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“We need to have a couple’s night!” Zoey declared to her boyfriend Mystery, “E” for short. “I wanna go out to a fancy, romantic dinner, maybe play some laser tag or mini golf or something? You know, like a group date!”
Jinu tilted his head back and forth and nodded. “That could be fun. What do you think, E?”
Mystery nodded his lavender head. “Fine by me.”
Rumi hummed for a moment. “Does that mean we’re gonna invite Abby and Baby to join us, too?”
“Yeah! Hello?” Zoey said happily. “Couples night, group date. If there’s only two couples it would just be a double date!”
The leader of the Huntrix girls frowned as she looked at Zoey. “What about Romance and Mira? I know they are both single but won’t that seem like we’re purposely leaving them out?”
Jinu and Mystery looked to one another, the black haired Saja Boy openly grimacing at the idea of inviting their two single friends to join them on the date. Mystery shook his head. Mira and Romance were difficult enough on their own, but together? The constant fighting, competitiveness, arguing, one upping one another, and glaring made every Saja Boy and Huntrix outing a nightmare of unspoken stresses and misery.
At their last signing event, Mira and Romance started to race to see who could get the most amount of autographs signed the fastest and ended up accusing one another of cheating. It had been worse than embarrassing, it was mortifying. Baby, usually one to instigate issues and pick fights, was not at all thrilled by the behavior that ended up costing the Saja Boys and Huntrix at least two endorsement contracts. Bobby had been the most disappointed.
Dinner was almost always a nightly battle of wills whenever they all ate together. Mira and Romance would pick at their food, insulting each other, the food, the way they ate, how fast they ate, how slow they ate, how much they ate, how little they ate. The previous night’s American Spaghetti dinner at the girl’s penthouse had probably been exactly what prompted Zoey to want a fancy, romantic dinner. She was craving something she couldn’t get with Mira and Romance constantly sniping at one another.
“But we are,” Jinu said to Rumi. “They will suck all the joy right out of our group date if we invite them.”
“Okay, you tell Mira that literally everyone is invited but her and Romance,” Rumi scoffed. “Not only is that our sister you’re talking about, but she’ll kick your ass and you’ll mostly deserve it.”
Mystery’s lips dropped into a deep frown. “So you don’t believe we deserve a romantic, peaceful night as a group?”
When three sets of eyes landed on her, Rumi picked at her finger nails. “Well, no, I think we do,” she said softly. “I just know I’ll feel bad leaving them behind, that’s all.”
“We’re all adults,” Zoey pointed out as she put a supportive hand on Rumi’s shoulder. “We can go on a group date and they can either figure out how to get along better or go do their own thing.”
“I agree,” Mystery nodded.
Jinu offered a smile to his girlfriend. “I do, too. Maybe this is the only way for them to realize how miserable they make us with their constant fighting.”
Zoey nodded. “Tough love is called that because it’s tough and I want a real date, Rumi. Please?”
Rumi frowned but finally nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll figure out a way to tell her.”
A Few Hours Later…
Rumi found Mira down in the dance studio a few floors below their penthouse. She was working out some choreography and dressed in her leggings, sports bra and a wide collar sweatshirt. Her long pink hair was pulled back into a couple of pigtails under her signature “don’t notice I’m Mira of Huntrix” black ball cap. The music was blaring and she looked frustrated as she kept going over a few moves that Rumi thought were pretty good.
“Mira! Can we talk?” Rumi asked as she approached her best friend.
“Sure, what’s up?” Mira nodded as she turned off the music and grabbed her water bottle.
Taking a deep breath, Rumi decided to rip off the band-aid. “Tomorrow night, we’re umm, well Jinu and I are going on a couples date with —”
“No,” Mira shook her head. “Sorry, but I already have plans, I don’t want to tag along on your date with other people.”
“You don’t? But, I mean, Zoey and Mystery as well as Abby and Baby are going, too and I didn’t want you to feel left out.” Rumi said quickly, hoping that Mira’s plans wouldn’t suddenly change.
