Every time you make a move

Aisuruhito yo

Narisawa restaurant, Tokyo

"Alright, you can go look at the fishes, but be quick. Phoebe will be down to get us soon" Monica anxiously looked at her watch as her two small children ran to the aquarium tank across the quaint reception.

6:58pm.

She was not ready to face Freddie after her tense departure that morning, but she still wanted it over with.

"There you are." A familiar voice sounded.

She lifted her head, "Phoebe!"

"We're upstairs and we ordered appetisers... where are the tykes?"

She pointed to Johnny and Roshni standing with their faces pressed against the glass.

"I see... time to eat you two" he called, and they ran over.

"Now remember, you both must behave when you're in here," she told them firmly as she took their hands. "So, how was his majesty?"

"Moody all day," Phoebe led her upstairs. "But he's better than he was... rehearsals went fine"

"Good..." she trailed off when she saw him and Misa in view, sitting at a low table closed off by shōdjis.

"Where are the chairs?" Johnny asked, only to be shushed by his mother who was trying not to stare daddy in the eye.

"Shoes off... you two go on this side" Phoebe instructed them, pointing to the blank side of the table.

"But of course I have to sit next to Freddie" Monica thought, forcing a smile and kissing Misa's cheek as she greeted her before lowering herself down next to the man himself, whose stare she could now feel boring on her.

He cautiously leaned towards her once she got settled as the twins gushed to Phoebe about how amazing Disneyland was, and she stiffened when she felt his presence invading her personal space.

"So... how was Disneyland?" A melodic voice sounded in her ear.

"Good. They didn't want to leave it though," she murmured out of politeness, but her nervousness made her ramble on, "Even though it was much smaller than the one in Los Angeles... we got around it in a few hours because they were too short for many of the rides."

"Mmph... I see. Then what?"

"I walked them through the Harajuku district... but it was such an assault to the senses that they got so overwhelmed so then we got a taxi here."

She hated how, even when she was mad at him, she was still able to talk ever so freely.

"...Perhaps something a bit more zen tomorrow, then." He finally said.

She laid her napkin on her lap, "Whatever zen even is with those two in the equation, right?"

He let out a giggle, only to find that she was being sarcastic when she didn't laugh back, staring blankly across the table as she watched Misa try to teach the little ones and Phoebe how to use chopsticks.

"Look, I did it!" Johnny jumped up and down with a dumpling stuck on one of his sticks, to which Phoebe lowered his arm gently and whispered, "You don't do that here, that's rude."

"It's bad manners in Japan to play with your chopsticks, sweetie. You hold them like so, the way Misa is showing you" Monica adjusted hers between her thumb and finger as Freddie blushed.

"Eeeeeughhhhh, mummy?! It burns!" Roshni's face scrunched, burning beetroot red.

"What burns?" Monica got off her knees in concern.