Chapter 19 Why am I on Fire? by Yojimbra

The first night on I-Island had been a hectic one filled with David and Sarah showing us around the island, and even showing us a small preview of the expo itself, though it would still be a day before the actual exhibits opened up. But, if I was honest, that wasn't exactly what I was excited about.

Don't get me wrong, there was amazing stuff here at I-Island, stuff that made me scratch my head and made me feel like I was in the middle of a Star Wars movie. And that wasn't even an exaggeration, I'm pretty sure there was at least one laser sword being developed here. I'd be more interested in something like incredibly comfortable shoes… that were fireproof.

But what I was infinitely more excited for, the real reason why I had agreed to come to this floating hunk of steel in the middle of the pacific ocean was, almost an entire week of—nearly—uninterrupted alone time with Rei. That, and I didn't have to do a bunch of hero stuff. I was just a normal guy wandering around a futuristic city with his girlfriend/wife.

Right now, David was currently with All Might in his lab, likely talking about something private, or something, it wasn't much of my business. Sarah was currently doing her job as a teacher. In the middle of summer.

I-Island kids didn't really get vacations.

Which meant me and Rei had nearly all day to ourselves.

"Come on!" Rei spun, her fashionable outfit swirling slightly at the sudden motion as she reached out to grab my hand. "Sarah said it should be just around here."

"Where are you taking me?" I laughed, following after Rei as I couldn't get over just how happy she looked. Everytime we went on a date it felt like we were teenagers, just a couple of laughing goofballs that were so into each other. And honestly I felt negative amounts of shame over how I acted with Rei in public, mostly because she didn't give a fuck either.

"Well, you know how David and Sarah are from America?" Rei asked, pulling me down a busy street that just smelled fantastic. Each of I-Island's cities had food from all around the world and it all smelled wonderful. The infrastructure that had been put in place to support the researchers was amazing.

I gave a half shrug, side-eyeing some restaurant I had never even seen before, but my nose and eyes said it was delicious. "Yeah, I recall them mentioning that."

"Well, it turns out they're both from where you said you were from." Rei gave a light wink and turned to look down the streets as we came to a corner, then she quickly tugged me down a side road. "So, I asked them where the best place for food is on I-Island. And after a long talk, they told me about this place."

She stopped, bounced, and pointed with both hands towards a place that made my heart sing. And my stomach sang louder. Nostalgia hit me like a truck and my stomach grumbled in eager anticipation while my mouth began to salivate.

"Well, quit staring." Rei pulled my arm again and pulled me inside. "The food isn't going to order itself."

Rei pulled me inside and stuck us in line. I ordered for both myself and Rei, then we sat at a booth while we waited for our food.

Before I could properly thank Rei, a robotic servant placed the food at our table.

"Wow," Rei muttered, looking at her plate. "I'm fairly certain that Fuyumi weighed less than this when she was born."

Infant-sized burritos were the food of my people.

Was it rude that I only responded by taking the first bite of my first burrito in over a year now? Either way, that was what I did. That first initial bite, the contents of the burrito shifting inside, followed by the tearing of the tortilla, as I took in a mouthful of fried potatoes smothered in cheese, mixed with shredded beef, chicken, beans, rice, and just a bit of greens that had my entire body demanding more.

I groaned, eyes rolling back as I let out a groan of satisfaction.

That was the stuff.

Rei let out a laugh as I saw her take a knife and fork to her own burrito. "I'm not sure if I should be excited or insulted."

"Why?" I muttered after swallowing the first bite that truly made me feel full in months.

"Well," Rei's smile was dangerous as she leaned forward just a bit; there was a light in her eyes that just screamed pure and utter mirth. "It's just that's the face you make when I'm on top."

I stared at Rei in a mixture of disbelief and shock as it took a moment for me to remember that despite everything, Rei was well on her way towards becoming a dirty old woman that could make a sex joke without even blinking. It was kind of hot. Okay, it was really hot.

Rei gave a light squeal, placing her hand on her cheek as she took her first bite of her own burrito. Hers was more classical; chicken, rice, cheese, and beans, all mixed with some kind of sauce that I could only guess about. "Though I can hardly blame you, this is about that good."

I narrowed my eyes at her and took an aggressive bite of my burrito. "I'm pretty sure you're trying to goad me into something."

"Who, me?" Rei placed a hand on her chest, eyes fluttering as she acted surprised. "I would never. I mean, it's not like we're going to be staying at a hotel room for the next week alone with no kids to worry about walking in on us, what ever could I be goading you into."

I glanced at my burrito, then at her burrito, then a small glance towards her chest, though it was hidden by her clothing, then I settled on her eyes. "Fine, I'll make sure that after tonight, you say I'm better than any burrito."

"Good, and I'll make sure you make even more cute faces just for me." Rei smiled and then took another bite. "This is really good though."

"I know right?"