The taller girl made a face of disgust and irritation. “No offense, but that sounds like a pretty horrible group outing, Rumi. Baby and Abby making eyes at each other with you and Jinu constantly whispering to one another like no one else is around while Mystery and Zoey play footsies under the table? And in public? No thanks.”
“Well, that’s kind of the point of a couples date, but if you don’t wanna go…”
“Pass,” Mira insisted. “No offense but I get the Saja Boy-Huntrix mash up enough at home.”
Rumi raised a brow, too afraid to feel relieved. “So you don’t mind being left out?”
“I don’t look at it as being left out,” Mira shrugged. “Now, if you guys are getting engaged or it’s a formal dinner where your friends and family should be present, that’s different. I’ll put up with the idiots to support you guys.”
Rumi’s eyes widened and she giggled happily. “Perfect!”
Mira finally looked offended as Rumi seemed to celebrate her not going with.
“Oh! No! I just mean,” Rumi shook her head and grimaced. “I was so worried you’d feel bad. That is what’s perfect. I swear.”
With a roll of her eyes, Mira snorted. “Sure, whatever,” she allowed a hint of a smile to cross her lips. “It’s nothing serious, though, right? Like it’s just a dumb date? Nothing you’re specifically celebrating?”
Feeling like a little bit of an ass for getting too excited, Rumi quickly nodded. “I swear, Mira, it’s just a casual group date.”
Mira nodded and turned her music back on before Rumi could follow up with yet another apology. She headed out of the studio and bumped into Zoey as concerns started to come into focus.
“What’s wrong, did she take it badly?” Zoey asked in alarm as she followed Rumi back to the elevator. “I came down to make sure everything was okay, but if we need to go back and reassure Mira—”
“No, nothing’s wrong,” Rumi shook her head and offered her friend a weak smile. “She actually took it really well, she insisted she didn’t want to go to begin with.”
“That’s not surprising or bad,” Zoey shrugged. “So what’s with the long face?”
“I just realized how lonely Mira must be.” Rumi said as they got into the elevator together. “Most of what she brought up as a reason for passing on our date basically implied that she feels uncomfortable around all of us couples.”
Zoey bit her bottom lip and then sighed heavily. “It’s really too bad Romance is such an asshole. They’d be perfect together.”
Rumi raised a brow. “They would? Were you there when Mira practically took his head off during rehearsal the other day?”
The scene was still vivid in Rumi’s head. Because the Saja Boys would be joining them on stage for a song they had recorded together, Mira was responsible for making the choreography seamless between the two groups. Usually, Mira did everything she possibly could to put distance between herself and any of the Saja Boys.
During a lift, Abby had nearly dropped her and said he wasn’t expecting her to be that heavy and Romance laughed, uproariously and cruelly. Even Baby and Mystery kept away from Mira for the remainder of that day after she threw a water bottle at Romance’s “stupid demon face”.
Zoey looked like she was replaying that memory, too. She let her shoulders droop.
“Right? I remember the fan meet and greet, too,” she cringed and shivered. “Romance looked like he was going to go full demon and pick a fight with Mira when she said he was the least talented of the Saja Boys.”
Rumi had to agree, that had been really bad form on Mira’s part, though, it was possible it was also a misunderstanding. When called out on it in their dressing rooms Mira had simply rolled her eyes and claimed she misheard the question. Jinu insisted the question itself was the problem and physically blocked Romance from going after Mira when they got home.
“You’re heartless, Mira,” Romance had growled through his fangs at her in the hallway, pushing against Jinu and Abby. “Fucking heartless!”
Mira had ignored him entirely as she stormed into their penthouse and refused to talk to anyone about it beyond yelling through the door; “I thought they were asking who the least talented dancer was! Get over it!”
“Hey,” Zoey said as she took Rumi’s hand. “The point is that we are going to have a blast tomorrow night and we don’t have to be worried about Romance and Mira fighting.”
