Gil sprang up and immediately looked around to see he was in his own bed, back at human house. Little Seiryu who was sleeping in his lap jolted awake at the sudden movement. "My room? I don't remember going to bed, so why am I here? Noraa!" Flashbacks of the fight between Gil and Noraa returned to him. That was the farthest he had ever been pushed before, and he felt he had grown exponentially because of it. Using divine tools, pushing the limits of his eyes and even reaching a new stage in his renewal taekwondo with that last kick. Despite all that he still lost, he lied back covering his face in shame. "Dammit he beat me again!"
"At least you passed the challenge." Gil was startled to see Hope sitting in a chair at his bedside. She was reading a book as she waited for him to wake up.
"Hope? Why are you here? I don't need to be consoled about the match." Gil found himself dodging the book Hope threw at him.
"Shut up, what's wrong with me looking out for you when you're hurt?"
"First don't throw things. Second what do you mean hurt? I feel like I'm at one hundred percent right now."
"How long do you think you were out for?" Hope asked with an annoyed tone.
"I don't know thirty minutes, an hour tops?" He looked outside his window and the sun was still high in the sky. "It can't have been that long."
Hope shook her head no "more like three days. Even after Landon healed you, you didn't wake up. Everyone's been worried sick about you."
"Oh…I see." Gil was more hung up on being knocked out for three days straight than being worried about. That was another ugly blemish on his record (though he never has actually beaten Noraa before). "Well I'm fine now, no need to worry."
"Gil, even with Landon healing you completely it took you three days to wake up. That's worrisome in itself. There was no reason to turn a light spar into a death match. You overexerting yourself is starting to catch up with you."
Gil knew where this was going and he didn't really want to hear it, he was fine and that should've been that. "Weren't we specifically told to act like our lives were on the line? Kinda the whole point of extreme athletics, wasn't it? More importantly, if I figure out how I did that last kick I could beat Noraa next time for sure."
"You know as much as I do that really was for the others who need more experience with fights on a certain level. You definitely aren't one of them, you're undoubtedly the strongest at school. I understand the situation we are in right now, the goals you plan to accomplish, but if you run yourself into the ground yourself before we even get to our rematch with the six, what's the point? I'm trying to get you to understand that you will break yourself if you keep overdoing it." She knocked on his forehead as she said that last part.
"Alright, alright I got it!" Swatting her hand away. "I will take it easier. Happy now?"
"We'll see. And Easier doesn't mean just one less rep in your warm-ups either."
"Whatever do you mean?"
Hope sighed and got up "You know exactly what I mean. Start taking better care of yourself. Come on get up and get dressed, we're going out."
"Or, hear me out. You could get in bed and we spend the day 'taking it easy'".
"We're going shopping for your sisters' birthday. Plus three days remember?"
"Fair point, I'll get up. Be a doll and fetch me my silk robe."
"Just be ready to go, TODAY." She was already out the door.
"Hate to see her go, but I love to watch her leave…alright let me find something to wear."
......….
"One peanut butter blast with the whip cream on the bottom" Gil announced bringing Hope her drink at the park. "I still don't get how the whip cream being at the bottom makes it any different."
"Have you tried it?" Hope asked.
"Right now" Gil said taking a drink. "It actually does taste better like that."
"Hey don't drink all of my milkshake" she snatched the cup from him.
"Barely drank any. I don't really like peanut butter," Gil says nonchalantly.
"I know that we did live together Gil". Hope says with a weird tone.
"Hmmm we aren't really progressing as a couple." Says Gil noticing her tone.
"What do you mean? Should we already be in a bed somewhere?" Hope says sarcastically.
"Woah the attitude is fierce, and no I mean we still act the same as we did before except with kissing instead of awkwardly staring at each other. Of course, you'd feel bored." Gil says bluntly. Hope was surprised by his bluntness trying to deny it, but he continues "I know that we did live together Hope" as the atmosphere was getting weird Gil pulled Hope up by the hand.
