Chapter 17: Death Flags and Gate Guardians.

I follow Jess to her car which was parked behind the family’s restaurant.

Robert: “Jess, I know we are in a hurry, but can we get me a cup of coffee first? Little sleep, our morning exercises and underwriting your lease this morning took a lot more out of me that I expected.” I ask wearily.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee coming from the restaurant causes the previously pushed aside mental and physical exhaustion to come crashing onto my consciousness.

‘Ha… I’m going to need to build up my endurance if I want to keep up with Jess in more ways than one…’

O: ‘If you can joke around in this situation you are probably fine.’

‘Of course I’m fine, I’m just a little tired…’

Jess: “Robert? Are you alright?” Jess catches me as I tip forward when most of my strength left my body.

Robert: “Right as rain. I just need a cup of coffee with 7 sugars and 3 creams and I’ll be as good as new.”

Jess: “This is no time to be making jokes!” Jess exclaims in exasperation, she starts “helping” me get to her car.

Robert: “Zash… I leave getting the coffee to you.” I say weakly.

Zash: “Hai!” Zash jumps off my shoulder and runs off. By the time Jess had dragged my limp body halfway to her car, Zash had returned with coffee in hand.

I let the briefcase in my hand slip from my grasp as I weakly reach for the coffee. It took a few tries but I finally managed to grasp and raise the coffee to my lips to take a sip. As the coffee flows down my throat I feel some strength return to my body and the cup stops shaking.

Robert: “Thank you Zash.” I say softly, the mental exhaustion was still present, but it was no longer trying to smother my consciousness. I take another gulp and with the strength it gives me, mange to stand on my own two feet again.

Jess: “Are you sure you should be standing right now?” Worry tainted Jess’s lovely voice.

Robert: “I’m perfectly fine…” I sway a bit, which causes Jess to wrap her hands around my waist to support me. I knock back the rest of the coffee Zash had brought me and I feel the exhaustion, both mental and physical retreat to the edges of my awareness again.

Zash: “Papa, you okay now?” Zash asks as he tugs at my sleeve.

I blink twice and then remember Zash calls me “Papa” when there are other people present.

Robert: “Ah yeah, I’m okay now.” I blink a few more times to clear my vision when I finally realize what position Jess was in. Supporting me from behind, her arms were wrapped around my waist and she was pressing her ample female charms into my back and her forehead was resting on the nape of my neck.

I had never noticed the height difference before because I’m usually the one sitting, and she is the one standing, but for some reason I’m glad that our heights weren’t so different. I wonder why?

I remained silent enjoying her touch waiting for her to speak. I don’t know why but it feels like if I said something right now, I’ll never hear what she was going to say. Zash remained silent as well.

‘I’m so glad I taught him how to read the atmosphere.’

After a while Jess begins to speak.

Jess: “When you suddenly collapsed, I don’t know why but for some reason I was sacred that you might just disappear on me. I’ve only known you for at most two days, yet you have already given back to me so many things that I had once thought were gone forever. I don’t know when it was in these last two days, but you managed to worm your way into my heart. So take responsibility and don’t go anywhere, please?”

Robert: “I’m not planning on going anywhere Jess. I will continue being right by your side until you or death decide we shalt part.”

Jess: “Promise?”

Robert: “I promise.” I grip her hands with mine and squeeze them tightly.

‘I guess I should by a ring for Jess with my ill-gotten gains.’

Jess: Maybe we should postpone the trip to ZMI because I don’t want you collapsing again.” Worry still tainting her beautiful voice.

Robert: “Normally, I would agree with you but if I don’t go shopping now, Zash and I won’t have any food for the rest of the day. Also I don’t want our first date as a couple to end like this. As long as I get a little rest on the way there and have more coffee I should be alright.” I turn around in her arms and embrace her.

Jess: “You are not just saying that to ease my mind right?” She says into my chest.

Robert: “I’m sure. After all, I can’t be lying down on the job. Once we finish shopping, I still need to show you and Alice-san the available apartments.”

Jess: “I will believe you for now, but once everything is said and done you are going to sleep.” She says while looking up at me.

Robert: “Yes Mother.” I smile down at her.

Jess: “I’m not old enough to be your mother!” She exclaims while giving me her best glare. Unfortunately for her it just makes her look more endearing to me.

Robert: “I know, at most there is only an eight year gap between our ages.” My smile never left my face.

Jess: “I would like to know like to know how you figured that, but it is possibly a lengthy one and I don’t want you exerting yourself for something pointless, so I won’t ask. Let us get you into my car so you can relax while I go get you an extra-large coffee before we leave alright?” Seeing as her glare wasn’t working she gave up trying.

Robert: “12 sugars and 5 cream please, stirred clockwise 3 times then counter clockwise seven times.”

Jess: “Alright, I’ll make sure to prepare it myself to those exact specifications so let us get moving.” She says still looking up at me.

Robert: “Jess. You need to let go before I can move.” She still had her arms wrapped around her waist locking me beside her.

