ooc log: First Date

[bakudan_shounen]

Who: Gokudera and Miranda
What: Their real first date~
Where: The winter island that the Vongola's been docked at for a long while now
When: Christmas Eve

Oh dear God where were her SHOES? Miranda scrambled around her room, searching everywhere for the damn heels, and cursing herself for having fallen asleep earlier. She was running late, and if Gokudera showed up... AHA! HER SHOES! The Exorcist slips them on quickly, heading out of her room to go meet her beau, hoping she wasn't too late.

He hadn't done much to make himself look sharp for the evening. Running a brush through his naturally rebellious hair, a spray of cologne and donning his favorite dress shirt and pea coat was all it took to make him feel worthy of Miranda's company. He checks his watch, wondering if he has time for a cigarette before his girlfriend arrives. She's running a little late, but he doesn't mind since the night air is refreshing. It does well to calm down the slight bundle of nerves that had wound in his chest since he woke that morning.

"Gokudera!" she calls, seeing the teen standing casually on the deck. Her heels click-clack a little louder on the floor as her pace quickens, rushing to hug him. Sure, she wouldn't normally hug him so easily, especially out in public like this, but the excitement she felt to go on a date alone with him overpowered those habits. Thin arms wrap round his back as a nose digs into his shoulder, taking in the smell of cologne she was becoming more and more familiar with. "Hi" she grins, looking up at him with a grin.

"Hey!" He answers, placing a foot out to steady himself when Miranda throws her weight against him. She's warm and he wraps his arms around her, wondering if what she's wearing will keep her from the cold. Gokudera places a soft kiss on her cheek and looks down at her happy expression. He should be happy too! Even the Tenth seemed to smile for him and wish him well!

Her long skirt and knitted coat should be more than enough to keep her warm. It's similar to what she wore when they went ice-skating except maybe a little dressier. Miranda's grin doesn't falter, even when she pulls away from the bomber. She's way too excited to stay here, and she just wants to see where they were going. "How are you?"

"I'm well. Are you excited?" Gokudera doesn't really need to ask, since her expression is a dead give-away. Regardless of how cold it is, he feels compelled to try out the manners he learned when he was a young boy. "Are you warm enough? You can wear my coat."

Miranda nods eagerly, smiling sheepishly as she does so. She makes a move for his hand, brave thanks to her excitement, and waves her free hand dismissively. "No no, I'm fine. You need to keep warm too"

"I'm plenty warm." Gokudera isn't lying, but his hands feel like ice with the metal rings chilling in the night air. When her hand finds his, he takes it gently, eyes fixed on the deck and the long wooden dock stretched out over the water.

"Good! I wouldn't want you catching a cold" the woman chides, following his gaze. The town sure did look pretty with the dim yellow light of street lamps bouncing off the snow. Miranda turns her gaze back to the boy. With a slight head tilt, she asks; "Shall we get going?"

"You worry too much." Gokudera says and glances at her. "Yeah." He leads the way, trying to keep her close as he does so. The teen can see his breath fan out over his face like the smoke from his cigarette and his other hand moves into his pocket, running over the small paper packet slightly.

Gokudera's not going to have much of a problem of keeping her close, thanks to the cold and Miranda's fear of getting lost. She didn't know the island very well, and with her luck, if she got separated from the bomber she wouldn't find her way back to the ship. Miranda exhales, watching a cloud float out from between her lips. Wow, she hadn't experienced cold like this since the last time she was in Germany.

"We're almost there." He says as they walk down the streets. Small wood fires burn in metal baskets that hang along the cobbled path like lamps. They crackle noisily as they pass by a few taverns. Gokudera counts buildings, knowing the one he wants doesn't have a wooden sign hanging over the door.

She stays quiet, taking in their surroundings. It's odd how much this place reminded her of home, cobbled streets and all. Dark eyes jump from the fires to the taverns, catching glances of people drinking and taking merrily inside. Miranda's hand tightens a little inside of Gokudera's, and she nods, acknowledging what he's said.

"Ah!" The teen stops and looks up at a large building. There is a candle in every window and he smiles with open excitement as he gives her hand a small tug. "Here we go." Gokudera opens the door and holds it for her so she can take shelter from the cold night air.

