Let's Go to the Mall

Rin had woken up rather early, if only to get in more practice when it came to his confidence lessons in talking in front of the mirror...which...regrettably Ruka had caught him doing when she'd returned home later that night.

She wasn't going to let him live it down anytime soon, as she'd already sent a few teasing text messages.

Still, he'd managed to get up and face himself again for more practice...so perhaps, he wouldn't completely embarrass himself today. He hoped so that is...

Now he stood outside at the park's entrance, leaning against the driver's side door of a clean, slick looking black car dressed as elegantly as he usually was when in public; his scarf wrapped loosely around his neck as always.

Aoi adjusted her jacket one more time. For the first time, the shinigami had dressed herself for human world with clothes she had gathered herself. A short leather miniskirt hung pleasingly on her hips and covered just enough. Wearing a short black jacket, one that showed off her midriff, a corset style style top under it and calf length heeled boots, Aoi was dressed... In a manner that could look either odd or sexy on her.

Her hair was pulled to the side in a ponytail that held it back and she wore a tiny bit of makeup. The stuff she had found had directions on it and the lipstick she wore was a gentle shade. She had loved the outfit a lot before she realized... it might look odd.

Now she was worried as she walked out of the park, sensing Rin nearby. There he was, with the automobile. It looked just as nice as before and she waved a bit shyly as she called out. "Shiro-usa, have you been waiting long?"

Turning toward's the sound of Aoi's voice calling out to him he couldn't help but get a little red in the cheeks at her choice of outfit; quickly, he cleared his throat and waved to her.

"Not long, I just got here a few minutes ago." He replied, giving a small smile.

Aoi grinned brightly and moved to the car and Rin, doing a little spin as she did. "Does this look fine? I didn't...tell anyone so they didn't help me with clothes."

"You look very nice. I am glad I didn't make you wait." She giggled.

"Thank you, you look nice as well. What you picked out is fine." He replied.

He'd seen girls dressed like that before, so it wasn't an uncommon fashion. He supposed it was coming into fashion? There wasn't anything wrong with it though, at least from his perspective.

"Is there anywhere specific you'd like to eat later?" He was thinking a nice restaurant but anything was fine with him really. If Aoi wanted to eat at say, the food court in the mall or something upon seeing it, that was also fine. Whether they stuck to regular date cliches or what he knew of them or not he was content.

"Oh good, I was worried. It doesn't exactly match you though... Next time I'll find something more...sophisticated. Erm if there... is more." Aoi turned red, wishing she hadn't put her hair in a ponytail like that. It was hard to reach for twirling when she was nervous.

Her head shook quickly. "Nuh uh! I'd like to try more places, but wherever you wish to take me is fine."

"Thank you Rin..." Aoi wanted to touch Rin but felt guilty still. So she stood there, unsure of what to do now. It wasn't like she knew how to get into a car... Gigai's are annoying for that. She couldn't just phase through it and sit down.

"It's quite alright." Rin replied, noticing her face reddening as she struggled with her words. He almost gave a chuckle but managed to suppress it for once.

Walking around to the passenger's side of the car, he opened the door. "Here, you can ride up front."

They'd both sat in the backseat when they ridden in the taxi a few days back so as far as he knew Aoi hadn't ever ridden up front, not that it was much different. Some people preferred it, others didn't.

"Ah, thank you." Aoi moved to the door Rin was holding open, trying to catch a glimpse of how he opened it. There seemed to be an inset sort of lever handle thing that you pulled. She narrowed her eyes and nodded with a hm. The Living world was so confusing.

The huge front window that would let her see out sounded fun, and Aoi plopped down onto the seat a little TOO hard and let out an oomph. She reached up to rub her hair, but that would ruin all her work so she dropped her hand back down and looked down. What else could she say? She wrung her hands a bit nervously... A date was...special right?

Once Rin was in the car, on the driver's side, he noticed Aoi seemed a bit more...nervous than usual. Perhaps it was about the date in general? Perhaps...last night? She had seemed...not in the best mood upon leaving, and he'd worried if he'd done something...which is why today he'd hopefully make it up to her whatever he did wrong.

