aint that the truth

The older male nearly planted his face into his hands as his cheeks lit up with the burning and color of fire. Now he was just thankful for the subject change now that they were back onto the guessing game. “Sixteen?” Yata made a disapproving face but wasn’t all that angered. He sank back into his seat and folded his arms across his chest. It was still an acceptable answer, at least it was a lot better than some of the ones he’d heard.

"Sixteen."  Kaname repeated, as if to confirm, although that was mostly because he didn't know what else he should say.  His age was his age, he wasn't going to lie about it. 

He did seemed a pinch wearier than he had ever looked, whether from his postures or the clues on his physical appearance. Granted, they weren’t as bad as the florists at her flowershop workplace during holidays and sales. Days of intense work amid hot flower season could transform human florists into zombies fueled by energy drinks.

"That’s not a worry! Kaname has been working very hard, and Kobato has been doing my very best too!" Silly mirthfulness crept up at the end of the speech. Once the boy took her calling card, she took out her cellular phone in order to provide an unneeded proof. After the pink and blue device was revealed, she subsequently grasped it gently, as one would when treasuring an valued item. "Now if you want to find me, you can now definitely catch me at Belle Fleurs. This will be a job I keep, I’m sure of it! If not, we have a better way of keeping in touch now."

When she heard the line spending time with dad, the brightness in Kobato’s smile broadened and her eyes sparked alight, as if it had been the deliverance of good news herself instead of another teenager whom she had only met once. Though why wouldn’t she be glad, when a fortune thing happened to a kind individual? “That sounds wonderful! Kobato is really happy to hear how Kaname is spending more time with Kaname’s dad. Family is important! Are you also glad that he’s back?”

He almost laughed at the appearance of her phone.  It just seemed so Kobatoesque and he admired her ability to put hints of her personality into everything she had and everything she did.  She was a character where as Kaname was much more subdued.  "I'll definitely stop by."  He grinned, "It seems like the perfect job for you, I'm sure you're doing great."

The way she smiled at his mention of his father almost made his falter, she seemed so earnestly happy for him that he didn't dare mention otherwise.  The truth was that yes, he was glad his dad was back, but he was more annoyed that he always had to wait for the man to return than anything.  He had long since abandoned any expectations from the man but the way his sisters would light up, just like Kobato did just now, prevented him from doing or saying anything.  He feared hurting everyone around him, feared the aftermath and the consequences of his suppressed desires. 

"Alright.. I guess.. I’ll have one too." Even though it was decided upon he was still going to glare at Kaname when the time came so the other would order it for him. "Oh.. So that makes you.." He folded both his arms across his chest and closed one eye in thought. Hey, he knew that school! He’d attended it briefly before dropping out. 

"Sixteen."  Which suddenly felt incredibly young.  People tended to get his age wrong, guessing much younger.  He understood it though, his face never seemed to age past twelve, ironic since a lot of people commented on his internal age.  

Rather than caught stilled by the sound of her name, she was surprised he even remembered her at all. Sang des Bal and a seventeenth birthday passed like a whirlwind, and the days down the calendar had flown so quickly that they were now nearly halfway into May.

"Kaname!"

He felt himself relax and his grin widening to a welcoming one, the kind that he wore whenever he greeted a family member.  

"Good afternoon!" Kobato Hanato chimed to the fellow security guard performing his duties in the premise of the Pravian high school. Once descended down the corridors of the SOA gates, after delivering a basket full of fresh spring blossoms for the faculties, she was done for the day. One of the higher-up administrators was fond of having vases of fresh flowers, and had them delivered straight from Belle Fleur each week. Those were only the tip of the iceburg of the luxuries deep pockets could afford.

The school guard had eyed her suspiciously, at her lack of proper school uniform and the unsettling conclusion that she was old enough to work, but still young enough to blend in with the crowd of affluent students scattering out.

Kobato, not noticing any difference in the man’s demeanor or what it could entail, simply smiled as she would to anyone, and made her merry way off the school ground. St. Orwell’s Academy’s locale was certainly something, landing right across the less opulent Prava Secondary. The boundary was indicated only by a solitary treet, whereas on each respective sides, mingles of students flourished out, tuning to their own rhythms and minding others little.

Crossing to the middle, the pink-haired teenager stood unaccompanied, between the Pravaian secondaries who were eager to catch a spot on the afternoon train, and the expensive cars driven by chauffeurs and students alike for the academy students. If she looked like a lost little lamb in the middle of a crowded street, divided by the strip of land, it was because she really was one.

Alone in a crowd. What a paradox. 

To think, each and all of the students were around her age, and in another life, could have been classmates. She had a wonderful life her grandparents, who taught her the good lessons in life, but wandering about life down the road not taken was rather melancholy. Kobato gripped the handle of her now-empty basket, lowering her gaze and finding the hems of her floral spring dress duly more interesting than pondering about the ill-fitting daisies mismatched in a field of roses.

Transferring into Prava Secondary in his second year meant that everyone had already cliqued up and that even the nice ones didn't really want anything to do with him.  The students at the Academy who were still friends with him just weren't as close since they no longer shared classes and jokes that he could understand and Kaname, despite his ability to navigate through any form of social interaction, just never felt comfortable with either schools.

