"Should we drive or take the bus?" Kiri asked as they left the house.

Hikaru asked, "Which is more convenient?"

Kiri shrugged, "If we take the bus, we don't have to mess with parking, but it takes longer."

"I don't mind spending time on the bus with you, or if you want to drive," Hikaru answered.

Kiri frowned at her a little. "Hikaru, I wish you would tell me things you want more often," he said.

She looked at him curiously as he led her to the bus stop. "Why? What else do you want me to tell you I want?"

"What do you tell me you want already?" he asked in reply.

"I," she started and then blushed and said, "I guess I don't ask for that, because you're always willing."

Kiri laughed and hugged her.

"I have asked you for some really difficult things though," she protested.

"Like what? I can't think of anything you've asked me for," he said a little unhappily.

She replied in a jumble, "I asked you to sign that contract, and to not do too many embarrassing things in public, and to wear an earring with me, and to look at my scars, so many things Kiri."

Their first bus arrived and they boarded. When they were settled in the seat, Kiri whispered into her ear, "Those are all things for both of us, or between us, not something you want. I want you to be able to ask for something just for you or to have things the way you like best sometimes?"

Hikaru grinned at him wryly. "OK, but Kiri, I already have what I want most," she whispered back, and kissed his ear where the mate to her earring rode.

"I love you," he replied.

Taking the bus did take awhile, and several route changes, but eventually they arrived. Kiri bought their tickets and asked, "What should we go on first?"

Hikaru looked around and said, "I'm not sure what we should do first, but before we leave can we ride the ferris wheel?"

Kiri laughed. When she looked at him he grinned and pulled their tickets out and fanned them out to show the extra tab.

"What's that for?" she asked.

"The ferris wheel during the fireworks," he replied with a grin.

She bumped him with her hip and said, "This kind of thing is why I don't ask for much, you're already giving it to me?"

He tucked his arm around her and said, "OK. But I still want you to choose our first ride."

She smiled and nodded. "Let's walk past things then?" she suggested.

He agreed. They went on one of the smaller roller coasters first. Then one that tossed them upside down and dropped them. After that one Hikaru had Kiri sit for a minute.

"You didn't like that one," she said.

"Not really," he admitted, "but I don't mind going with you?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Risa is the one who really loves the wilder rides, so say something next time?" she asked.

Kiri said quietly, "I really don't mind, but OK, I'll try. What kind do you really love? I like the ones where I get to cuddle with you best," he said with a grin.

Hikaru cuddled against him on the bench, and he stuck his tongue out at her. "Maybe the ones that trick you?" she said thoughtfully.

"Trick you? Like the haunted house?" he asked.

"I was thinking more like the adventure coaster for kids, where it suddenly turns and takes you through the mushroom instead of where it looks like it's going. Or when it drops you down the hole later and the ball chases you but then you swoop up just before it catches you," she said uncomfortably.

Kiri grinned and said, "OK, I know what to try next then."

He led her to a water ride, that warned that riders might get wet. Hikaru looked at him curiously.

Kiri grinned and said, "Better to do this kind of thing early while it's still warmer anyway."

He laughed and cuddled her when she gasped as water arched barely over their heads in one area. In another, he watched amused as she joined the little kids in leaning over the side to watch the huge real live koi who swam contentedly around them. They all jumped and shrieked when a giant shape moved through the smaller fish. The fish were used to this and scattered only briefly.

Hikaru snuggled into Kiri's lap. "You like it?" he asked. She nodded, and kissed him.

--

Awhile later they climbed off another ride and Kiri led a white faced Hikaru to a bench where he pulled her onto his lap and asked, "Are you OK? I'm sorry, it seemed like just the sort of thing?"

"I think so too," she replied shakily. "I don't know why it was so scary, after the first corner I knew that we wouldn't go over the edge, but every corner scared me."

He cuddled her awhile and asked, "Should we quit?"

She shook her head.

Kiri offered, "It's OK to be scared, that's the ride's intent after all?"

