Minato chuckled when Mika said that she didn't do much.
"Yeah, I'm sorry there wasn't a whole lot for you to do at the job site. I did have her run some paperwork up to a foreman on the site."
Kushina gave him a questioning look that said, "You better have thought about our daughter's safety."
"I made sure she wore a hardhat, though," he quickly added.
Kushina's look softened and she nodded as if satisfied.
After they ate for a bit, both of her parents listened as she asked her question.
"Not while I was growing up, no," Minato replied, "although I feel like your mother has become my best friend."
"Thank you, honey," Kushina replied, "and I never really had that experience, either."
They shared a look, wondering if they should ask.
"Is this about Valerie?" Minato asked, knowing that was the only best friend she really had.
"You should keep in touch with her if you haven't," Kushina gently suggested.
Brandon chuckled as she said she didn't remember a whole lot about it.
"Well, fortunately, I remember the entire week it happened. I'll tell you about it, to jog your memory."
He kissed her cheek and began to remember.
Monday
Brandon was sitting in the band room tuning his trumpet, waiting for the practice to begin. His favorite instrument was the guitar, but since most performances of this type did not call for it, he also played the trumpet, and was pretty good at it too. When he looked up, he was surprised to see a girl he had never seen before come walking in and take a seat next to him. She was beautiful with a great chest, and Brandon was smitten right away. Before he could introduce himself, the practice began and he was forced to hold off on this. After the class, he tried to approach her outside the room, but was less than successful.
"Hey, there," he said, "you play really well."
"...Thanks," the woman replied, clearly not big on talking.
"So, I'm Brandon. What's your name?"
"I've gotta go. Just leave me alone, okay?"
Brandon watched her walk off, surprised by the cold reception. He would leave her alone for the rest of the day, but her playing hard-to-get just made him more determined to get to know her. Asking some friends from band, he found out that her locker was in the history hallway on the second floor, and filed that information away. For the whole rest of the day, he couldn't get that mysterious woman out of his head.
Tuesday
Brandon found Angel at her locker and tried to be friendly with her again. She was cold to him and walked off.
"Hey!" he called out, his friendly tone stopping her and making her look back at him.
"Can I at least get the name of the woman that's been running through my mind since yesterday?" he asked in his warmest, most sincere tone.
The woman blushed a little bit, clearly not used to guys saying such sweet things to her.
"Angel," she said, and then hurried on.
Wednesday
Finally having a name to go with the beautiful face, Brandon resolved to ask her out on a date.
"Hey, Angel, how about one date?"
"No," she said in a tone of voice like a door slamming shut.
Brandon watched her walk away and smiled deviously.
"I'm not giving up that easily. I'll see you tomorrow."
Thursday
Brandon made his second attempt to ask her out on a date.
"Come on, just one date. I promise you'll have fun."
'I have to get to class."
Brandon watched her walk off and sighed. This had been one hard fish to reel in.
Friday
Brandon made a third attempt to ask Angel out on a date.
"Please, just have one date with me. I'm not going to stop asking until you say yes."
Angel looked at him and saw he was serious, and so she sighed.
"Okay, fine, one date. But I better have fun or I'm kicking your ass."
Brandon wanted to jump up and down for joy, but he held it in until he got home. He talked about his date excitedly with Valerie, who helped give him advice on how to make the date with Angel great. She helped him pick out an outfit that would look nice for the date, and clued him in on subtle things girls did to send signals when they liked or wanted something. Brandon felt like he was ready for this date, and could hardly sleep the night before.
Saturday
Brandon took Angel on the date that evening, and did everything he could to make it fun. They saw a movie Angel had wanted to see, ate at a nice restaurant, and walked calmly in the park. They talked a lot, Angel sharing some of her past with him and letting him know why she was so hesitant to go out on the date. Brandon took her hand, and though she blushed brightly, she didn't pull away. It had been slow going, but the two had made a genuine connection. When Brandon dropped her off at home, she said she had had fun and kissed his cheek, being a bit of a tease.
Sunday
The two of them talked on the phone for hours. Brandon told her jokes and made her laugh, and the two set another date for the next weekend. Brandon's persistence had paid off, and eventually, the two became a couple. Angel could still be mysterious and a pain-in-the-butt, but he loved her very much and wouldn't trade her for anything.
Present Day
Brandon gently turned Angel around to look at him so that she was sitting in his lap.
"That was one heck of a crazy first week, huh?"
He gently pulled her closer to him and kissed her.
"I know you can do things by yourself, and if you want to do that, just let me know. I enjoy spending time with you, but I can give you space, too."
Brandon rested his forehead against Angel's, enjoying the closeness with her.