Her gaze travels skyward. Was this building bigger than the rest? It seemed more like a hotel than a restaur- "Hm? Oh!" She blushes slightly, feeling the tug on her hand. "T-Thank you" Miranda nods, scampering in and rubbing her arms to shake off some of the cold.

He shuts the door behind them, though it was already in motion to do so. A tall man behind a large reception desk smiles at them, another takes Gokudera's coat and hangs it up. "Table for two?" The man asks. "Uh.. Thanks." The teen walks up, "We have a reservation." While he flips through a book, Gokudera turns his attention back on his girlfriend. It's quiet inside save for the distant sound of a piano playing and the hum of conversation down the hall.

She's looking around, taking everything in. This place seemed so fancy! She was rather impressed with the man that took Gokudera's coat and- Oh. Guess she should give hers too. Miranda mouths a quiet 'thank you', still looking around. Her dark eyes land on Gokudera, and she offers him a happy little smile before approaching and standing next to him.

"Right this way," The man says and walks ahead of them. As soon as Gokudera takes her hand and they move, there is already a person taking the receptionists' place. They walk through rooms with parties of people, the atmosphere cheerful and sparkling with bright golden lighting. When they reach their table, it's obvious by the full room that the restaurant is popular. Gokudera stands behind his chair, waiting for Miranda to take her own before him.

"This..." Her bag is placed on the floor beside the chair before she sits. "This is really fancy" Miranda feels almost a little out of place. This is even fancier than Tsuna's party, and that was the ritziest thing the woman had yet to experience.

He blushes brightly and feels like he should be modest, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, I hope you like it." Gokudera says as he sits down, still maintaining his slouching posture despite the fanciness of their location. "Can I get you something to drink?" The waiter asks, looking at them pleasantly. Gokudera gives him a quick look, "Just water."

A grin tugs at her lips at the blush, but she manages to keep it down enough to speak to the waiter. "Water's fine" The waiter nods, handing them each a menu and then heading off on his way. Miranda turns back to her boyfriend, still looking content. "It's very nice" she reassures, brushing some stray hair out of her face.

Miranda opens up her own menu, humming, but it stops abruptly once she reads the menu items. Or. More like tries to read. "Um... Gokudera?" She looks up, brow furrowing at his posture. "...what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Gokudera assures her and as his green eyes meet her dark brown ones, he feels a little of the stress ease away. That's right, she's not going to judge him. He lifts his chin to look up over her menu, "Any idea what you want?"

"Um... that's the problem" She turns the menu towards him. "I... I can't read Italian" There's a slight blush dusting her cheeks out of embarrassment. Maybe she should learn, considering her crew was part of the mafia.

Gokudera takes the menu and sets it flat on the table between them. "What are you in the mood for? There are salads here... and then pasta... and other main dishes. I hear the soup is good." The teen points, wishing there were pictures to make this job easier.

Miranda doesn't really know the difference between one pasta and the other, or what ravioli is and how its different from linguine. She blinks at the menu, still a little confused, and then looks up to him. "How about... you order for me? You're more familiar with the cuisine than I am"

"Hmm.. We could split a pizza." Gokudera says, seeming a little excited by the thought. The last time he'd ever had that was when his sister had tossed it and ruined his boss' room. Maybe he can replace that with a better image. He closes the menu and stacks it on top of his as their waiter approaches.

"Pizza sounds good! What type?" She could see the word pizza, on the menu, and then a bunch of other words she couldn't recognize. Except for 'pepperoni'. She doesn't really notice the waiter approaching in her attempts to read the menu, that she jumps a little when he stops by their table with their water.

"It's not a pizzeria, so the variety isn't great. But you'll see." Gokudera says and hands the waiter their water. "Vorremmo una vongola e spinaci pizza." The man just stares at him blankly for a moment and the teen glares at him. "Certamente" He gives the couple a nod before leaving quickly. "I'll tip well if they can actually make it." Gokudera leans back.

"...what did you ask for?" Her brow is quirked at his posture, and the dialogue, whatever it was, between the two males. She could have sworn she heard 'vongola' but then again she could have been mistaken.

"Vongola pizza." He smirks, feeling a bit more comfortable. Or at least trying to look so. Being reminded of his home country doesn't exactly put him in the best mood, but he knows that the food will be good.

"...we have a pizza?" If her expression didn't seem perplexed before, it did now. Miranda blinks at him, confusion evident in her voice and posture.