“Who is telling Romance he can’t go?” Rumi asked curiously.
Zoey shrugged.
“You do it, he’s your brother,” Jinu told Abby.
“All the more reason for someone else to do it,” Abby grumbled and folded his arms over his chest defensively. “He won’t hesitate to punch me.”
“Why is he so mean?” Mystery asked no one in particular.
“No kidding Jinu, why’d you give him the moniker Romance?” Baby demanded.
“Hair, face, voice, and irony,” Jinu said as he ticked off four fingers.
“I could tell him,” Baby volunteered
“No!” Mystery, Jinu, and Abby groaned together.
Baby huffed and leaned back as he muttered under his breath. “Don’t even know why I get dragged to these talks when you guys won’t let me get involved.”
“Perhaps if we knew you wouldn’t instigate or provoke him,” E pointed out. “Romi doesn’t listen to me and he never has. So that leaves Jinu or Abby.”
“I said no,” Abby growled. “Trust me, he’ll either attack me or he’ll realize I don’t want him to come with and then crash our date out of spite.”
“What will I do out of spite?” Romance asked as he walked into the living room with a brown paper bag full of groceries.
Jinu scowled at his fellow Saja Boys and got to his feet to help Romance put their food away “Actually—
“E,” Romance interrupted Jinu. “Go fucking apologize to the doorman so he’ll bring up the rest of our groceries!”
Mystery rumbled a growl and went to his bedroom instead. Abby, however, jumped up and grabbed his boyfriend saying they’d go get the rest. Jinu sighed as he realized he was being forced into talking to Romance.
“So,” Romance grinned meanly at Jinu. “What are you all so afraid to tell me?”
Jinu started putting things away as he shrugged his shoulders. It shouldn’t be an issue to tell him they were going out with their significant others. If anything, Romance should take it as a hint that his attitude was pretty bad as of late.
“Honestly? We’re going on a group date and we don’t want you to come with us,” Jinu said. “You are always pissing Mira off or making a scene with your anger issues. You cost us two endorsements, you make dinner miserable at home and we’re not really sure a public outing is best for you.”
Romance was shoving some food in the pantry and so Jinu couldn’t see his expression or how he reacted to the blunt answer. Romance finally closed the door and turned to face him, his eyes narrowed and his mouth in that signature sneer of his. He glanced over at Derpy and Sussie as they both seemed to appear, perhaps sensing Jinu’s tension.
“You guys aren’t a picnic to be around either,” Romi said as he leaned back against the counter. “Baby always sucking on a lollipop and encouraging the infantilization of his public persona? Abby acting dumber and dumber by the moment because he thinks that’s what you guys want from him. Mystery and Zoey don’t even talk, she just giggles while he grunts! You and Rumi wouldn’t be half so bad if it weren’t for both of you constantly playing up to the cameras how perfect you both think you are. You guys wanna go on a public date, so be it, but you guys won’t get to be yourselves.”
Jinu was taken aback by what the pink haired demon thought of him and the others. He shook his head to deny it and felt his talons coming through as his patterns lit up over his body.
“Wow, guess you've been keeping that pent up for a bit?” Jinu accused, feeling rather insulted.
“No,” Romance denied. “Unlike the rest of you, I don’t pretend; not in public and certainly not at home. I refuse to act out some silly trait, Jinu; I am not a slave anymore! I am not bound to the success of a mission pretending to be some Icon! I will be who I am. If that means I am too much for my so-called family and friends, then forget you.”
Jinu’s eyes widened as he realized just how badly he must have hurt Romi. Romance was a reactionary personality; but he didn’t just answer tit for tat. He would react in surplus. So an insult was met with brutal truths that tended to linger and fester.
He had to calm Romi down or they might actually lose their friend to one of those solo careers that tanked after the second album.