There were exceptions of course, but he never felt close to anyone, and he had a funny feeling he never would.  That wasn't anyone's fault though and he knew it had nothing to do with transferring or with schools, he pretended it did, but he knew better.  That was all him.  

Kaname walked out alone, his backpack slung around his shoulder, waving goodbye to a few of his friends as they went their separate ways.  

And then he saw her, someone familiar, although he wasn't completely sure it was her.  Despite spending all that time together, her mask had hidden away her face for most of it and the glow of the fireworks were the only light that allowed him to see her when they finally took them off.

"I was just passing by and I took it because…well why not?"

Yata ceased drumming his knuckles to the table long enough to slap his open palm to his face. “Are you.. serious? Did you even read what it was for when you took it?” Kaname had mentioned he forgot what kind of cafe it was, but still. It was more of a rhetorical question anyway.

"So.. What are you getting..?" Er, what was his name again? Had he even gotten it? Kind of awkward to be dining out with someone when you didn’t even know their name. "I’m Yata." Had he mentioned his name yet? Well, whatever. He stared at Kaname for a while as he studied him. He looked young but appearances could be deceiving. Yata was nearing twenty and he still looked like a middle school student, unfortunately.

"Erm..."  He started, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly, "No, but he did say the name of the cafe- I just wasn't really paying attention?"  And nowhere on the coupon did it mention maids.  

"I'm Kaname."  He smiled, before dropping his gaze back down towards the menu briefly, "I'm probably going to get one of the sandwiches."  

He looked back up after folding the menu up and putting it aside, noticing the way Yata was staring at him.  His companion seemed to be sizing him up but Kaname didn't mind, he had done the same when they had first met and he was looking for someone to accompany him.  He seemed nice enough, and that was why Kaname asked him along.  

"At least put a steak or somethin’ in here.." He mumbled to himself as he stared at the cakes and parfaits that littered most of the pages. He finally closed the menu and laid it flat on the table as he put his face in his hands. God, he was so nervous. Why was he even here?

But the meal was free so he wasn't exactly complaining.  He'd heard that the food was actually pretty good here and that the deserts were even better.  Flipping through the menu, he began to think that maybe this outing wouldn't be bad at all.  He was already starting to feel comfortable -so long as he ignored the way the maids addressed him.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and inhaled deeply through his nose in mental preparation. He could do it too! “O-O-Oh… S….. So……. Soda…………….” Well, that could have gone a lot more gracefully but at least he did it and that’s all that mattered, even if he was sweating and trembling profusely as well as still hiding behind the menu..

"I-Italian soda!!" He still hadn’t really confirmed if they had it on the menu. His eyes read over it but anything he could read was quickly forgotten about. 

"As you wish, Masters!" The maid chimed in cheerfully and promised to return once they’d made a decision on what to eat. Once the maid was out of the way, Yata slammed his menu down to once more throw another death glare at Kaname. It wasn’t even the uniform they wore that was throwing him off but he couldn’t just admit he sucked horribly when it came to interacting with women! He had his pride!

God, his sisters would never let him hear the end of it if they found out he had been here. 

"I have no idea what you like to eat."  Kaname told him, shaking his head, they had just met after all - that probably didn't help the awkward in this situation.  If he had come with one of his friends, they could probably manage to brush off all the weird he was feeling.  "But if you tell me, I'll do all the talking okay?"

{ ☆ } “Maybe there’s a co-op game somewhere deeper inside?”  Enma responded with a slight shrug. They had only been at the entrance mainly, and two games in five minutes?  Then again, they both proved horrible at Pac-Man, so that was a nice excuse.  

Picking up the red colored puck that had dropped below in the tray on his side, he placed the plastic item onto the surface of the white table, watching it move for a bit before tapping it with his own handle thing…What did they even call these things?  

Though he had done it harder then he thought, since it hit the Kaname’s side and flew right back his own.  Blinking, he watched as it entered his own goal and paused before letting out a small laugh.  Well, first point to Kaname, and he didn’t even do anything.

"Although, at some point in time, I do want to race you on one of those driving games"

The skater lowered the menu down just enough so he could shoot a glare at Kaname. “No way! I don’t trust you!” What would happen the next time they went somewhere? Would a coupon lead them to another fetish cafe? Not that he was thinking Kaname was into that thing.. He looked like the extremely innocent sort. The kind that incited over protectiveness and fondness from practically anyone and Yata would be lying if he said that wasn’t actually a factor for agreeing to go along with him in the first place.

"It’s the harmless ones you gotta watch out for…." He muttered to himself in a melancholic tone. "Y-You.. You order for me..!" Even though he’d been hiding behind the menu he actually hadn’t read or looked at anything. His vision was blinded by pink and flower motifs. Yata ducked behind the menu once more as soon as a NEW maid approached and asked what her "masters" would like to order. 

"Just...order something.  It's fine.  It's just like any other restaurant.  Just think of it as their uniform.  Don't worry about anything else."  

Yeah, that would help, and with that, Kaname looked up and smiled at the maid, almost looking completely calm if not for the slight blush on his cheeks.  "I think we'll need a little more time."  He told her, glancing over at his companion to make sure he hadn't died or done something to call attention to their discomfort.  "But if you can start me off with tea, that'd be great,"  He looked over at the skater, "How about you?  Water or a soda?"