When Hazel said the word boyfriend, Rex blushed and glanced away. “Yeah…I can understand that,” he said with a giddy smile. As she mentioned that she was starving, Rex merely grinned. “Then let’s get going!” He was excited, and it showed far too much. As they sat down in the little sit in that he had chosen, he merely waited for Hazel to pick something she liked off the menu.

“Oh, we can definitely do that!” he said as Hazel asked if she could try different things. “I can eat just about anything off of this menu, so feel free! And since Simon…Mom is paying, I don’t mind if we get a few things to go too.” He recommended a few things off of the menu, and Hazel started to order.

As Hazel mentioned Hana and Jet, Rex merely wrinkled his nose. “To be honest, it never really occurred to me to ask. We kind of just got wrapped up in everything that was going on, and…well, honestly I’m used to a bunch of people just wandering into the house who I barely know. We have Benin officials, Lady Angela, and a bunch of others who pretty much know my parents…”

Rex looked away though, when she started to talk about Jet and Hana. There was still a little sore spot for Jet in particular. He wasn’t sure how Hazel saw him, and it made Rex a bit uncomfortable. This whole ‘caring about one person’ thing was completely new, and it wasn’t sure how fragile it was. When she said that she wasn’t interested, though, Rex turned back with a half smile. “So you’re not secretly using me to get Jet jealous?” he said half jokingly. “That’s good to know.”

When she said they should come back more often, Rex blushed. “Really? My parents are…a lot. They were pretty tame today. And…hell, my siblings can be a terror. Everett and Alshaya in particular.” They were good kids, but they could be a lot. “And then there’s Mira…” He started to talk about Fiori when a few of the local boys came by, bringing up his now ex-man whore ways.

“Well…you’re getting rather good at this,” Rex said as she started to answer all the questions, even a few before they were even asked. When she mentioned Sularia though, her entire mood changed.

“However it goes, Hazel, I’ll be right beside you for it.” He reached out across the table and took her hands. “Hazel…you’re important to me. I won’t let her hurt you…I promise.”