InvaSUn

18

[James]

"James.." Tillie tapped on his shoulder which caught his attention. He'd been guarding their bedroom door for a few days. Riley was still unconscious, and everyone was worried. He didn't want to admit it, but he was worried too.

Aiden was the one that was taking it hard. He tried his best to stop her and failed. He was sulky all the time which made James feel even worse. Something was definitely going on, with Riley and her abilities.

She was hallucinating and talking about some woman and a little girl from her dreams, and now he was thinking it was going too far. Riley was either going to get herself or others killed, so she had to be restrained. He wanted to suggest the idea to Lieutenant Williams, but the guilt was prompting him not to.

However, it wasn't exactly a bad idea. If he took Aiden home himself and left Riley here, she'd be safe. He didn't trust the Lieutenant or his soldiers at first, but Tillie's idea to keep the creatures away changed his mind. Riley would be safer here than on the road with them.

"I know this may not be the right time.." Tillie continued. "But would you maybe, like to go grab a meal? I've been learning some Taiwanese dishes and would love for you to try it."

"Really?" James blinked at her in surprise. "How did you get the ingredients?"

"My father is the Lieutenant. I requested it." Tillie giggled. James smiled at her. Maybe a meal wouldn't be so bad. He was already feeling a bit hungry. He hadn't eaten a good meal in a few weeks. Especially a Taiwanese one.

"Sure." James shrugged and nodded his head. Tillie was excited to hear. She was so happy that he accepted her invitation on a date.

"Alright! Let's go!"

"Okay." James gazed at the door one more time before following after her. "Aiden, make sure Riley stays in the room."

"Who made you the boss of me?" Aiden snapped.

"Just do it or else I'll blast your brains out." James threatened him and sent him one last glare before leaving with Tillie.

~

James was genuinely surprised at the look and taste of the food Tillie made. It wasn't like his fathers cooking, but the presentation and taste were still amazing. What really threw him for a whirl was the various dishes she cooked placed all on the table.

Scallion pancakes, braised pork rice, stinky tofu, were all there. He was enjoying trying those and the other dishes she made.

"So?" Tillie sat across from him and leaned forward, anxiously awaiting his answer. "How does it taste?"

"It's great." James cleared his throat and continued munching on his rice and pork. "You did an amazing job, seriously."

"That's good to hear." Tillie sighed, relieved that he enjoyed her cooking. She was a nervous wreck while preparing the dishes, fearing that Google was giving her some lame recipe that wasn't authentic enough.

Asking an actual Taiwanese person to try Taiwanese food you made wasn't exactly easy unless you were some top chef or something. But Tillie only knew the basics of home cooking.

But if James was telling her that her food was good, then she didn't have to worry. It just made her realize that she wasn't horrible at cooking. She grabbed her place and put some of the dishes on it.

Then she started eating, and the both of them continued in silence. Tillie surprised herself at how good the food tasted. James was right, it was delicious.

James finished eating and slid his plate to the side before grabbing his glass full of water and chugging it down. Then he placed the glass back on the surface and wiped his mouth. "Thanks for the meal."