"We already got gifts for one sis each the other can wait a while, lets go on a real date. I'll show you my romantic side" Gil says to Hope.
She looked at him with a puzzled expression as she listened to him. After he finished speaking she gave a soft, genuine smile and just said "okay".
On the date Gil and Hope enjoyed themselves going around town doing different things. The date was the spark they needed to change their relationship fully. They never went anywhere together for leisure even if they did enjoy themselves but today, they had fun with the purpose of doing such. They started with a batting cage, but quickly had to leave as they got too competitive and kept destroying balls. The went to a small amusement park and rode rides which were really not fast considering who was riding, but they still yelled and had a great time Hope made Gil get his face painted, of course he chose to be a tiger. They followed up the date by going to the mall which they immediately regretted. They narrowly avoided several of their classmates who were supposed busy, just walking around the mall.
"How come they are all here? Is our luck with dates really that bad?" Asks Gil while getting slightly irritated.
"Gil we're having a good time now so don't go all broody on me. OH! I got how about we just go somewhere else to avoid all of them?" Hope says trying to salvage Gil's mood.
"I have a better one lets avoid them while seeing what they're doing here, first one to get caught pays for dinner. One hour and we'll meet in the food court." Gil says with a smirk proud of his own intelligence.
"Soooo spy on our friends, and you want me to pay on our first date?" Hope says looking at Gil who was stuck choking on his words until "HAHAHAHA you should see your face. You really are an awkward one my gillyflower." Hope says while pulling him into her embrace.
"I'll let that name slide this time because you said 'my' and you're paying for dinner." Gil says spinning away from her just in time for Hope to look past him and see Kelly looking at dresses at a nearby boutique.
Hope quickly vanished behind a trash can thinking that Gil was a cheater, he set her up so smoothly. Kelly's senses are first rate, especially her sense of smell. She quickly shoved away her thoughts because she realized Gil still helped her since the trash was hiding her scent. (Strange idea of romantic…but whatever, let the games begin.)" Hope started to leave to find someone else, but a dress in the window caught her eye. "That one is kind of pretty, maybe I'll come back for it later."
"Hope?" Kelly turned around after she thought she heard a familiar voice. She started walking over to Hope's hiding place when she noticed another familiar face coming her way.
"Heheh this place actually has some nice stuff (even better when it's got that good ole' five finger discount.)" Ilpyo chuckled while inspecting a new diamond studded chain he just acquired. He was so engrossed in the twinkling gems that he paid no mind to the fact that he walked right passed Hope.
"(IIlpyo?)" Hope watched to see what they would do.
"Ugh why are you here?" Ilpyo finally looked up to see Kelly frowning at him "I came to town so I didn't have to look at you."
"Hey I've been off campus all day! How could you only have noticed now?!" Ilpyo stated as if they didn't share several classes. "I know class was boring without me there!"
"Boring? You mean peaceful? And I don't pay attention to you so I hardly noticed."
"Lies! Everyone pays attention to me!"
"(That was too close, the game just started)" Hope sighed with relief barely avoiding detection because of Kelly and Ilpyo's bickering. She decided to go the opposite way Ilpyo came. Moving on she noticed a little girl had dropped her teddy bear and Hope picked it up. Holding it she realized that she thought the bear was really cute, pausing to study its features. She felt her was reminded of the childhood she didn't get to enjoy much of. Hope gave it back almost reluctantly; she was watching the child leave when she heard a commotion from a nearby hardware store.
"So many colors! What a marvelous array!" It was Hercules excited yelling that she heard. Getting closer to a window she peered in to see what he was doing. He had two carts filled up with various tools and building materials, currently looking through the paint section amazed there were so many shades available. He was definitely getting ready to build a house.
"Come on Herc, stop making a scene and pick a color…it's not even that big a selection." Lizzie accompanied him into town to show him around since he still wasn't to be trusted in public alone. The mist would only hide so many of his actions from normal people.
