Chapter 12: Going on a Date

The sweet smell of a home cook meal woke up Caspian, who was sleeping. His face slightly twisted as he rubbed his face. He then stood up, forgetting the fact that his leg was shot. Due to that, he fell down, face flat on the floor.

"Fuck…."

Suddenly the door opened as Abby entered the room, and as she saw him, she laughed loudly. After a while of laughing, she stopped and asked, "Hey! You okay?"

Abby then hurriedly ran up to him and helped him up, and let him sit on the bed. Caspian simply laughed as he said, "Haha, my dumbass forgot my leg got shot."

"Well, your dumbass better be careful. Let's go to the kitchen; I cooked some food," Abby smiled as she left the room.

Caspian scratched his stomach as he grabbed his crutches and started walking to the bathroom to wash his face.

After that, he headed to the kitchen and sat down after yawning. Abby, who was donning an apron, looked as if she was a mom preparing her son some food.

Caspian, who was imagining that, couldn't help but chuckle. The more he looked at Abby, the funnier it got. Abby, who noticed his stare, turned at him and grumpily said, "What's funny about my face?"

"Nothing, mom," Caspian's tongue slipped, causing Abby to lightly tap his head with a fist as her face turned light pink from embarrassment. "Fuck you, Caspian."

"Here, eat up," Abby just shook her head with a sigh as she served the food. She served a juicy steak along with a platter of lasagna. Caspian couldn't help but salivate a bit as he hadn't eaten something like this in a while.

Abby then removed the apron, sat down with Caspian, and started eating with him.

Caspian's eyes couldn't help but shake as he said, "Sometimes I forget how good you cook. It's really delicious!"

Abby smiled as she said, "Thanks, but you're a better cook than me, though."

"Haha, you completely surpassed me! Though at first, you literally just roast the food without seasoning! And you treat it as good food and chomp it down like a barbarian," Caspian said as he ate a spoonful. He couldn't help but close his eyes to appreciate the flavor.

Abby couldn't help but scratch her head with a bitter smile. It was Caspian who taught her how to properly cook since, at first, she didn't even put spices in her food! Remembering that caused her to be embarrassed, but she was glad that she got past that.

Just as they were eating, Caspian started to daydream. After a while, Caspian spoke in a low voice, "I feel like I'm being too lazy…."

He looked at Abby and smiled bitterly. He was somewhat reluctant to just stop the investigation they had started, but he had got almost everyone he worked with in secret in trouble. Abby just smiled as she said, "Hey, why don't we go to the arcade or eat at a restaurant? Rather than waste time by sleeping, let's go out."

"Is that a date invitation?" Caspian smiled teasingly. Abby's face was somewhat rosy, but she smiled widely as she replied, "Why~? Are you embarrassed~?"

Caspian chuckled as he said, "Hell nah, let's go today. How about we go to both of those places?"

"Nice~ Oh, by the way, I'm staying here," Abby said as she got the last spoonful out of her plate.

"Hmm? Why?" Caspian, who was in the middle of swallowing his food, asked.

"Really…?" Abby sarcastically said while rolling her eyes. Caspian couldn't help but laugh once more as he saw the face Abby made. "Thank you, I know mom probably made you stay. And thank you for the good food, haven't gotten a home-cooked meal in a long time."

"Yeah, she did, but aren't you forgetting something? I have no pay for the month since we got suspended with no pay, so I can't pay for my rent," Abby said as she stood up and grabbed her plate. "Oh, and after you finish eating, just leave the plate there. And go to take a shower; you smell horrible! I bought a cast cover and placed it in the drawer of your side table."

"Damn, I do stink," Caspian said with a chuckle as he smelt his clothes. He hadn't changed yet after they went home and just slept. His bed sheets probably stank too. After he finished eating, he immediately headed to his room, wore the cast cover, and took a thorough shower.

After that, he wore clothes that looked somewhat fashionable. He was slightly nervous as he hadn't really gone out with someone in the past few years. He just had some one-night stands and a few dates, nothing else.

Caspian then went to the living room and sat down. He couldn't help but smile bitterly as his injury made him look pathetic. Just a couple minutes later, Abby, who had already made herself at home since she had already brought her stuff to Caspian's house, went out of the room adjacent to Caspian's.