He chuckles with amusement "Clam." Gokudera smirks at her as he rests his chin in one hand. "Vongola means clam, Miranda."

She blushes at Gokudera's amusement, and tucks some hair behind her ear nervously. "I-I knew that" And she did. It just had slipped her mind for some odd reason. "Y-you told me when you were little. I just... forgot"

"Right." He takes a drink from his water. "Well... if you forget again, I'll just laugh a little." Gokudera says and watches Miranda tuck her hair away from her face. It's always curling on the apples of her cheeks and he wonders how often she tucks it back during a day.

Miranda blushes more, and pouts a little. "Next time I'm taking you to a German restaurant" Since German doesn't look like English, Japanese, or Italian, she can only imagine the frustration the bomber would--- On second thought that might not be such a good idea.

"Oh?" Gokudera smirks, amused that she'd even consider a second date. His confidence lifts slight and he takes another drink just to keep himself from chewing his lip. "But you haven't taught me any German." He doubts it would be difficult.

"Do you want to learn?" she asks quizzically, not really having considered the thought before. German was very different from any of the languages he spoke, so maybe it would be difficult for him... Either way, it's an amusing thought.

He shrugs. An honest response since he really has no use to learn the language, but it wouldn't hurt. "I don't see why not." Gokudera says, "It would be my fifth language."

"...I thought you spoke three?" She's looking at him slightly dumb-founded, her glass hovering just milimeters from her lips. Miranda blinks at him, wondering what the fourth was. Now let's see... She'd heard Japanese, Italian, English... what on earth could be the fourth?

"Four." Gokudera shakes his head at her. How else would he be able to understand Ipin? "Italian, Japanese, English, and Mandarin." He wonders how long it will take for their pizza to cook. It couldn't be too large if it's only being split between just the two of them.

"...Mandarin is Chinese, right?" Now, Miranda is too knowledgeable with the world outside of Europe besides what she saw on her mission to Japan, but she knew a few things. Though she did have to check to make sure they were right. She sips her water carefully, wondering if she should extend her pinky in such a fancy place as this.

"Yeah." He answers and watches her drink her water quietly. The room is busy and may be full of more interesting things to look at, and as cheesy as it might sound, he really only has eyes for her at the moment. Gokudera sips his own water, but there isn't any left. So he tilts the glass higher, frowning slightly. The glass sits on the base until he gives the glass a small shake. They suddenly fall, smacking his nose and bouncing off his cheeks and over the tabletop.

Miranda smacks a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles, but it's no use. She's chortling uncontrollably, and really trying to contain herself because the last thing she wanted to do was snort in public. But she did. And she still can't stop giggling. The other hand flies up to join the one clamped over her mouth, but it's still not working, and now her face is a little red.

Gokudera chuckles at her and grabs his napkin, wiping his face with it. He can feel other people staring at them, and hears a few rude comments. His smile falls to a scowl and he shoots the party at the table behind them a deadly glare.

"W-Why don't you have some of my water?" She exhales deeply, her cheeks warm from laughing. Now that her eyes are opened, she notices the bomber turned around and... "...Hayato" It's said short and clipped, much like how a mother would call on her child who had gotten into trouble.

The other guests fall silent, but one man smirks when the exorcist calls his attention. He turns back quickly, turning his nose up slightly at their company in the room. Gokudera looks at Miranda, but his eyes don't linger on hers for very long.

Wait, is that a glare in her ey- Oh wait. Well, whatever look she was giving the man at the table is gone now, and it's been replaced with a softer one when it swtiches to Gokudera. "Don't listen to them, okay?" she whispers so only he can hear. "It doesn't matter what they say"

He shrugs, "Tch. I know that." It's not the first time he's been given such disapproving looks before. In fact, the teen even seems proud of himself for annoying the other dining party. Gokudera leans back in his chair a little more so he can look cool and nonchalant. As he makes himself comfortable, their waiter walks up, carrying a large tray under one hand. "Ci scusiamo per l'attesa" Gokudera pushes his empty glass aside so the man can set down their pizza. "Grazie," He says, accepting an empty plate to place his slice on.

Miranda smiles amiably at the waiter in thanks as he sets her plate down before her. She then turns back to Gokudera, eyebrows furrowing a little at his prideful demeanor. "Then why bother glaring at them?" The woman reaches for a slice of pizza as she asks, feeling hungry. She then realizes that it actually wasn't cut, and so reaches for a knife to do so.