"So, how's your day been so far?" Rin said, buckling his seat belt before starting the car.

"It... was good." Aoi startled as Rin spoke up. She had been sitting there looking at her hands as she waited for whatever it was that he would do to start the automobile moving. She didn't know where to go or what they were going to do but... It would be fun! If only she could get over the awkward feeling she had now. She rubbed her legs together as she shifted in her seat.

"How...was yours?"

"Mine was alright, Ruka's been teasing me since this morning about some things. Nothing out of the ordinary." He said with a light chuckle.

She was...rather reluctant to talk, he supposed it was on account of her nervousness. He was about to start driving when he noticed Aoi still hadn't fastened her own seat belt. Thinking back, she hadn't done so in the taxi either...perhaps he should have told her about them back then, if someone had happened when they'd been in the taxi she could have gotten hurt.

Unfastening his own, last night's confidence lessons in mind, he leaned over; pulling the strap from the other side of Aoi to the fastener on the other side closest to him.

"Ah, sorry, I didn't tell you about these when we rode in the taxi. They're meant for safety, though sometimes they get stuck so they can be frustrating sometimes...so I thought'd I'd help. Ah, sorry if that wasn't okay." He explained, seeing as how his sudden actions could accidentally cause more nervousness if he wasn't careful.

"Did she...find out?! Oh no I can't face her now... I did..." Aoi turned red and looked away from Rin, out the window. They still hadn't... left the park. Why was this? She had no idea how to get it working, maybe you gave it some sort of offering? No that's silly. It was some sort of machinery. Those ran with..levers.

She had heard a weird click before, and as Rin leaned over her to pull some sort of strap, Aoi leaned back against the seat. He didn't seem to have a problem getting close to her... So that was good. Aoi relaxed a bit as she watched him click something into place. She tugged at the strap, smiling slightly at Rin. "Why wouldn't it be okay... You are rather silly. Thank you, I'm sorry I'm so... odd and don't know anything."

"Find out? Oh! Oh no, she didn't don't worry about that." Rin reassured, "She was teasing me over something else."

Obviously he was avoiding telling Aoi exactly what Ruka had teased him over, as he felt if Aoi had found out he'd been talking to himself in the mirror to practice talking she'd certainly laugh at him.

"Ah, just, you seemed nervous so I realized moving so close might make you more nervous. For that I apologize and it's fine you didn't know, really. You know now, that's what's important." He said, giving a small smile as he refastened his own seat belt and began driving.

"...Oh...." Aoi squeaked it out, happy Ruka didn't know how much she had molested her older brother. Ruka might be upset for Rin's sake, even if Rin seemed entirely unfazed by it. Was he ignoring it? Or...had it really been okay with him and he was fine? She wasn't going to ask. She had no idea what his reply would be and didn't want to bother him.

Still, Rin's reply was silly and as the care started moving she spluttered and laughed. "Riiin what?! Why in the world would I not want you near me? Its...the exact opposite..."

She was giggling a bit as they moved down the road, though things caught her eye and she kept looking in wonder as she spoke. She kept pausing though to point out things. "Thank you... I was just- Oh hey a puppy! -Just worried over how I treated- Ahaha is that a costume shop? -treated you last night and how... I might have... Ooooh thats a pretty fountain.... How I might have... pushed too much. On you. And how you wouldn't want to touch me..."

Despite her distractions, Rin strung together what she'd been trying to say to him. So that was the problem? He supposed it was understandable, given how he still got rather flustered to displays of affection.

"Ah..I see. Aoi, you don't need to worry about that. You weren't pushing. I might not be the...best at being straightforward about how I feel on certain things, but I wasn't lying last night when I said I was fine and that I'd...felt good..." Better. Better than stuttering mid-word anyway. He could do this. "You don't have to worry about me not wanting you to...touch me. You can." He paused for a moment, considering his next words. "O...Only you."