Jess: “Oh right.” She reluctantly lets go of my waist and steps back a step. Her face was turning bright red from embarrassment, but she looked lovely nonetheless.

I follow the still embarrassed Jess to her car and got myself situated in the passenger seat while Jess went to get my extra-large coffee.

Robert: “Zash wake me up when we get there.”

Zash: “Hai~” I hear Zash call out from the back seat. Satisfied I would be woken up, I close my eyes and let the mental and physical exhaustion overwhelm me.

* * *

Zash: “Papa, we’re here.” I hear Zash’s voice in my ear.

Jessica: “Get up sleepyhead, we still have the shopping to do.”

‘Ah that’s right. We are at ZMI to purchase groceries for the house, might as well do an inspection while I’m onsite.’

Robert: “You must be a very skilled driver Jess, I didn’t even wake up.” I say as I open both my eyes.

‘I can see out of both of them so I must be wearing my contact lens.’

Jessica: “How could you know? You were asleep.”

Robert: “I’m a very light sleeper, if you were a bad driver, I would have woken right up.” I grab the coffee that Jessica especially prepared for me and took a sip.

‘The perfect blend of sugar, cream, and coffee and stirred just the right way to blend all the flavors. Although there is a slight imperfection with the way the particular bean was brewed. If it was brewed with about a centigrade less heat it would have reached a completely new level of taste, oh well.’

Jessica: “You are just saying that to make me feel good about myself aren’t you?” Jess says as she prepares to exit her car.

Robert: “Perhaps, but it is true that I am a light sleeper. Come on let’s go, I’m sure your dying to experience ZMI for yourself first hand.” I unbuckle myself and get out of the car. Before I close the door, I let Zash run up my arm and stand on my shoulder. He crouches down and whispers into my ear.

Zash: “Onii-san?”

Robert: “Yes, I understand~” I whisper back.

Zash: “Kay~” Zash says in his normal voice as he sits down on my shoulder.

Jessica: “What are you two whispering about over there?” Jess asks as she gets out of her car.

Robert: “Zash was just telling me what he wanted to eat when we got home. So I must buy those in addition to our original shopping trip. Right Zash?”

Zash: "Hai~"

Jessica: “I see…”

Robert: “But first and foremost, it is my duty, nay my privilege to escort you around the premises and make sure that our first date is memorable.”

Jessica: “Robert, are you sure you’re okay? You are acting stranger than usual…”

Robert: “To be frightfully honest with you, I’m not okay…” I say sorrowfully.

Jessica: “I knew it! Let’s go back home so that you can get some…” Before she could finish her statement, I interrupt her.

Robert: “As for what is not okay, I am practically a bundle of nerves right now. I have never dated a girl before, much less a beauty such as yourself. So I am afraid that I will just cause one disaster after another which will eventually make you come to hate me and in turn leave me. I don’t want our relationship to end the day it began.” I let my voice shake as if it was infused with nervous energy.

As she was speaking, Jessica had come around the car to try and shepherd me back inside her car when my comment caught her off guard. Her cheeks were dyed red as she puff them up in anger.

‘I can see now why I think she is cute even when she is mad.’

She tries to slap me out of embarrassment/anger for playing around with her feelings while she was worried about my wellbeing, but I intercept her hand midair, bring it to my mouth and give it a light kiss, before letting our hands fall together fingers entwined, all before she realized what happened.

Jessica: “What did you just do?” She stuttered in amazement. A question was left unsaid but I took a stab at it regardless.

Robert: “In my youth, I did some training in regards to hand-eye-coordination, and speed and this is the result. But because of disuse, I can now only maintain it for a few seconds at most. It is great for parlor tricks though. Also the reason I didn’t use such speeds last night or this morning is three-fold. First, I wanted to enjoy my first time with you, second as I said before, I am unable to maintain those speeds for long periods of time, and finally but most importantly, I didn’t want to risk breaking the body of the one I hold close to my heart.” I as I was talking I pull Jessica closer to me and by the end I was whispering in her hear. “Unless of course, you want to be broken by me?”

Jessica: “Jezz Robert. I didn’t ask you that.” She says as she pushes away from me, but she left our hands connected. In case anyone was wondering, I placed my coffee on the roof of Jessica’s car way in advance so that I could have both hands free when this happened.

Robert: “Shall we go?” I ask her looking straight into her eyes. She was the first to look away. She hadn’t answered my previous question but I wasn’t particularly looking for an answer.

Jessica: “Yes, let’s go.” Her face was still slightly red, but she seems to have gotten her emotions back under her control.

Using my free hand I swipe my coffee off Jessica’s car roof, and take another sip, before leading Jessica to the entrance.

At the entrance there was two guards, one standing on each side.

Guard 1: “ID please, sir.”

Robert: “Of course, Zash hold this.” I hand Zash my coffee and use my now free hand to remove my wallet. I hand Zash and my ID cards to the guard and he scans them with his machine. Once he had verified our identities, he hands them back to me.

Guard 1: “Ah, welcome back, sir.” He says as I put the cards back into my wallet and put it away.