"Because it made them shut up." Gokudera says and grabs a pizza cutter for them. "Watch it." He says and runs it through the flat bread smoothly. The teen makes sure the slices are small enough so they won't make a large mess, but nothing too stingy either. "Hold your plate out." He says, sliding the blade flat beneath the slice and lifting. The cheese stretches, melted as he lifts it.

She sighs, retracting her hand at his command, placing the knife down that she had grabbed seconds before. "It looks good" The plate is held out, and she's a little impressed with Gokudera being so gentlemen-ly with her. She just really hoped that those people behind them don't give them anymore trouble. As if on cue, her dark eyes look over at them, slightly disapproving.

The other party, a group consisting of two dangerous looking men, and a long-faced woman seem to catch the look. She leans over to her companions, whispering something before casting her own look at Miranda. Since the teen's attention is focused intently on his date, Gokudera doesn't notice any of this except the look that passes over her face. He smirks and sets his own slice on his plate. "It is." He promises as he takes a bite.

Miranda closes her eyes for a fleeting second, being reminded instantly of home and the looks she would get on the street, before she reopens them and nods in acknowledgment to the bomber. She watches him take a bite, and then gingerly takes her own, a small smile forming on her lips in satisfaction. "You're right" she says, once she finishes swallowing the bite of course.

Gokudera finishes his slice quickly and relaxes visibly. He hasn't had honest Italian food in years, and hadn't expected to find a place like this on the Grand Line. "Now you can tell everyone you've had Vongola pizza!" The teen says and places a smaller slice on his plate.

Nodding, she smiles at him gently. Hm. She wondered if Tsuna had heard of Vongola pizza before? Reborn, surely, but the little don didn't seem to know much Italian. "Seems like you were hungry" Miranda is only halfway done with her own slice, and reaches for her glass still with some water.

"Only a little," He grins a bit bashfully. The teen doesn't eat that much, but when he hasn't eaten pizza in years, he can't help but to feel like he needs to take advantage of it. Knowing she's watching, he eats a bit slower and more carefully.

A light giggle, and she takes a sip of her water. "Don't slow down for my sake" she jests, placing the glass down and reaching for her slice again to take a few more bites. Honestly, if he was enjoying it, who was she to stop him?

"Well, I'm not that hungry." The piece he has now is small, and won't take him long to finish. He pulls a cigarette from his pocket and places it between his lips.

There! She finally finished her pieces and is reaching for another. The Exorcist feels a little strange that she's just starting on her second one and he was already almost done with his. She's not far into her bite of the pizza, when she sees him flip out his signature cigarettes. Now, back in her time, there was no such thing a smoking and non-smoking sections, but she had heard of them since coming into this world. Miranda tries to recall which section they were in, and glances around while chewing. Nope. No one else was smoking. The food is swallowed, and she inwardly hopes that no one makes a big deal about it.

He lights the cigarette and watches her, wondering if she's enjoying herself as much as he is. The nicotine is just enough to calm down the nerves that strain when he looks at her. Gokudera sets it aside for the moment and turns back to his pizza.

"...Doesn't that make it taste different?" There's a quizzical expression on her face before she takes a few more bites. Almost halfway done with her second now. But honestly, she knows he uses those things for his weapons, but don't the cons outweigh the benefits?

Gokudera just stares at her and pulls his hand away from the slice he'd been picking at. "I was done, anyways." He says and places the small stick back between his lips, leaning back in his chair and not looking at her.

"I-I didn't mean it like..." Her own eyes drop down to her plate. Dammit, she hoped she hadn't said something wrong. Things had been going so well. "I was just asking, Gokudera"

"I know. And after a while, you get used to it." Gokudera says, though he still isn't looking at her. He just continues to smoke quietly in front of her.

...this was slightly awkward. She places her pizza, or what was left of it, down on her plate, and wipes her mouth with a napkin after drinking a little more water. "Um... I'm done. I don't know if you want something else...?"

"Let me finish this, first." Gokudera says and counts the leftover slices they have left, wondering if they should bring them back to the Vongola to share with some of the crew. He smiles lightly at the thought and it's short-lived when the waiter returns. "I'll have to ask you to put that out, sir." He says. Gokudera crosses his arms over his chest. "Can't do it." He responds, stubborn as ever. The man frowns and glances around as though looking for some support, "If you don't and the other customers complain, I'll have to ask you to-" His voice dies when Gokudera fixes him with a glare. "Let them complain." He commands and the waiter steps back before scurrying off.

