"Ice cream?" I questioned as we pulled up to the ice cream parlour, the bright pink lights causing me to squint as Jungkook laughed.
"Not any ice cream parlour, as much as you want to want to eat ice cream parlour"
"WHAT?"
He pushed me inside the door, sitting me down on a light blue coloured booth before going up to the counter and ordering many flavours of ice cream. I watched as he pointed at the glass, before mentally preparing myself as to what he was planning.
"Here" he passed me a desert spoon before walking back off again to collect the tray with many different pots of ice cream, plates with pancakes and waffles topped with whipped cream. He must have ordered about 10 different dishes.
"You are kidding" I looked at the tray in disgust as he smirked before placing it down on the table and sitting opposite me "what about dinner?"
"Later" he shooed his hand before picking up his spoon "go wild"
I picked up the spoon, taking a spoonful out of the blueberry ice cream, the instant coldness of the ice cream giving me a brain freeze. Jungkook laughed tilting his head back before eyeing up the triple chocolate ice cream before mushing it around and taking a bite.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he swirled it around some more, the ice cream forming into one
"Art" he responded "kidding, it's tastier this way"
The endless amounts of pancakes, waffles, and ice cream we shoved into our mouths started to make us feel sick. I started laughing as Jungkook gagged taking the last spoonful of the coconut ice cream before placing the spoon into the bowl and sighing.
"Can we have the bill?" I called as the cashier printed out a receipt walking over to our table and placing it down.
I went to reach for the receipt before Jungkook slapped his hand on top pulling it his side of the table.
"At least let me pay half?" I said, grabbing my purse out my bag and opening it up.
"It's a date remember, my treat" he got up with his credit card and went to pay.
I rolled my eyes before shoving my purse back into the bag and pulling my coat back over the top of my outfit. We said our 'thank you's' as we made our way out the door and towards Jungkook's car.
"Okay so, I'm sorry but I'm gonna have to blindfold you for this part of the date" he said as I laughed out loud, before stopping to look at him. All seriousness written over his face.
"Wait you're not kidding?"
"Pfttt kidding? Astra do you not know how I do things" He smirked,
"Ugh god Jungkook" I groaned "fine, but don't get any ideas" I said sternly as he giggled before wrapping the piece of material around my head and tying a knot at the back.
"You trust me right?" He said as I sat in the car listening to the sound of his voice and the car engine starting up.
"Mhm" I mumbled as he 'tsked' before he put his foot down, the car accelerating.
It felt like a matter of hours before the car slowly came to a definite halt. The sound of the handbrake securing the car before Jungkook spoke for the first time since leaving the parlour.
"You ready?" He said, as I breathed a small 'yes'
The car door opening and closing on his side sounded before the closest door to me opened, the air hitting my face. I felt a hand link with mine as I placed a foot out the car, the rest of my body being guided by Jungkook.
"Just follow me okay?" He whispered in my ear, as his arm made its way around my waist, my breath hitching, as his presence was clearly close to mine.
I heard the doors to a building opening as the sound of voices filled my ears. 'Two please' I heard Jungkook mumble before the woman asked if I was okay, Jungkook explaining the situation.
"Oh well have fun" she replied as I scrunched my nose, feeling the awkwardness even though I couldn't see her in front of me. Besides me? I really wasn't sure.
The room got warm all of a sudden as Jungkook placed his hands on both my shoulders.
"Okay, taking off the blindfold" he whispered again, before his hands removed themselves from my shoulders and I felt the material get looser around my eyes.
The material loosely fell down from across my eyes, as I adjusted to the blue somber lights that filled the room. I blinked a couple of times before looking around. Glass. I was in an aquarium. I looked in awe at the stingrays and large fish moved gracefully over my head. The bubbles rising upwards behind the glass, and the water moving as the fish swam further away.
"Oh my god" I whispered before turning around to look at Jungkook, his hands in both of his tracksuit pockets as he waited for me to expand on my answer more "this is so freaking cool"
He laughed, as I walked further away from him. Slowly making my way through the underneath sea world that fascinated me. It reminded me of home. The feelings I used to get when scuba diving in Greece. I watched as a purple and silver fish came closer to the glass, before placing my hand as close as possible I could get to it. I smiled as it produced a bubble out of its mouth before swimming delicately away.
"So not a bad date idea then?" Jungkook said, as I averted my gaze to look at him as he watched me taking the atmosphere in.
"I guess not" I shrugged, as he rolled his eyes "don't do that they'll stay like that" I mocked as he tutted before he watched the stingray move over his head.