"Ok which one of these reds look better to you?" Hercules grabbed two buckets of paint sitting next to each other.
Lizzie briefly looked up from her phone to see the two shades "Go with sunset red."
"Which one is that? I can't read English…"
"The one in your right hand, geez!(How does Josie deal with this all the time?)"
Hercules grabbed about a dozen cans of the color. "I need a few of these too" piling a few other colors on top.
"Do you need so much? You're going to be 'that guy'."
"When you see the Hero House, it will all be worth it! Also, who is 'that guy'?"
"No one Herc, don't worry about it…" Lizzie walked off towards the register.
"You're an angry little lady" he said under his breath pulling both carts after her.
"What was that?"
"Nothing at all."
.......
At a nearby flower shop Gil was looking through them for something that Hope would like. Having sent her on a random trip around the mall he thought would surprise her. He had no idea how a simple thing like flowers were the so difficult to pick out. Hope never talked about what flowers she liked so how was he supposed to know? Does she like a certain color? Does she not care about flowers? Does she have allergies? This easily counted among his most nerve-wracking moments.
"Gil?" He was so lost in thought that when Josie tapped his shoulder he spun around with his Sharingan activated. "Whoa, what's the matter?!" Josie stepped back.
Seeing it was just his little sister he quickly calmed down and his eyes returned to normal. "Josie? You of all people should know not to sneak up on me."
"You were so spacey I'd have surprised you if I was right in front of you," she responded. "I was more surprised to see you at the mall when you were just in a coma."
"Oh, I forgot about that…well what brought you to here?"
"My favorite bookstore is right there," pointing next door. "And yourself?"
"I wanted to get something for Hope but I don't know what she likes…This is kind of embarrassing" Gil said in a hushed tone.
"She likes Petunias." Josie showed him the flowers in question before leaving "I'll see you later."
"What's bothering her?" Gil could tell something was on her mind but wasn't exactly sure what. "I guess that counts as being spotted though…"
...…
After the hour was up Gil met up with Hope at the food court. He was excited ti give her everything. A teddy bear, a few dresses from the boutique(including the one she picked out), the Petunias, and lots of Jewelry. Gil expected her face to light up but she looked at him with an awkward expression "(Some of this stuff I was looking at earlier…)Did you spend the hour following me?"
"No I didn't if you must know. I wasn't sure what flowers to get so I was stuck at the florists. Then I just grabbed a bunch of stuff I thought would look good on you. So how'd it go for you?"
"Not a single member of team Tartarus spotted me," Hope answered smugly. "You?"
"Josie just saw me…" He answered dejectedly.
"I believe I win our little bet then. Dinner is on you."
"I was right that was Hope earlier. Look Gil's here too!" From across the food court Landon pointed them out. "What's up guys! We saw you passing by the arcade."
"Not a member huh?" Gil smirked as Landon and Raphael joined them at the table.
"Good to see you back on your feet man" Raphael patted Gil on the back "Sup Hope."
"Hey guys…" Hope said a little irritated they made her a loser too.
Just then Hercules and Lizzie showed up for a drink after shopping. They managed to get a dolly somewhere to move all of the bulky tools and the clothes Lizzie bought. Kelly and Ilpyo showed up too still arguing until they saw the group. Everyone excitedly ran up and hugged Gil seeing him up and about. He couldn't be mad everyone showed real relief to see he was ok, which wasn't as annoying as he thought. "The whole team just decided to crash the date" Hope sighed.
"Well Josie isn't here" Landon noted.
"What do you mean? I'm right here" No one noticed that she was sitting at the next table reading a book before that.
"Jojo!"
"How did you do that?!"
"Where did you come from!?"
"That hurts guys, I got here before all of you." Josie sighed before changing the subject. "So what are we eating?"
"Whatever it is, I shall pay the bill!" Hercules announced excited to display his newly acquired skill. Using a credit card.
"So I'm paying anyways," Gil said and everyone couldn't help but laugh.