Robert: “Thank you Alex. Your name is Alex right?”

Alex: “It is, but I’m surprised you remembered.”

Robert: “Of course I remember you, you’ve grown a lot over the last five years haven’t you?” Jessica clears her throat to get my attention.

Jessica: *Ahem*

Robert: “Ah yes, this is my girlfriend Jessica. It is her first time here, so does she need a card as well? Or can she come in under my card?”

Alex: “She needs to get her own ID card before we can let her enter the premise, company policy I’m afraid.”

Robert: “Has there been any changes in the card making process, since I was last here?”

Alex: “There has been, but I’ afraid, I cannot divulge that information, also company policy.”

Robert: “It is quite alright. What do we have to do to get Jessica a card of her own?” I ask politely.

Alex: “That is quite simple, Greg here can help you out.”

Robert: “Ah Gregory, how’s the wife and children?” I ask the second guard whose name was Gregory.

Gregory: “The missus is as beautiful as ever, and the kids are at a rebellious age, but they are growing well. Thanks to this high paying job that I have here, I am able to spend more time with them yet still support my entire faimly.”

Jessica: “If you don’t mind me asking, how much do you get paid an hour?” Jessica probably was wondering what he considered a “high paying” job.

Gregory: “I wouldn’t mind telling a pretty lass such as yourself, not as pretty as my wife but pretty nonetheless. Robert is a lucky man to have you by his side.”

Jessica: “Thank you, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

Gregory: “And a smart one to boot! Robert, this one is definitely a keeper!”

Robert: “I know, but Gregory, please stop evading her questions we need to get a move on, and I’m afraid a line might start forming soon.”

Gregory: “Alright. Alright, I’ve had my fun. I get paid 30 dollars an hour, including paid vacation, sick leave, as well as medical and dental.” Gregory smiles showing us his pearly whites.

Jessica: “Wow. That’s quite a lot.” Astonishment was apparent in her voice.

Gregory: “Maybe, but the President of ZMI thinks of all his employees as family and wants all of us to have fulfilling lives. I don’t even need to work overtime.”

Jessica: “You don’t need to work overtime?” Jessica asks incredulously.

Gregory: “Nope, by the time my shift is over, my replacement is already there ready to take my place. That means I can spend more time with my family.”

Robert: “I’ll hate to interrupt, but can you please help Jessica get her own ID so that we can enter already? I ask him. Slight irritation could be heard in my voice. Even though my acting skills are somewhat rusty, I can still feign human emotions like the pros.

‘Any normal person would feel irritation at unexpected delays right? Or is my view of the human experience flawed to begin with?’

Gregory: “Ah sorry about that. Step this way madam, and put your right hand on the glass panel, just like that, and now look forward at the screen and smile… Thank you very much. Your card will be completed soon.” Gregory instructs Jessica on how to use the terminal that was behind him.

Jessica: “Is that it?” Jessica asks in puzzlement.

Gregory: “Yes that is it. Right now the President’s specially constructed machine is imprinting your bios into a card for that ZMI uses for a lot of things.”

*Beep*

Gregory: “Ah it’s done. Here you are.” Gregory removes the card from the output slot in the terminal and hands it to Jessica.

Jessica: “Wow, this is amazing, it feels like it is a part of me…” Jessica says staring at the card in wonder.

Gregory: “On the back is a list of functions that card is capable of doing, and they can be toggled on or off by pressing your index finger on name of the function. All functions save for allowing entry into ZMI is disabled initially for our customers’ peace of mind. We at ZMI have a policy to give our customers only what they ask for, nothing more and nothing less. Normally I would take the time to explain each function in detail to you, but as your loving boyfriend is a regular with us, I will let him explain it to you so you don’t have to waste the day listening to an old man like me.”

Robert: “Thank you Gregory.” I say giving him a half bow.

Gregory: “Just doing my job.” He waves off my thanks.

Alex: “Madam, may I see your newly minted ID card please? Thank you.” Alex says as he receives Jessica’s ZMI ID card and runs his scanner over it.

*Beep*

Alex: “Here you are everything is clear and you have been successfully entered into our system. Welcome to ZMI, where people come to shop, but they leave with so much more.”

Don’t complain to me that my story is “slow paced”, I let the majority decide and they liked what I was doing so I’m continuing that pace. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If you don’t like it, then did you post if you wanted it to move faster or not? No? Then you lost all rights to bitch, have a good day sir/madam. Yes? Then I apologize that your opinion wasn’t in the majority, however you do have the right to continue bitching because you at least tried to make your opinions heard.

Despite popular belief, this is NOT a harem fanfic. Even though it may seem so at times. Or maybe it will become one if I ever decide to let it go to the majority vote, but until then It will remain a Non-harem fanfic. Finally I will announce that all future chapters will have names in front of their dialog even if it is a generic one because they have yet to give their names.

Thank you for continuing reading, and if you can convince people you know to try to read this story as well thank you, as a newbie author I require more feedback if I want to make this story even better.

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