“I’m sorry,” Jinu said somberly. “It’s not that we don’t want you around or don’t want to be seen in public with you but you have to admit that lately it’s been a disaster. Fans are actually starting to be afraid of you. I’m kind of worried they’re gonna start calling you Scary Saja.”
To his surprise, Romance nodded after shutting a cabinet door where he’d hidden one of his hot cinnamon gummy bears packages. “Things do seem to have gotten worse as of late. That woman just makes me so,” he raised both his now clawed hands and made a strangling or crushing motion with them.
Jinu snorted and said in a teasing but also serious tone; “You two need to get on the same page before you tank all of our careers.”
Romance rolled his eyes, “We are on the same page, it’s just not in a book you guys approve of.”
The long haired demon seemed to sense that there was nothing else to really say and went to the front door to help Abby and Baby with the rest of the groceries. Jinu figured he’d done what was necessary and could safely go about planning the next evening’s group date.
Even without Mira or Romance to bring down the mood with their fighting and distaste for basically everything the other did, dinner was still a disaster. It all started with the reservations. Jinu had set them up the night before online but didn’t realize he needed to “confirm” the reservation in the email sent to him.
Forced to move on to a different restaurant, all six were hounded and harassed by press, staff, and fans alike. Phones were held up all over the restaurant and several were even shoved in their faces as everyone present wanted to get a picture, video, selfie, photobomb, insta, story, or whatever else was out there.
As per usual Baby was unfazed by the attention while Mystery growled and did his best to ignore them all. Zoey, Rumi and Abby went full on PR mode and interacted as if it had been a planned event being as gracious and kind as possible. Jinu on the other hand had decided he wasn’t going to tolerate their night being destroyed and leaped over his seat and went into the kitchen to make a phone call.
“Hey, Bobby,” Jinu greeted as several cooks clanged large pans and utensils about. “Any chance you can find the six of us a place to hang out without you know… everyone trying to bother us?”
“Yeah! Do you guys need food, too? I can have anything you like dropped off,” he said and even as he spoke, Jinu’s phone lit up and vibrated against his cheek with several options for places that Bobby personally vetted to have respectful staff and could make sure was clear of fans and press within minutes. “Just let me know which place you want to go to.”
“Hmm. Laser tag sounds pretty cool but so does bowling. Actually, come to think of it, getting some aggression out after this place might be nice...,” Jinu told him as he scrolled through the options. “Hey Bobby, could you–
“Alright! I just contacted the owner and he says there’s only a few regulars. He’ll prevent any more people from coming in but he doesn’t want to upset his loyal customers so if you guys can handle that we’re all set!”
Jinu smiled and nodded even though the human couldn’t see him. “That’s perfect Bobby, we can handle four or five fans.”
“Done and done. Oh! And your food should arrive by time you guys get there,” Bobby said excitedly. “You guys enjoy your night out and don’t forget the meeting tomorrow where we go over the itinerary of our next world tour. Bye!”
With a fond smile and shake of his head, Jinu pocketed the phone and walked back to his table, cutting a path through the crowd. “Let’s head back home, guys. Bobby can’t find anywhere for us to go.”
The girls looked confused but resigned whereas the boys looked disappointed but resigned. All six left the restaurant with their stomachs growling. Once they were all in the limo and headed toward the Tower, Zoey leaned against Mystery and sighed heavily.
Baby had his arms crossed as he scowled at the floor beneath his sneakers.
“It’s not so bad,” Rumi tried. “We just need to make sure we’re a little more prepared next time.”
“I’m just surprised Bobby couldn’t find anywhere else for us to go,” Zoey sighed.
“It was rather short notice,” Abby shrugged as he threw an arm over Baby’s shoulder.
“The irony is that if we had brought either Mira or Romance along, they would have frightened everyone into backing off!” Baby sneered. “We should have invited one of them and had them bring a date or something.”
“Maybe,” Mystery said softly. “Just remember that they might have frightened them into doing so much more than backing off.”
