Chapter Text
Tori surveyed the diner she had entered. A lifetime ago she had worked this very diner as a waitress. The décor hadn’t changed much, still the same linoleum floors, still the same plastic chairs and tables, still the same stark pink and white aesthetic. She didn’t recognize any of the staff, but she hadn’t really expected to. How long had she worked this dinner? She didn’t even remember.
Ezra nudged her side. “What’s wrong?”
She turned to look at the man beside her. His lips, she knew, were soft and usually tugging with a smile. Brown curls were falling in disarray on his face. A scar run from his left temple to his cheek, cutting across his eye, rendering it blind. His other eye was brown and full of affection. But at that moment he was frowning.
Oh, right. She had forgotten to answer.
“Sorry,” Tori shook her head. “I used to work here… You know, before.”
Ezra’s expression softened, and he leaned over to kiss her. “You should have said. We could have met somewhere else.”
Tori looked at him sheepishly. “Would you believe me if I said I had forgotten until we got here?”
The wonderful smile at the corner of his lips returned. “Yes, I would actually. Would you be okay?”
Tori nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go in. Are the others here yet?”
The couple stopped lingering at the entrance and braved the inside. They spotted Aaron and Sabrina immediately. The other couple was sitting at a large booth in the corner.
Ezra and Tori didn’t hesitate to join them.
“Tori!” Sabrina was out of her seat and enveloped her friend in a hug the moment she saw her. “I missed you so much!”
Aaron had risen as well and he and Ezra exchanged more manly slaps on the back, with the two women rolling their eyes. After Tori hugged Aaron and Sabrina hugged Ezra, they settled back into the booth.
“How was your trip?” Tori asked.
“It was great,” Sabrina’s eyes sparkled as she answered. She threw Aaron a look under her lashes and he smiled back.
Tori arched an eyebrow, but Sabrina shook her head. “I’ll tell you later. But it was really great, I even got a tan – look!” she extended her hand to show her skin had turned slightly darker than usual.
“Did you get to –“ Tori started to ask, but she was interrupted by the arrival of a third couple, Kai and Izzah.
Another round of greetings and hugs latter, the six friends settled down. Now that their group was complete, they ordered food and grilled Aaron and Sabrina on their vacation.
After they were all caught up and their food finished, Tori considered her friends. She stirred her milkshake absentmindedly and studied Kai and Izzah. Was it just her or were they sitting a little closer than usual? And were there some ‘secret’ glances exchanged between them?
Aaron cleared his throat. Tori glanced at him and saw him smirking at her. She was busted, but wasn’t he curious as well?
“So,” Aaron said slowly, bringing the previous conversation to a close. “Are you going to torture us for much longer?” He looked at Kai and Izzah with a smirk.
“Yes,” Ezra added from Tori’s side. “I think Tori’s gonna combust from curiosity, and I’d like to keep her around a little while longer, if you don’t mind.”
Izzah looked uncharacteristically demure. She smiled at Kai and nodded.
Kai cleared his throat, then brought his hands to rest on the table top, laced with Izzah’s. He looked at their hands, then lifted his gaze to look at Ezra and then Aaron. “I never had any dreams,” he said eventually.
Aaron, Ezra, Sabrina and Tori looked at him, shocked. It was absolutely not the direction they thought this conversation was going.
Kai gave their expressions a tight smile. “The only thing I ever wanted was freedom, mainly from my family.” He shrugged. “I have that now, and… It made me a little lost. I mean,” he sighed and looked at Izzah, who gave him an encouraging smile and nod. “I have freedom from the family, I have Izzah. What now?” Kai looked at his friends. “It’s not your fault, and don’t dare blame it on yourselves, but I feel a little in your shadow.”
“Kai,” Aaron started, but Kai shook his head cutting him off.
“Let me finish. I had some time to think about it, and Izzah helped, but I – we have a direction, an idea. And we wanted to share it with you.”
“Of course,” Ezra said. Sabrina, Tori, and Aaron nodded.
“We’re here for you, you know this,” Aaron said.
“I know,” Kai answered, he took a deep breath and continued. “There was an ancient city discovered in Egypt. The Alexandria guild is looking for volunteers to form an expedition.”
The four friends looked at them in shock.
“You’re leaving?” Aaron asked.
“Not yet,” Izzah said. “The deadline for application is this month. But we want to.”
“That’s amazing,” Sabrina said. Tori nodded.
“You’re not mad?” Kai asked.
“Of course not,” Aaron answered, shaking away his surprise. “We’ll never hold you back.”
“Besides,” Ezra grinned. “Now we’ll have an excuse to visit Egypt.”
The six of them laughed, the atmosphere around the table lightened considerably.
“There’s more,” Izzah said, giving Kai a look under her lashes.
Tori arched an eyebrow at them.
Kai smiled sheepishly. “Yes. We wanted to apply together, so we’re applying as a married couple.”
This revelation was met with complete silence from the other two couples.
Tori looked at Sabrina and Aaron, exchanging glances, then turned to look at Ezra with the light dancing in his mismatched eyes and burst into laughter.
Kai and Aaron frowned at her. Izzah arched an eyebrow and Sabrina looked quizzical.
“You three are absolutely ridiculous!” Tori managed through fits of laughter.
Ezra watched Tori, then turned to follow her gaze to fall on Aaron and Sabrina and started laughing himself.
“What is so funny?” Sabrina demanded. Kai and Izzah looked suspiciously at Tori.
Tori pointed at Sabrina. “When did Aaron propose to you?” she managed, still giggling. Sabrina’s eyes grew as large as saucers. “Because Ezra asked me to marry him last weekend.”
“Wahai tuhan,” Izzah whispered.
After a second, all six of them lost it and were laughing uncontrollably.
Eventually, they managed to calm down and Sabrina finally answered. “In Hawaii. Aaron proposed on our last night there.”
Izzah shook her head. “I cannot believe that you three decided to get married together.”
“It’s not like we discussed it,” Kai tried to defend himself. “They didn’t even know what we had to tell them.”
“Wait, what did you say?” Aaron asked, ignoring Kai, pointing at Izzah.
Izzah furrowed her brow. “That you decided to get married together?”
“Yes, that,” Aaron surveyed his friends. “That’s actually a great idea. What do you think?”
“Get married together?” Tori echoed, a little dazed by the suggestion.
Izzah looked at Kai, then shrugged one shoulder. “I already knew you come with two brothers-in-law, this way I get two sisters-in-law as well.”
“The six of us in one wedding?” Sabrina asked, surveying her friends, a small smile of her lips.
“I like it,” Ezra said with a smile. He was met with five matching grins.