Caspian couldn't help but be in awe. He was used to seeing Abby wearing her uniform without makeup, and when she had her days off, she never really tried to look good, so seeing her wearing something stylish and putting on a little bit of makeup made her look incredibly charming.

"Let's go?" Abby asked the dazed Caspian. Caspian simply smiled as he nodded his head and stood up with crutches in his hands.

Abby also observed Caspian. Her face couldn't help but get rosy as Caspian, who was already good-looking paired with the proper clothing, would definitely make him look really attractive.

They soon entered the car and drove to the city. Abby, who was driving, couldn't help but scratch her head as she said, "Traffic sucks…."

Caspian couldn't help but smile as he said, "I can agree with that."

Soon they arrived at their destination. Caspian couldn't help but say with a bitter smile, "People certainly wouldn't think that we're going to the arcade."

They then headed to the arcade and saw a variety of classic games that would inject nostalgia into anyone who went to the arcade when they were young.

"It's been so long since I've visited this arcade, it looks bigger, but it certainly hasn't changed that much," Caspian couldn't help but smile widely.

Abby, who saw this, unconsciously wrapped her arm around Caspian's, causing him to look at her. He just smiled as they headed as they ventured into the arcade.

As they played the games there, Caspian noticed Abby's fiery gaze. It seemed like she enjoyed the arcade a bit too much, as they had already spent quite a sum. However, Caspian was okay with it as he, too, enjoyed it greatly.

Caspian then started playing the fighter games and fought against some random people. Just then, he didn't realize that he had been appointed as the undefeated king of fighting games within the arcade as the person he fought with came regularly and never got beaten by anyone.

Just after the match, Abby, who was spectating him, cheered. Caspian simply chuckled as he said, "Seems like I still got it."

The person he fought against came up to him, looked at him with admiration, and congratulated him.

Time passed quickly as Abby and Caspian played in the arcade, feeling as if they had gone back in time. They had expressions that looked like they were children who went to the arcade for the first time.

They finally left the arcade after a while, with their arms locked with each other. Caspian then said, "Let's get dinner."

They headed to one of the best restaurants in the city and ordered some food. Looking at the menu, Caspian couldn't help but smile wryly, 'Food in a renowned restaurant is just expensive!'

But he just threw it out of his mind as he wanted to taste the cooking here. Despite being suspended with no pay being bad, It was also a good chance for him to enjoy the feeling of relaxation.

As their food was served and they started eating, Caspian glanced quickly at his surroundings. Some people were looking at them weirdly, so he couldn't help but feel awkward. He thought that these people were thinking as if they were weirdos since it was their first time in a restaurant of such stature.

What he didn't know, the people actually thought differently as they whispered to each other, "Look, that couple looks so attractive!"

"They look so cute together."

Caspian then gazed lightly at Abby, whose face was slightly rosy. Noticing Caspian's gaze, Abby's face had a clear tinge of pink, but one could mistake it as getting drunk since they were drinking concentrated wine.

As they finished and headed home, Caspian felt like this was the best day he had had in his life. He felt calm and refreshed, and he ended the night with a big smile. Caspian didn't notice it, but Abby felt the same. (A/N: It says "had had" is the correct grammar, so why not? xD)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Caspian and Abby then went to their respective rooms and took quick showers.

After changing his clothes, he lay on his bed and glanced over his computer. He couldn't help but think, 'I haven't used that in years….'

He then walked over to it and turned it on. It was something he bought a couple of years ago since he was a gaming addict at that time, but after being terrorized by work, he couldn't even notice it in his room.

Caspian started browsing the internet and gave a few chuckles at the videos that he saw, and eventually, he came across his old social media profile. He opened it and saw a couple of videos taken more than fifteen years ago when he was just twelve years old.

He clicked it and saw some videos he had with his dad just playing around, making fun of each other. Seeing those videos, nostalgia hit him straight down the gut as his eyes teared, remembering how fun life was back then.

But that all changed after his dad died. Grace always told Caspian that his dad got into an accident, but he knew that his dad's death was more than that. He was killed and murdered in cold blood.

As he leaned back against the chair and watched the screen with a blank stare, his brows slightly furrowed as if remembering the past when he saw his dad's dead body, who was killed a couple blocks away from their old home.

"Wait…." Caspian mumbled as he slightly rubbed his forehead. "Dad… he was killed in the exact same way…!"