“He is right,” Jinu nodded. “As for Bobby, he did find us a place, but I wanted the limousine to drop us off at home so they think we are hiding in the tower. We can just teleport to the place Bobby set up for us.”
Rumi smiled. “Look! You can be taught,” she teased and took his face into her hands as she gave him a soft kiss on his lips.
Jinu chuckled into the kiss and broke it only after he could feel their friends glaring holes into their heads.When they all headed into the elevator, Jinu held Rumi tight while Mystery took hold of Zoey. Abby and Baby simply teleported themselves to the location as dating or not, there was no reason to expend energy taking a passenger through a teleport.
As promised, everyone’s favorites were delivered only a couple minutes later. The manager of the laser tag arena had set up one of the party rooms for their use as they enjoyed a large spread. It was such a stress free dinner without a bunch of fans crowding them or wait staff trying to come up with reasons to continue coming to the table.
“We need to do all our group dates like this,” Zoey declared. “Bobby is a genius!”
“I have to admit,” Abby began. “I am pleasantly surprised by how quickly he learned our preferences.”
Baby, Mystery and Jinu nodded, equally impressed by their new manager. Zoey and Rumi just giggled because there was a very good reason Bobby was their one and only manager. He filled the role of lawyer, publicist, agent, negotiator, assistant and one memorable occasion, bodyguard.
“Alright,” Rumi said a few minutes after she finished eating. “Who is ready for some Laser Tag?!”
“Oh, Rumi, hun, I think you should sit this one out,” Zoey said innocently. “I’d hate to embarrass you in front of the Saja Boys.”
“That won’t be a problem, Zoey, trust me,” Rumi smiled sweetly. “Because tonight I’ll be wiping the floor with those buns of yours!”
Mystery and Jinu watched their girlfriends carefully and were quite relieved when both girls erupted into fits of laughter as they each threw an arm over the other’s shoulders and started walking out of the party room.
“Guess it’s not just Mira who’s competitive,” Abby shrugged and caught up to the girls with Baby under his own arm.
Once they were all fully outfitted in their sensor vests, wrists, and helmets, the six were told to use their guns to enter in their names. Baby chose PewPewBby, Abby chose Absplosion, Rumi was D3rpy and Jinu took Suss1e. Mystery chose Mr. E while Zoey picked Shellshock. Four regulars were already waiting for the next round to start and were already in the system as ACE, 69spawn69, Scary Spice and MsTAKEN.
The group date purposely made sure that they were all split up for maximum enjoyment with Abby, Zoey, and Jinu joining ACE and MsTAKEN’s team. 69spawn69 and Scary Spice were on the same team as Baby, Mystery, and Rumi.
The moment they all got in the dark arena with blacklights making all the oranges, whites, greens, yellows, and pinks light up, it became clear that the regulars weren’t playing. MsTAKEN and ACE seemed to be sniping as they immediately started shooting at Baby, Mystery and Rumi, both names lighting up the vests just above their sensors.
Abby was almost immediately trapped between figures shooting at his sensors as his vest informed him that Scary Spice and 69spawn69 were just going crazy shooting at him. He was glad they weren’t paintballing because once you were hit you had to go sit down.
“Okay!” He shouted. “Are you done now?”
He heard a young boy’s laughter as two sets of feet ran in the opposite direction, probably to go attack one of Abby’s other teammates. He raised his laser gun and took a breath. He was a seven hundred year old demon, he could take down a few punks in the dark.
“My gun isn’t working!” Zoey growled as she kept trying to shoot at Mystery.
“It’s working,” Jinu told her. “You’re just really, really slow.”
“Hey dummies!,” ACE snapped as the thirteen or fourteen year old teenaged boy appeared just behind Jinu. “Don’t worry about going after the other team, we’re playing “capture the flag”. We need to get into the other team’s base and shoot up their headquarters”
“What about our base?” Jinu asked as Abby finally found them.
