Drive-in. [powered_otaku]

[sweetsalome]

    It was a nice, warm summer night, the sun had gone down and it had cooled down to the point where you could sit outside and not sweat.  The drive in, was two screens, a parking lot, and hills that surrounded the parking lot and gave a perfect view of the cars and the screen.  Salome had walked from her house, and bought two tickets before climbing up on one of the hills and spread the blanket her grandmother had given her.

A grandmother, yeah that was still weird.

Sitting down on the blanket, she put the basket down next to her and took out a bottle of water.  Once she took a long drink, she text messaged Hiro to know that she was there.  Hopefully he would be able to spot her.

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[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro smiles when he gets her text message. He grabs a cooler with various flavors of Chuhai on ice, then appears close to where she is, but out of sight of most of the people. He peers around in the twilight and spots her lounging on the hill.

"I brought the Chuhais and some cold duck noodles." He puts the cooler on one of the edges of the blanket so that it'll weigh it down. "I hope you like them. I got it from the Chinese place near my apartment."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Looking up, she grinned and nodded, climbing up on her knees so she could see him properly. After being coped up in the house, she was very, very happy to see him. This was such a normal thing to do.

"It sounds really good, I brought chicken and potato salad! Oh and my grandma and I made cookies, I hope you like them." Laughing she tucked hair behind her ear, "please, sit down!"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro folds easily to his knees, then sits Japanese style on his feet. "Homemade cookies are great! I brought lemon, lime, grapefruit and peach. I also like ume, but I am not sure you would like that much." He pulls out a can of each as he names them, setting them on the top of the cooler. Of course, all the writing on them is Japanese, but they've each got colors corresponding to the fruit flavor.

"Chicken and potato salad are great picnic foods. Should we get food out now before the movie starts or should we wait?"

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

She looked at the way he sat and made an attempt, but figured it was probably safer to just cross her legs. "What's ume?" Glancing at the cans she finally picked peach and opened it. There was something a little naughty at getting away with drinking. Generally that part of her behavior stayed at home.

"I think that would be a great idea, I am starving!" Taking a sip of the drink she opened the basket and took out the containers. Opening them up and setting out two plates and silverware.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Ume is..." He's trying to remember what fruit Charlie told him was the English equivalent. "...small red fruit with yellow insides. The American version is much more sweet than ume." He's making a circle with his fingers to indicate the size. "Some time I could bring some umeshu, which is a sweet ume wine."

Hiro pulls out the noodles in the ubiquitous white carton. The duck is marinated in soy and sesame with a little ginger added. Udon noodles are covered with sauce. Hiro hands her the carton.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"It sounds good, is it like a plumb? Either way, I will try it, you know me." Flashing him a grin, she took another sip before setting the can aside so she could take the carton.

"Your food smells so much better then mine. It's the reason I invite you places, for your food." Winking, she picked up a fork and twirled the noodles around them before taking a bite.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"That is it! Plum. Japanese plums are not as sweet as the American plums." He picks out one of the grapefruit Chuhais.

"Chicken is great for picnics. It smells reallly good. Did you make it?" He takes a bite. "This is good!"

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"That was like totally a lucky guess, I had no idea. Guessing fruit is not my forte." Sitting back, she stretched out her legs, wiggling her toes in the cool green grass.

"I helped!" She beamed proudly at that, very pleased that he liked her cooking, even if it was only a little help. Slurping noodles, she grinned and wiped her mouth. "I am glad you like it!"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro finishes off the drumstick, then grabs a breast. "Mmm, you are a wonderful cook." He unfolds enough to kick off his shoes. He's not sure if he should take off his socks or not. "Did you use cornflakes for the crust?"

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Nodding her head, she bit on her bottom lip, her cheeks pink, even in the dim light. After a long drink, she sat the carton down and wiped her hands. "Thank you, I'll have to learn how to cook more things," especially if he enjoyed it.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"I do not cook much at all. I usually do not have the time." Hiro finishes off his piece, then starts on the potato salad. "Did you make this, too?"

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"That might be a little funny, considering what you can do." Chewing on a piece of duck, she swallowed and licked her lips. "No, that was actually store bought, I can't take credit for that."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro blinks for a second, then grins. "I never thought of that. Still, I do not have the skill to fix anything more than the most simple of dishes." He finishes his potato salad, then starts on his noodles. "Store bought is also good. It is the easy way to get a good meal sometimes. At home there are all kinds of little groceries and convenience stores usually conveniently placed along bus routes and train stations so you can always just drop in and get somthing." He watches as more cars pull into the lot. "Looks like it will be a large crowd tonight." He finishes off the grapefruit Chuhai and picks out a peach one.

"Do you do all the cooking at home?"

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"You have all the time in the world, if you think about it." She kept glancing at her noodles, and the at the man across from her. Enjoying the fact that he really liked the food. Picking at one of the noodles she licked at her bottom lip and took a slip of her Chuchai. "That's right, with your underground cities along subway routes." Her gaze flicked out toward the parking lot and she nodded. "Hopefully we won't be bothered up here."

