(Zion Pov)
Zion was thoroughly prepared to dislike tonight's 'date' with Yuaka. But what Zion was not prepared to do was dress up.
"Wait what?" Zion asked, confused.
"You are going on a date whether you agree or disagree so you're going to have to look a lot more presentable than your normal clothes." Rira answered. "Do you have a white dress shirt?"
"Do I have to dress up? I mean I'm not going to do anything to try for this." Zion responded.
"I'm sorry, are you not going to trust your own sister's judgement?" Rira responded snarkily.
"I swear to god you will burn in hell and I will be the cause." Zion sighed, "Fine I'll go take a shower and get dressed. Don't get your hopes up though I'm not going to go overboard."
…
About an hour later Zion was prepared for impending doom. He put on his AC/DC sweatshirt and headed to where Sara had told him to go the day prior. Zion was ready for himself to be miserable. But he was not ready to see Yuaka standing there in a long black dress that went down from the waist and a Nirvana smiley face t shirt that was loose around the collar and had flowy sleeves. Zion forgot what words were for a second then spoke up.
"Uh H- Hi Yuaka." Zion stuttered slightly before regaining his composure. "You look nice."
"Th- anks?" Yuaka responded nervously. "Sara wasn't able to-"
Zion cut her off, "Come because she was sick, yeah I get it."
"Did she tell you that or are you psychic?" Yuaka asked.
"Actually, that's not far off, I have a hidden third eye that allows me to see through bullshit."
"Well guess I'm busted. Is that why you're not accompanied with your roommate?"
"I mean it was in your plan that he wouldn't show up in the first place."
"Technically it was Saras plan."
Zion sighed. "Yeah, I know but if they're going to have us get dinner we might as well."
Yuaka blushed, "It would be a waste to have to have gotten dressed up for nothing."
"But we aren't going to the place Sara told us to go." Zion told Yuaka, "Knowing her she's loaded you up with ramen since you've been living with her, you're probably sick of it."
"Thats not untrue." Yuaka admitted. "But where do you want to go?"
Zion grabbed Yuaka's hand and said, "Come on, follow me and keep up."
(Mainly Yuaka but also 3rd person Pov)
Yuaka did not have trouble keeping up with Zion at all. She was mostly enchanted on how warm Zion's hand was.
Zion stopped out front of an old-fashioned building with Yuaka. It wasn't old-fashioned as in rustic, it was old fashioned as in retro, like an old arcade.
"Is this an arcade?" Yuaka asked Zion in wonder. She had never seen them before as they died out around the 2010's. She had played a few of the old games on emulators but had never played them on the classic cabinets.
"Yeah, it's one of my favorite places to hang out and enjoy myself for a while." Zion said, walking through the doors. Yuaka was still holding his hand so she was pulled through the door with him.
When Yuaka first went through the door she heard Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys and nodded her approval to Zion who grinned in response. A stout bearded man who would have made one hell of a Santa was standing behind the bar stopped drying a cup and waved over to Zion who waved back.
Yuaka looked around and saw every old coin op game she could imagine, Pac Man, Galaga, Street Fighter, Space Invaders, the whole 9 yards. "It's pretty cool, isn't it?" Zion asked Yuaka, noticing her shocked expression. "C'mon 1v1 me in street fighter, the loser pays." to which Yuaka agreed immediately.
The two-shit talked and played coin ops for a few hours and when a winner was decided they sat together and had some burgers together and talked.
"Y'know I was kind of dreading this whole thing with Sara and Rira setting us up and shit, but it's been pretty fun." Zion said after gulping down a big bite of his burger.
"Yeah." Yuaka pouted, "Thats 'cause you don't have to pay for dinner."
Zion laughed and Yuaka stopped pouting. "In all fairness we tied on every game we played until we played Joust."
"Which you completely destroyed me in." Yuaka added.
"You did insanely good for your first time playing these." Zion admitted. "You're a natural."
Yuaka blushed. "Well, it turns out practice makes perfect."
Zion forgot he was supposed to be against Yuaka and blushed too. "Perfect, eh?" he looked to his side and looked at the time. "Oh well look at what the time is, we should be heading home."
"I don't know my way home, could you walk me?" Yuaka asked before she realized the inflections of what she said.
Zion knew this and sighed anyways "Sure I'll walk you." He paid the man behind the bar (Tipping very well) and walked Yuaka towards the dorms.
(Zion Pov)
Zion swiftly realized how cold it was, so he hummed a tune that activated his gift, not enough to start a fire, but enough to keep him warm. He then realized that he was walking with Yuaka. "Do I actually have to do this?" He wondered silently to himself and then caved and draped his coat over Yuakas shoulders.
"Th-Thanks." Yuaka said, her breath steaming in the cold night.
Zion looked over at Yuaka, noticing how she looked in the darkness and felt his heart flutter against his will. He tried reminding himself about his sister which made him come to a realization.
"Thanks for walking me home. I enjoyed tonight, I know you didn't want to come but if you want, I'd be down for another chance to hang out, maybe coffee or something?" Yuaka asked Zion rubbing her arms together to stay warm.
"No, I think I'll have to pass." Zion said sadly.
"Oh," Yuaka said, crestfallen, "Then I guess il-" Yuaka was cut off by Zion leaning down and kissing her on the lips, in which Yuaka responded in kind for a moment before pushing him off in shock, "Wait didn't you just say you didn-" Yuakas heart was pounding with adrenaline. "You didn't want to get coffee with me?" Yuaka said out of breath.
"I prefer tea." Zion grinned sheepishly before Yuaka pulled him in by his collar.
"You had me scared for a second there Mr. John Lennon."
"Wait it was John Lennon who broke up the Beatles?" Zion asked with a grin.
Yuaka couldn't help but laugh and kissed Zion on the cheek. "I'm pretty sure. Want to come over for some tea?"
Zion glanced down at his watch and winced. "As much as I like the wording of that, im going to have to say no. I need to wake up on time tomorrow."
Yuaka hugged Zion. "See you there."
Zion walked back to his dorms grinning like an idiot and humming 'We are the champions'.
End of Stage 1