“Mistaken is already sniping at anyone who gets close to our “flag” and I’m gonna take another position and start sniping, too. Scary Spice is scary good and manages to get past the two of us fairly often, so I need one of you on the ground ready to take him out when he comes down this hall. The other two, you guys need to get into the enemy’s base. There’s a disco looking ball, fire at it like crazy! The more hits we get the more points.”
Jinu looked to Zoey and Abby who merely shrugged their shoulders. Abby raised his hand. “Scary Spice and Spawn already came after me, I could do with some vengeance. I’ll stay here and protect the hall.”
ACE nodded his head in approval. “Good man,” he looked to Zoey and Jinu. “Get at it, soldiers. See you on the other side, oh and Shellshock, don’t forget to hit the side button to ‘reload’. That’s why your gun wasn’t working. After ten shots you have to hit the side button.”
Zoe squealed in delight as she hit the button and her gun chirped out “FULLY LOADED”. She grabbed Jinu’s wrist and started running toward the opposite corner of the large arena where you could see the shiny ball.
On the other side of the flimsy wooden and dry sheet wall, Rumi was listening to their little plan. She stalked after her boyfriend and sister, gun ready to do maximum damage. She waited until both were a little ways away from ACE and Abby before she fired two rounds each at Jinu and Zoey.
“Oh no! Derpy is out here!” Zoey melodramatically called to Jinu before D3rpy lit up his vest as well.
“Where is she?” Jinu frowned as he tried to find her. “You know what, forget this, I’m using my powers.”
“What?! No, that’s cheating!” Zoey declared.
“And you think Rumi, Mystery and Baby aren’t going to cheat?” Jinu doubted.
Zoey’s eye widened as she gasped. “They will totally cheat, those, those buttheads!”
For several intense minutes, twenty to be exact, both teams attacked and stalked one another. The demons absolutely cheated while Rumi and Zoey followed the rules and restrained their own super human abilities. They knew for a fact that ACE and 69spawn69 were twin brothers who were like thirteen or fourteen. They needed good examples.
MsTAKEN whom they never saw, stayed high up in their sniper’s nests. When the game was called and the lights came up, an announcement came over the loud speakers.
“Congratulations to Team B, 69spawn69, Scary Spice, PewPewBby, Mr. E, and D3rpy. You won with a record 72,000 points with Scary Spice taking MVP for taking Team A’s base on four separate occasions. Individual points winner goes to MsTaken for most shots made, good effort guys. To play another round select reload on your guns.”
“What the?” Zoey looked to Abby. “I thought you were guarding our base?”
“I did! Mystery and Baby didn’t get anywhere near the hall and I know for a fact no one else did either!” Abby growled at the smallest Hunter. “There’s no way Scary Spice got past me.”
ACE walked over and sighed. “Scary Spice always gets in our base somehow,” he informed them. “Don’t feel bad. We’ll get them next time.”
But they didn’t. Jinu, Zoey, and Abby were convinced that Mystery, Baby, Scary Spice, and Spawn were all cheating somehow. And they weren’t the only ones who felt that way as MsTAKEN roared after the last announcement claiming the B Team won.
“Are you kidding me?” A deep but feminine voice demanded as a helmet was thrown at Scary Spice. “You are such a liar!” Her voice dropped even deeper and slowed to mock the man. “‘Oh, I promise, I won’t cheat this time. I know how much you hate when I do that.’”
Scary Spice caught the thrown helmet and grinned as he looked back at the twin teens. “You guys should head out, I think I’m gonna get an earful.”
“Lame,” 69spawn69 pouted. “See you next week!”
“Get him, Mira,” ACE said. “No point in playing if he’s just gonna use his magician skills to cheat.”
“You’re just mad you aren’t on his team!” 69spawn69 insisted as they headed out.
“Am not!” ACE denied.
Jinu and the others all began to take off their helmets as they stared in surprise at Mira and Romance who were, as usual, arguing.
“I swear your ego can’t handle being beaten by me and a teenager!” Mira snarled as she stepped up to him, both hands fisted but on her hips.