Miranda stiffens from the moment the waiter asks Gokudera to put out his cigarette. Guess that confirmed her suspicions of being in a non-smoking section. She inwardly groans, wishing the waiter had stayed long enough to ask for the check. "...Gokudera do you really think that was wise--"

"If the idiot would look in the books." Gokudera says and takes a slow drag. When he starts speaking again, it curls out of his mouth, and his nostrils, "He'd see that I didn't pay extra for him to whine." Sure, he'd originally reserved in the smoking section of the restaurant, but having to reschedule for Christmas Eve only left them with their current table. He'd still shelled in extra, and he plans to have a personal word with the owner.

She inhales sharply, a slight blush dusting her cheeks. Well, she guessed the cigarettes did help make him look.... impressive. But looking cool wasn't going to stop them from getting kicked out. "D-Do you want desert? O-Or should we just ask for a box and the check...?"

"We can have desert." He says, acting like nothing has happened and their date is going perfectly. "And I'll pay up front." Gokudera says and when he can hear that same party of people behind them make a comment about his rudeness, he sits taller.

She also flinches, having heard the comment, and fidgets uncomfortably. Any second now she knew the waiter was going to come and ask them out, and Gokudera was going to cause a seen and... Crap she forgot Time Record on the ship. If he decided to blow the place to smithereens there would be know way of stopping it. "Maybe we should have desert somewhere else? I think we passed a bakery on the way here..." Miranda smiles sheepishly at him, hoping he understood that she was trying to save both their skins.

"If you'd rather." Gokudera says as he endures a few more remarks. It's no skin of his back. It makes him feel more at home, but when he hears something about how "the boy's mommy doesn't want to be embarrassed" his eyes seem to darken. Gokudera stands up and pushes his chair in, waiting for her.

Miranda bites her lip, also standing. Guess they could forget about boxing the leftover pizza. She follows him hesitantly, casting a furrowed glance at the snooty people at the other table. The gaze softens, though, turning to Gokudera as she scampers after him, tentatively reaching for his hand. "Hayato..."

He glances at her curiously, not pulling away as they walk down the hall. Gokudera stops at the desk and it's empty, giving them a moment to speak alone.

Her thumb gently strokes the side of his hand. "You okay?" she asks, concern laced in her features. Miranda knows Gokudera is stronger than she is, and that he can definitely handle a few nasty comments, but she knows anything involving her or his mother is a touchy subject.

"Why wouldn't I be?" He asks and a frown knits his eyebrows. What is that look for? Gokudera has no idea that Miranda knows about his mother, and the thought makes his defenses rear up suddenly.

The hand holding his tightens ever so slightly at the frown. Nooo not the frown. "Y-you just... seemed upset" Maybe she was just over-reacting. Or being paranoid. Or maybe a mixture of the two. Miranda sighs, dropping her gaze from his and directing it down the hall, wondering where the host was.

Even when the receptionist returns, Gokudera is staring at her suspiciously. "I'm sorry for the trouble, Sir." He says and that's all it takes to get the teen's attention. Gokudera moves forward, accepting the bill and not batting an eyelash as he signs an extremely flourished signature on a dotted line. He turns back and moves to the door while the man thanks them with a bright smile.

Her eyebrow is quirked, very much impressed, if not perplexed, with his signature. Miranda wonders just how he got it. Actually, she wonder how he could afford such a restaurant. And how he seemed comfortable enough in it. "I-It wasn't too expensive, I hope?" She scurries after him, her shorter legs in a layered skirt making her work just a little harder to keep up with his long gangly legs.

He stops just outside the door, "It was fine, Miranda." Gokudera just wishes she'd stop worrying and just show some more appreciation. The teen pats his pocket, "Ah. Shit."

"Hm?" She observes him quizzically. "You alright? Forget something?" Miranda doesn't recall leaving anything at the table, or seeing anything left at the table besides the half eaten pizza, and wonders what he could have forgotten.

"Just wait here." He says and takes off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. "I'll be right back." The teen runs back into the building and waits until he's away from any windows before he reaches into his pocket and thumbs over a stick of dynamite.