Rin's rather straightforwardness on this subject made Aoi feel quite a bit better. She could smile and look at him again and was definitely a lot happier when his last words kind of sunk in. She quickly looked back down, beet red and not able to really to speak much.

"Oh..." Oh. It was all her brain could think of coherent, even as she pushed some visual thoughts away. She didn't know why that was what she reacted to. She had no idea why she couldn't focus. She just 'oh'ed and turned into flustered mess.

A chuckle escaped him at the sight of Aoi becoming flustered, he was happy he'd been able to get his words out. Quite proud of himself in fact, but he didn't let that show. Instead, he smirked, he knew exactly what to say in this situation.

"Cute."

"Am not cute!" Aoi's face went pouty and she spoke the words mock angrily, though she was still very flustered. Her face was red and she wrung her hands more as she squirmed in her seat. She would never admit it to him, but Aoi was coming to thoroughly enjoy how this made her feel when he acted like this.

"I'm not..."

"I believe it was a two against one vote during dinner last night, majority rule; you're cute." He was smiling, usually he couldn't pull off confidence this long without Ruka as backup but he was doing alright so far. "Even without the vote though...I still think you are."

His cheeks were tinted a bit red, so he was a bit flustered saying all these things, but he was pushing through it.

"I-I didn't consent to majority rule!" Aoi was flustered and stuttered as she pointed at Rin, her face red. This was no good! She was unable to think properly other than Rin was being silly and she just had this awful image in her head that wouldn't go away at all and aaah! She almost hoped they reached their destination soon, and hoped against it as well.

"Y-you are so cruel toying with a lady's heart like thiiiiis, Riiiiin!"

Rin couldn't help a laugh this time, "Sorry, sorry."

They'd be at the mall soon, just a little bit longer but they weren't quite there yet. He wondered what she'd think of the place, such a huge building holding all of those stores in one place. There were some stores he hoped she wouldn't notice though...That thought entering his mind causing him to feel heat in his cheeks, which he quickly attempted to shrug off. He wasn't supposed to get all flustered and embarrassed today, or at least not as much. That was the plan.

"You should be. I shall have my revenge!...Later." Aoi smiled brightly through the red, giving Rin a soft look before turning to look around outside the car again. It seems like they were coming upon a large building with tons of signs. She had not seen many buildings as large in her life and she sat up as if it would help her see more. They were pulling right up near it and she felt just awe. While she scouted and tracked inside the town, it was odd seeing such buildings in a more corporeal form and this close.

"Oooh! That is where we are going? Its so big, usa. I wonder what we'll find there! You aren't allowed to buy me anything though. We are just looking! Got it?"

There it was, that word.

Revenge.

Perhaps he'd deserve it but wasn't planning on stopping just because of that. He made his decision and was sticking to it.

He noticed her amazement at the building as they pulled up, glancing over to see her taking it in with awe. He smiled, "That's it, and are you sure? Buying's half the fun here."

He really didn't mind, it wasn't like he was low on money...plus he rarely splurged so he had more than enough for a nice day out. Perhaps she'd give in to the whole 'no buying' thing once they were inside.

Aoi turned red as she remembered her last revenge on him. Whoops. Maybe she should... remember that later. And not go that path...even if he seemed to be saying earlier he'd want more? In his way? It confused her sometimes, his manner of not speaking entirely outright.

The shinigami had to look down, a bit ashamed to admit to Rin this. "No! I really can't repay you any of the money, I don't have any much... and none of it could be converted to the currencies here so... I don't think it'd be fair for me to get anything... Not when I can't do it in return for you."

Rin blinked. Was that her biggest problem? Looking off to the side for a second as he moved to park he gathered the strength he had to speak his next words.

"Aoi, you wouldn't need to pay me back for anything. That's something couples do, they go to on dates, and one will sometimes by the other things. So really, it's not a problem. I don't mind spending money on you, in fact, I'd like to if you'd let me. You can get your revenge on me spoiling you a little later."