"Picture?" I asked as I got the Polaroid camera out my bag holding it in his direction
He took the camera from my hand before standing back a few metres and snapping a shot of the me pointing at the shark that swam in and out of the orange coral. The picture printed out slowly before he handed it to me. We waited for print to show before I smiled, ensuring I would treasure this moment for a long time.
"Here" I held the camera and twisted my wrist to get a picture with us both in.
I leaned in closer to his body as he wrapped an arm once again round my waist. We counted down to one before pressing the button, the picture instantly popping once again our the top. I flicked the photo, drying it off as the picture then showed us both smiling directly into the camera. Both our smiles lighting up the deep blue lights, and his face pressed up against mine. I retrieved my black marker out my bag before writing the date on the edge of the Polaroid. Jungkook watched as I debated whether to write anymore, before I quickly scribbled 'first date with JK' in the corner adding a small heart and pressing the lid back on the pen. I looked at him, an eyebrow raised as he stared back. The tension between us, wanting to pull to one another like magnets.
"I'm starving...food?" I quickly mustered a sentence together as he broke out of his daze before he muttered a quick 'sure'.
Holding onto his hand we made our way through the aquarium before heading towards a restaurant above sea level.
-
Jungkook POV:
I watched intently as Astra ordered two burgers, a side of fries, and two beers. She shut her menu and took mine from my hands, passing them back over to the waitress.
"What?" She said, now just the two of us staring at one another at a table in a large and busy diner, full of many couples with their Valentine's.
"Nothing" I said looking down at the cutlery on the table as she stared out the window.
That awkward silence remained between us. The unspoken scenario from New Years Eve still hanging over one another. I so badly wanted to let that all go. Forget it ever happened. I so badly wanted to kiss Astra at the aquarium. Apologise there and then. But she seemed to know me so well to the point she could predict my next move.
"Sorry" the words were out of my mouth before I could even control myself.
She looked at me in a funny way, tilting her head to one side. Her hair gracefully moving off her shoulder, and lips pursing ever so slightly. No response.
"That was a shit apology, let me reword it" I stuttered as she still continued to look at me, as she bit her nails. That small habit she had when a situation got awkward or she felt nervous.
"I pushed you away because it got too much. I couldn't forgive you for lying...it hurt so badly. The one person I trusted lying to me. You know? And I know that the decision I made was probably one of the worst possible decisions. So I'm sorry...really sorry"
"I-"
"Really really sorry" I muttered again, as the two beers arrived at the table.
Astra waited for the waitress to disappear "before you said all that I was going to forgive you" she said, smiling as I continued to look at her.
"What I did was wrong. I lied to you both, so it should be me apologising...not you. And I don't blame you for what you did" she said, taking a sip of the beer before placing it beside her.
Astra had this calm manner that made you feel comfortable. Even though I had pushed her away she still remained as though nothing had happened.
"So forgive and draw a line under it?" I asked as she played with the gold hoop earring in her ear.
"Yeah" she said, smiling and reaching her hand across the table. She gave my right hand a squeeze, before I could say anymore as the food arrived to the table.
I watched as she rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt, tied back her thick dark hair and dug into the burger. Her face lighting up in satisfaction "so much better than the ice cream" she said, pointing at the burger, before taking another bite.
"Also, my treat, I'm paying. End of story" she said.
All I could do was smirk and shake my head. Always in awe of her beauty, aura and beautiful personality, even if she was shoving a burger into her mouth. My words once again tumbled out my mouth, before my brain had time to process it.
"I love you" I laughed, as she paused.
My face suddenly dropped as the realisation kicked in on the words now out in the open. She evidently gulped, before placing her burger down. The tension between us once again escalating.
"You love me?" She whispered, the rest of the room now vanishing as it felt like she was just focusing on just me, and I on her.
"Did I say that?" I looked at her, as she leaned over the table, staring at me even more intently now.
"You said you loved me?" She teased, her face relaxing slowly "Jungkook being all lovey dovey on Valentine's Day" she whacked my arm playfully before focusing her attention back on her meal.
I smirked before taking a bite of the burger also. She chewed vigorously before looking up at me. Her eyes connecting with mine, the same way they used to when her eyes met mine across the dance hall in university. Those deep green earthy coloured eyes complimenting against her honey tanned skin. She bit her lip ever so slightly as I smiled. Giggles escaping both our lips, as we laughed off the incident that occurred a few seconds ago. Love? I wasn't so sure yet, but apart of me felt like my heart had told me to say those words for a reason. No matter how hard I tried to conceal those feelings.