Miranda blushes brightly at the gesture, turning to watch him run back inside. She pouts slightly. He didn't answer her question. From the pout comes a sigh, and dark eyes scan the area, looking for some kind of public bench to sit on. When one is found, she meanders over to it, sitting lightly and crossing her legs while waiting for he beau.

After a few moments, the road is quiet. There is a distant, muffled yell and Gokudera lands on his hands and knees in the alley beside the restaurant. He pushes himself up, dusting off his shirt as he walks and there is loud hissing behind him. The teen walks back inside to the sound of music and the warm atmosphere, sporting only a split lip as the mark of his scuffle. He nods in acknowledgment at the receptionist once more as a thundering explosion sounds. While people panic, he walks back out the door and spots his date. "Sorry about that."

She jumps, shrieking a bit hearing an something blowing the hell up somewhere not too far away. When the bomber approaches her, Miranda can only manage to gape at him wide eyed. Even as people are running out of the building, she still can't believe he actually went and BLEW SOMETHING UP. Why would he do that? Didn't he forget something?! "..."

"So, which way to the bakery?" Gokudera asks and stops beside her so that she won't see the tiny mark left on him from the small scuffle in the alley.

The woman doesn't get up. She's still staring at him wide-eyed, and there are still people pouring out of the building. W-was that the sound of something collapsing she just heard? "....what did you do?" Her voice is barely audible considering she's still in a state of shock, but at least her voice is working again.

"Oh. I just took out some trash." He says. Gokudera had set off the dynamite close to the building, but only to avoid directly catching his attackers in the blast. Killing some innocent bastards would only bring shame to the family. But they were still rude to them and deserved to be taught a lesson, especially since they'd started it.

Miranda's brow is furrowed and her mouth is contorted into an uncomfortable line. "...you didn't kill anyone, did you?" Please say no, please say no, please say no... Her thoughts are racing. She really hoped Gokudera had some more self-control than to go killing someone for something as insignificant as an insult.

"No." Gokudera answers, a little annoyed that she's dwelling on it. He watches her for a moment before glancing away. "Tch. I wish."

"You WISH? WHY would you WISH to kill someone?!" On her feet now, Miranda can just feel herself getting angry. Why, WHY would he do this? Now? Tonight? And here she was hoping for a peaceful, nice date with her boyfriend.

His eyes widen and the cigarette hangs off his lip before he covers the open expression with his usual frown. "Some people just deserve it! I wasn't going to kill them!" Gokudera bristles and his hands tighten into fists at his sides.

His first statement hits a nerve, and it shows on her face. "No one deserves to die!" Miranda's voice cracks on her last word, feeling her throat begining to tighten out of frustration. "What did they do anyway?! Please don't tell me it's those people that sat behind us..."

The teen only glares harder as he hears the anger in her voice. He doesn't see the big deal behind what he did. "Well... Like I said.. I didn't kill them." Gokudera avoids telling her what they did, because getting jumped in the alleyway of a restaurant doesn't exactly sound cool.

"...Gokudera why" she groans, raising a hand to her temple. Oh lord she could feel a headache coming on. "You said that it didn't bother you what they were saying! Besides" Her eyes are back on him now. "What if you hurt some innocent bystander with your explosion? What if you get in trouble for destroying property and--?!" WHAT IF HE'S GIVEN A BOUNTY?!

"I didn't care when they were talking about me." Gokudera clarifies. "I was careful! Jesus, this isn't the first time I've done something like this!" He growls, "and they started it..."

Something in her mind clicks, and her patience runs thin. "...you fought them because of me?" Miranda's voice is no longer a loud and shaky yell, but an icy, cool, barely audible voice that if Lavi was around, would probably have him running for the hills.

He frowns, clearly displeased  that she seems to be. Gokudera doesn't deny it. He defended himself from being attacked, but "I wasn't just going to let them talk trash." Not about his first girlfriend. She'd seemed pretty upset by their remarks, so why wasn't she happy for him?

She really wasn't that upset because of what they had said about her. "...you do know that I've spend most of my life receiving much harsher words than that?" Honestly, what they had said didn't really bother her for being directed at her. If anything, they upset her because they were more directed at Gokudera, and that just wouldn't do.

"That doesn't mean you should have to listen to it now!" Gokudera growls. He's endured being shot at and insulted when he was eight. And he doesn't put up with it. No one should. The teen respects Miranda because she shares a lot of the same ideas as his boss, but thinking she'll just roll over and take it just pisses him off.