Shaking her head, she set the noodles aside and then laid down, putting an arm behind her head. "No, we had Rita for that. Man that sounds horrible."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"I do, but I try not to abuse it too much. After all, I do not want to cause any rips in time or anything like that. It is bad enough that I lived in 2 places for several months at one time."

He watches the cars. "There does not seem to be much foot traffic. We may have the hill all to ourselves."

Hiro shrugs. "My father hired a woman to do cooking and cleaning when my mother was ill and she stayed with us for many years."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"I am glad to see that you have not fallen into that whole trap where the power goes to your head. Though when you lived in those two places, nothing horrible happened." Sitting up on her hands, she looked at the screen that was starting to show previews. "Good, I want to be alone."

Picking up the can, she finished it off and put it in the trash bag. Licking her lips she smiled. "So I don't feel bad about having Rita. Dad was always gone, and I didn't have a mom, I guess its only natural."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"I try not to let it go to my head. It would be so easy, but I know that time is something I do not wish to damage. Teleporting, though, is less likely to damage the fabric of time, especially if I do not bend time at the same time."

Hiro unfolds from his sitting position and sits with his legs stretched out in front of him, still with his socks on.

"Oh no, when your mother is not there, it is usually a good thing to have someone come in and take care of the house and the cooking. Yamaguri-san was a very quiet woman."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"So teleporting its just jumping from New York to Tokyo, stuff like that? Not actually going back in time." Grabbing the plate of chocolate chip cookies, she pulled back the cling wrap and nodded to his socks.

"You can take your socks off, if you'd like," she offered him the plate as she spoke.

"It still feels weird to say, I always wonder what people think of me when I tell them. Is Yamaguri-san her name, were you close to her?"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Oh no, I do not go back in time at all. I just left in the middle of the day in Tokyo and it is night here."

Hiro ducks his head a bit. "I am so used to having socks on. At home, you do not wear your shoes, so your feet are in socks almost all the time." He takes two cookies and bites into one. "Mmm, these are very good."

"Really? People would think it strange that with no mother your father would hire someone to help in the chores? We were not overly close, but she did not choose to be too close. She preferred to keep to herself."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"No, I know, but when you did go back in time," she explained with a grin.

"I hate socks and shoes, I love bare feet, the feeling of the grass between your toes. I just wanted you to know you can take them off, if you want." Beaming she nodded and patted his shoulder. "That's why I like you, because you like my cooking."

She got another Chuchai and shrugged. "It's a money thing in America, people think you are snotty if you have someone helping you out. Mmmm, I wonder why that is, Rita loves Jonba and I."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro nods. "It is a strange thing to go instantly from day to night and vice versa sometimes. Even when I expect it."

"There are not many places one can go barefoot at home. And most of our floors are covered with tatami mats or tile, so socks are a lot more reasonable."

"I do like your cooking. You are a great cook."

"Oh, I see. They do not see it as someone helping a person who needs it. I can understand the thought, almost, if there was a husband and wife and the wife did not work. However, people need help, especially in households where both parents work or if there is only one parent."

"She liked us, but she wanted to get married, so she did not want to get too attached to us. I think we were sort of a practice family. She liked to give us little treats she would bake herself. She was an excellent baker."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Tatami, I think I've seen those mats before, I mean in the movies. They look woven, right? Well since you like it so much, then I will start cooking for you more." Bowing her head she smiled shyly at her knees, her fingers slid up her leg and then put her head lightly on his shoulder.

"Some families I know, the mother doesn't work, and she doesn't want to do any of the work. It's kind of sad really, they don't want anything to do with their families." Turning her head a little bit, she smiled at him.

"What was your favorite treat that she would make?"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Yes, they are woven. And although they are softened, they are not exactly soft." His arm goes around her shoulders. "I will be quite happy to have you make food for me. Of course, I will have to work harder on my kendo so I do not gain any weight."

"But a household needs all of the members to help. How can they consider themselves a family if one of them will not help."

"She made these little chocolate pudding filled pastries with powdered sugar on them. I would always get sugar on the end of my nose, but they were so delicious."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

When his arm went around her, she swallowed and scooted a little closer. "I'll make sure that you'll keep active, plus I'll keep it healthy. Sometimes." Grinning, she lightly poked him in the side.

"Maybe they aren't really families, they are just strangers living in the same house, sharing the same name."

"Mmmm that sounds really good, I bet you were a very adorable little boy, Hiro. Can you tell me how you say child or little boy in Japanese?"

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He giggles a little at her poke. "The dinosaur will keep me on my toes."

"That is a very sad image. For all that my sister and I are not close, we are still very much family."

"A boy would be okotonoko which I think literally means 'man child'. But if you were talking to a little boy, you would usually call him boya or, like in my case, Hiro-kun. Jonba would be Jonba-kun. Ko or kodomo would be for a child, as opposed to just a boy."