Hikaru laughed and said, "I think it's only supposed to be startling."

Kiri kissed her and replied, "It's only a matter of degree."

She kissed him back and suggested, "You should be thrilled right? This is the reaction every guy wants to get so he can comfort his date?"

Kiri hugged her tightly and said, "It's not that I'm not happy to hold and comfort you, but I'm not happy when you're really scared."

Hikaru smiled and asked, "Think you can endure a little more?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. She pointed at the ride behind him and said, "If we can go in the same car, I kind of want to try that, but I might freak out."

Kiri turned and looked at the little race track. "Sure if you really want to, but don't do it just to push yourself?"

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I've never been brave enough to try rides that look like cars since then," she confessed.

"Why now?" he asked.

"Because if I can be so scared of a ride that shouldn't have been scary, maybe the ride I think will be scary won't be," she replied. "And you're with me," she added.

He grinned and kissed her again.

--

They barely fit into the little car together, but the attendant allowed it. Hikaru asked Kiri, "Am I squishing you too much?"

He replied quietly into her ear, "It's very snug, but I'm fine as long as you don't wriggle too much."

She tried to glance back at him over her shoulder. He laughed and bounced her with his hips a little. She blushed.

They started out with uncomfortable lurches and starts as Hikaru had no idea how the controls worked. Kiri coaxed her a little and she got the hang of it finally. He grinned as they drove the first of their three laps very sedately around the little track.

Another car zoomed past in a wobbling fashion and the driver called out, "Stupid slow woman driver!"

Hikaru frowned and asked, "Kiri, if you take over, can we do better than that?"

"Probably," he agreed, "but does it matter?"

"It shouldn't, but it does?" she replied.

He raised his arms up under hers to the wheel and wriggled his feet to the pedals, while she tried to tuck herself out of his way, and then they took off.

They curved smoothly around the little track at the vehicle's top speed and soon passed the other car. They continued to zip around the little track and passed it a second time on their last lap. Kiri pulled them up neatly at the exit point.

Hikaru grinned at him happily.

He laughed as they exited and said, "I'm not sure what that gained though?"

Hikaru shrugged. "I don't know, nothing I suppose, since he probably figured it proved his point."

"As long as you're happy," Kiri said and kissed her.

"I'm happy," she replied. "And I really liked it, driving it, it wasn't anything like riding in a real car."

He laughed and pulled her closer.

"I wonder if maybe I could learn to ride a motorcycle like Rin," she said speculatively.

Kiri looked at her in surprise.

"Would you ride with me if I learned to drive one well?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know if I'd find it fun, but of course I would," he said.

She grinned at him.

After a few more rides Kiri said, "Our dinner reservation is soon, do you want to try to squeeze in one more or go a little early?"

"Where is it? I thought we were staying for the ferris wheel?" Hikaru asked.

Kiri grinned and leaned in to kiss her. "It's here in the park."

They went to their dinner reservation which turned out to be on a paddle boat that went round and round the castle moat. Hikaru giggled when she saw it. Because it wasn't on a real river, they had it set up so that the shallow water passed just inches below them, right beside their table. The moat was scattered with colored lights and fountains.

"It's beautiful, but noisy," she commented after awhile.

Kiri grinned and replied, "I don't think talking is supposed to be a highlight, given the ads they presented with the dessert menu."

"What ads?" Hikaru asked curiously.

He held it up so she could see the hotels near the park listed and smirked suggestively.

She blushed and said, "Isn't that only because after all day out and then eating, people will feel tired? They look like ordinary hotels."

Kiri replied, "Sure." He grinned at her. "But it's kind of tempting, if we stayed out all night, maybe you wouldn't try to be so quiet."

Hikaru gasped and looked away. Embarrassed, she asked, "Has it bothered you so much that I find it embarrassing to have your mother staying with us?"

Kiri caught her hand and kissed her fingertips. "No, Hikaru, it's fine, I was afraid it would be worse. Sorry she decided to visit suddenly."