"I'm not taking it, Hayato! I didn't really notice what they were saying!" Her voice is rising again, cracking again in the cold. She's about to open her mouth to yell at him again for being such an impulsive rash idiot when the blaring of sirens is heard in the distance. The color drains from his face, and she grabs his wrist, pulling him down the cobbled snow streets. "Come on! Do you want to get arrested?!"

He stumbles and frowns, but follows her when she guides him. "You really think they could?!" Gokudera asks, clearly angry at the exorcist as he walks. It's easy to catch up with her as they move away from the approaching sirens.

"Would you rather take them on yourself?" It's said in an sarcastic tone, and she prayed to whatever deity ruled this world that he would catch it and NOT take the police (or whatever the law enforcement of this island was) on.

"They have no way of knowing I was even there." Gokudera says and as they round a corner, he stops, yanking his hand away.

She crosses her arms sharply when he pulls his hand away. "Fine. Then you'll be just fine" Miranda turns on her heels, quickly orienting herself with the street and trying to recognize the shops and such they had passed on the way from the ship. That way. Her feet carry her down the street, but not far enough whereas if Gokudera started yelling, she would still hear him.

"Hey!" He follows after her. Gokudera doesn't want to stay and get arrested. He doesn't think that they could find the dynamite even if they caught him, anyways. Even if they're going to argue, it's still a date! "What's your problem, Miranda?!"

"My problem" she huffs, walking a little faster so her shoes clacked on the cobblestone rather loudly. "Is why you would do something so STUPID on my behalf"

"Stupid?!" Gokudera moves ahead of her, cutting to an abrupt stop so he can make eye contact with her. "Since when has defending someone been stupid?! And need I remind you that I didn't start that!!" He's growling now, teeth glittering behind a split lip in the light of the lamp crackling beside them. It casts a shadow over his eyes, so that they twinkle sharply at her.

"I DON'T NEED YOU DEFENDING ME, HAYATO" She's undeterred from the fearsome sight of him, recalling Akuma with faces only the Earl could love. Miranda could handle herself. She'd done so for god knows how long now, and the notion of someone else defending her is not only new, but terrifying. If he got in a fight over simple words, imagine what he would do if something else happened! What if Noah showed up here? Would Gokudera fight again, and risk so much more than a split lip? The thought alone terrified her, and gave her the strength to brush past him and keep walking. He was better off without her, anyway.

His eyes widen and he just stares forward when she moves past him. Gokudera's hands tighten into fists and he looks down, feeling a sour weight in the pit of his stomach. He thinks about everything he's done to try and show the exorcist that he cares. It's hard. He isn't the touchy, feely kind of person she is, and it's awkward trying to open up completely. In a way, defending her in the alley is how he shows that he cares... Defending another person's honor is reserved for a select few... Gokudera sighs and walks in the opposite direction, trying to figure out where exactly he went wrong.

Miranda rubs her nose violently, feeling the sting of cold on her face from walking so fast. Before she knows it, she's back on the ship and in her room. A quick glance in the vanity mirror, and she was surprised at the reflection. Hair that had been combed and clean and nice for once was tousled about from the wind; her nose was red, her eyes teary, and streams on the little make-up she had worn for the date were running down her cheeks. And the most astounding sight: Gokudera's coat still draped over her shoulders. An overwhelming sense of guilt grows in her chest, and she holds it tentatively, sauntering over to the bed and sitting. It smelled so much like him. Her head hung, and the tears streamed afresh. Miranda knows nothing of defending someone's honor; that was the stuff she had read about as a girl in fairy tales. And she knew he did it because he cared, but that's what scared her. She just didn't see the honor in getting hurt for someone else's sake. Especially her, when he had so much more to be in one piece for.

He walks until his feet ache and the cold penetrates through his dress shirt. Gokudera had forgotten about his coat in the midst of their argument, and his pride holds him back from returning to the ship to retrieve it. So he pushes on, arms crossed against the night air as he stalks down alleys made silent from the snow. Long gone are the panicked cries of the people from the restaurant, and he's left only with the sound of his soles crunching pebbles and ice against cobblestone. I'm sorry he thinks, not sure who he wants forgiveness from. Guess I'm just not worth it. The teen pushes snow from a bench, taking a seat so he can rest his cold, stiff legs.