As he looked out to the scene before him, he completely forgot about the sewage behind him, his eyes lighting up as they reflected the beautiful sight. He took the Jaffa Cake and began to passively nibble at it, using his free hand to wrap around the girl's shoulders. He scootched over close to her and tilted his head, letting it rest atop hers. "Wow... This is a lot nicer than I thoughti t could be... considering the route we took to get here." He grinned and softly rubbed her shoulder, hoping she didn't feel too cold.

"Not that I don't think it's nice, but... Why did we come here?" He asked curiously, looking over to her, "I mean, it's really cool, I'm just curious," He pointed out with a smile.

[Genkai]

Sure it took them a bit of effort to get to the new location but Sasha had hoped that it had been worth it.

She leaned against James when he moved his arm around her. "Yeah I know but it was the only way and I mean who else would go to all that trouble to get here?" In her mind it was a great security system. When he then asked why they came all the way out to such a place, her smile faded, rather crestfallen that he didn't understand. Sasha wasn't too cold but being close to him made her happy either way. "..." She wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want to seem like she was complaining or anything but she also wondered if he was happy with how things were between them. In her mind, things were fine, the polish was coming off already and balancing school along the club activies and social events and personal time together was hard. Surely he sensed that much. "I just thought it would be fun to do something different, you know, explore something together instead of hanging out at school or the cafe or any other of the typical places."

While neither of them knew how relationships were supposed to go, Sasha had a feeling that they couldn't fall into a rut. For starters, it probably meant something bad. And with their lack of experience it was better to be proactive in regards to making sure both people were happy. She wanted to make sure that James was happy and that she was as well. Valentines Day could be an opportunity to get closer though she wasn't sure what that would exactly entail. "I thought it would be fun to have a change of peace but if it's not something you're into, we can go." There was no point in sticking around if he wasn't comfortable or enjoying the view. But so far there wasn't anything to complain about. The smell couldn't reach them anymore and the sounds of the city were faint, like they tickled the ear rather than perturbed them.

Had she known that James neglected to ask her sooner, she would have been a bit more upset about it. She didn't like being put on the spot, nor did she think he was in trouble for letting something slip from his mind. At times he could be even more absent minded than her, which was a bit funny. Just a bit. She glanced back out at the view. "You know I read that years ago, the water was a bit lower and over time it was refilled by man, rather than relying on a natural source. I guess this river is a big landmark. I can see why it's treasured. it's an icon." She considered absent mindedly. Sasha then looked to James, watching the sun light bounce off his face. Some alone time was nice though she could just be her. Guys weren't wildly known for being sentimental but James wasn't like most guys. He was nice and smart and didn't seem to shy away from much. In her mind, it wouldn't be too bad to keep getting to know each other, try new things.

[Scout]

The boy sat intently, listening with more patience than other boys his age to the girl beside him. She was just full of interesting little facts. As she spoke, his eyes held on to the scene before them, the trees sprawling out as the river weaved between them. It was strange how, in just another couple of months, the leaves would all be back and of the lushest greens. Gorgeous. James tilted his head to rest softly against hers. These were the moments that he knew adults were talking about when they said they said there were moments that they didn't want to end. James was always one for moving forward, but it was so serene.

"I'm glad somebody decided it was worth the resource to keep it alive..." He noted, making a small pause. He was not wont to be the mushiest of boyfriends. It was less that he lacked the ability to and more that he actively tried to avoid too much cliché and that generally acting too sweet could cause a bit of heckling from his friends, or even Matt. But today they were alone and he always felt at ease with Sasha. "That makes it the second most beautiful thing out here, I guess," He said, hoping to keep the statement from sounding too awkward.

"I don't wanna go, let's stay... We don't get to sit like this too much, y'know? I mean... we do at school, but... I dunno, there's something about being like this... alone, but together. Like you said, getting away from our everyday schedule's nice." He grinned and gave her lips a soft kiss, yet another luxury they could rarely enjoy because of her parents, his parents, or their classmates being around. A lot of the other kids in their school liked to show off and snog in front of everybody, but it absolutely disgusted James - the absolute disregard for other people's personal space was atrocious so he avoided doing more than very light displays of affection unless they were positive they were alone.

"I don't wanna push it too much, Sash... But... Mum asked me to see if you'd been able to talk to your parents. It's my fault for not asking you to go with us sooner, but you know I'm kinda forgetful and, even though you've had like... no time to get ready for it, I'd really like you to come along," He admitted, scratching, biting the inside of his cheek nervously. Rarely was James one to admit what he personally wanted beyond a gentle hint in one direction or another. He didn't like to overtake another person's preferences just because he wanted things one way or another. He was a "go with the flow" kind of guy; however, some people would label him falsely as introverted or stoic.

[Genkai]

Finding new spots was an adventure, one she thought they should be ready to do. There were plenty of places they haven't been and why not explore them together? It was fun looking at new things and places but to share the excitement and discovery with someone was even better in her mind. When James listened to her explain what she had read, she could tell that he was actually listening to her. It was really nice since her parents could get distracted by the newest addition to their family. And her friends could tune her own when they felt like the topic she was babbling about was dull.

James then threw her a cheesy romantic sort of line which made her grin. It was sweet of him and she couldn't reject anything sweet from her boyfriend, even if it was a little corny. It was still nice and made her smile so there was really no harm in it. She glanced back out at the scene in front of them and felt her cheeks turn a little red. "Tryin' to score extra points before Valentine's Day huh?" She teased him. Of course she knew that wasn't what he was trying to do but she thought for his sake, she should accept it and try not to make him feel to embarrassed. Guys typically didn't dish out lovey dovey comments so she was happy to get one, especially from James.

When he added that he was alright with staying, she found herself feeling more happy, more relaxed. It gave her reassurance that they were on the same page now. She was glad he liked her idea and destination of choice, even if it meant going through a question route to get to it. "Yeah." She sighed gently and looked to him. he kissed her lightly and she smiled even more. That would definitely earn him bonus points. James wasn't really one for public displays of affection. If they could hold hands, that was okay but she still knew it was a push for James. Sasha wished he'd be more open to it put she didn't want to put him on the spot or make him uncomfortable. So she'd take what she could get.

As they were enjoying the moment together he brought up the trip again and her face fell. Did he really need to bring it up again? So soon? Sasha scooted away a little and gave him a tired look. "You wanted to ask me sooner?" She frowned. "I haven't seen or talked to my parents since you brought it up at lunch." She pointed out, getting a bit upset. "I've been in school and with you since then. I really wish you told me sooner so I could think it over and talk to my parents but thanks to you, I'm in a tight spot and so is your mother!" She folded her arms, staring at him, not sure if she wanted to go now, let alone talk about it. "If it was so important, why didn't you ask me right away? Why couldn't your mother talk to mine?"