Romance raised a brow and put a hand on his own hip as he gestured with the other. “You and Ace win all the time, Mira, you just throw a fit whenever you lose because you’re a sore loser!”
“I am not!” She shouted. “I only get mad when I know you’re teleporting past our defenses! And I know for a fact Baby and Mystery were teleporting in and out of range, too! Why play if you’re just going to cheat?”
“She does have a point,” Jinu agreed.
“Agreed,” Abby nodded.
“You’re only siding with her because you guys lost,” Baby smirked at his boyfriend.
“And you’re only on my brother’s side because you won!” Abby growled back.
Rumi and Zoey exchanged glances before Rumi spoke up next. “Are we just going to ignore the fact that Romance and Mira are here together, voluntarily? Are these the plans you said you had yesterday?”
Mira nodded. “Yeah, we come here every week for date night.”
“Date night?” Zoey repeated as her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Date night? As in you are guys are *dating*?”
Romance smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “Mira and I have been together since we moved into the tower.”
“What?!” All the Saja Boys and Huntrix girls exclaimed.
“But you two are so awful to each other!” Zoey pointed out.
“Wait, is that where you go when Baby and I are making out?” Abby asked at the same time.
“We’re not awful to each other, Zoey, we’re just real with each other,” Mira said somewhat defensively as she moved to stand by Romance’s side.
“Yeah,” Romance told his brother as he snaked an arm around Mira’s waist. “I figured you guys all knew we were together and that’s why you came to us without the other around to tell us you didn’t want us to be in on your group date.”
Zoey and Rumi immediately started to cry as guilt wracked their hearts and spirits. “We’re so sorry you guys!” Rumi said while Zoey shouted; “We didn’t know! We thought we were sparing you each others forced company!”
Mira smirked and shook her head. “You guys really thought we hated each other?”
Mystery nodded.
“You guys don’t exactly get along!” Jinu pointed out.
“Right?” Rumi agreed. “If Jinu talked to me the way you two talk to each other, we wouldn’t be dating.”
Romance scowled and shook his head as some of his patterns started to darken. “Good thing it’s not you that I’m dating!”
“Babe, relax. We talk to each other the way we like, just like they do the same for them,” Mira said softly and kissed his cheek before she looked at her friends. “Besides, should we really be so surprised they didn’t notice we were dating when two of the three couples didn’t even know they were dating each other?”
“Excellent point,” Romance smiled and kissed his girlfriend’s lips.
“Wait, who didn’t know they were dating?” Abby doubted.
Mystery immediately studied his nails while Baby blushed a bright red.
“Are you for real?” Abby demanded angrily. “How did you not know we were dating?”
“Typically, two people have a discussion about dating!” Baby snapped.
“As opposed to just crawling in my lap every time we watched tv?!”
Baby rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t have had to sit in your lap if you four didn’t have such big asses that took up a five-seater couch!”
Abby was completely focused on Baby as he shook his head. “So you really didn’t know?”
Baby grumbled. “We’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks as active participants since I didn’t know about the first two months.”
Meanwhile, Zoey cringed. “I mean, I might have had to make Mystery see that he liked me by flirting with the doorman.”
Mystery’s head shot up as his mouth dropped. “You what? But… that’s so conniving and unlike you?”
“But you acted so disinterested and you weren’t taking any of my hints!” Zoey pointed out.
“What hints?”
“The kissing, the flirting, the buying you things!”
“You do that for everyone!”
Mira and Romance grinned at one another and then looked to Rumi and Jinu. “I think we’re even now, don’t you Mira?”
“Yeah, Jinu and Rumi aren’t fighting but they have to deal with the others.” Mira smiled at her two friends. “See you guys back at the tower.”
Jinu facepalmed.
“Guess we’ll never leave them out of a group date again.” Rumi said as her boyfriend nodded while the other four became progressively louder as they bickered.