"It's fine," she said, and looked at him hesitantly.

"What?" He asked, and caressed her captive fingers.

"Do you really want to stay out all night?" she asked. "We'd have to get up really early so I could get back in time to dress for work and you could get ready to leave." She clutched his hand tightly.

He looked at her and released her hand. She let go reluctantly, but he stood and came over to kneel beside her.

"Kiri?" she asked a little breathlessly.

He kissed her gently. They kissed for a little while. "However you want to spend the night, is how I want to spend it with you," he said.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He hugged her.

"Normally," she mumbled against him.

"Normally?" he asked.

"I want to spend tonight normally, like we're going to spend hundreds more, not like this is the last one," she tried to explain.

He was silent a minute, but his hands petted her reassuringly. "We will spend hundreds and thousands more," he said finally.

Hikaru pulled back and kissed him again. "Then it's OK that this is the last night for a couple weeks," she said when she pulled back.

He cupped her face in his hand and asked, "Was it wrong to come out today?"

She shook her head and replied, "No, I've loved it. Our first whole day together has been wonderful."

"Yes," he agreed, and kissed her again.

Then one of the staff came and asked him to return to his seat, citing the limited amount of space on the floating restaurant.

Hikaru snickered a little as he sighed and reluctantly relocated.

When they were asked if they wanted dessert, she said, "I'd rather get icecream or something later, if you don't mind Kiri?"

"Sure," he agreed with a grin for her.

Later when they were strolling hand in hand, Kiri said quietly, "Thank you."

Hikaru looked at him inquiringly. "For what?" she asked when he didn't explain.

"For telling me what you want, for being with me, for everything," he said, and blushed.

Hikaru said, "You are so amazingly cute when you blush." And then she blushed.

Kiri grinned and pulled her into his arms and kissed her for several minutes in the middle of the path.

"Kiri," she protested when he showed no sign of resuming their progress.

"OK," he agreed and released her, except for an arm about her waist.

She leaned into him a little. "I want to thank you for those things too, you know. For being with me and everything."

"I love you," he said quietly into her ear.

"I love you too," she replied. And a moment later said, "I'm sorry I don't say it first very often."

Kiri squeezed her and said, "I don't care about that."

They rode the ferris wheel and watched the fireworks. And then they stopped watching the fireworks and kissed for awhile.

Hikaru asked, "How long do we have up here?"

Kiri replied regretfully, "Not long enough I think."

Hikaru stared at him for a moment and then blushed. "Not like that!" she protested. "I mean, anyone could see us."

Kiri laughed and groped her breasts. "I don't think anyone could see us with the fireworks," he said reassuringly.

She wriggled and grabbed his hands. "Kiri, don't," she protested.

"Sorry," he said contritely.

"It's OK," she replied quickly, "I like it, just not now please?"

"Yeah," he agreed, and hugged her.

She kissed him.

He asked after a moment, "Why did you want to know how long?"

"I just thought we've been going around longer than usual," she said a little breathlessly.

"Oh, yes, it's for the full fifteen minutes or so of the display," he replied and kissed her a little more.

Hikaru giggled.

"What?" Kiri murmured.

"If we had been doing that, that would have been long enough?" she suggested with embarrassment.

Kiri grinned and said, "Yes, if I'd pounced on you right away. But you don't even want me to fondle you." He sighed regretfully.

Hikaru wriggled with embarrassment. "Well, I don't really want to do it somewhere like this, but that's not why I asked you to stop touching me."

Kiri went still and asked uncertainly, "Why then?"

Hikaru hugged him reassuringly and almost whispered, "Because when you do that it makes me want you to do more."

He laughed. "Hikaru," he said helplessly.

When he didn't continue she kissed him. And then they kissed until they were forced to disembark.

"We missed a lot of the fireworks," she said as they made their way out of the park.

"Sorry," he replied.

"I'm not sorry," she returned.

"Oh?" he asked curiously.

"It was lovely," she said and leaned in to kiss him again.

"Yes," he agreed.