Rey was never much one for restaurants. He hated people staring at him, and somehow he just drew attention wherever he went. He'd learned to get over it and ignore them though. He was currently sitting down in one of those said restaurants at the moment. Fortunately, it wasn't much of a formal one. Just a sit-down breakfast place near the port where they'd landed.
He'd already caught sight of one of the waitresses looking at him with adoration. He closed his eyes and sighed as he rubbed his temples. He just wanted some decent, non-military issue food. Was it really his fault that he was as good looking as he was? He opened his eyes to see the girl walking toward him, prepared to take his order.
"Hello there. I'm Dessa, your waitress for the morning. Could I get you anything?" she asked him, doing surprisingly well at keeping her voice business despite her slight blush.
Rey looked up at her, "Actually I'm waiting for someone..."
"Oh, your girlfriend?" she asked him. It was obvious that she wanted to know if she had some sort of chance with him. Rey almost sighed outright. He could tell her the truth... But that would mean she'd probably take that as a sign that he was single.
So instead, Rey just gave her (what he hoped looked like) a nervous smile, "...I guess you could say that."
The waitress concealed her distraught well as she smiled at him, "Would you like anything while you wait? A drink maybe?"
Rey was in the middle of politely declining her offer when another customer came through the door. Rey left his sentence hanging unfinished as he recognized the brunet, who in turn noticed him at the same time. The red-eyed boy bounded over to his table with an apologetic smile, "Sorry, Rey!"
"You're late." Rey told him plainly. Meanwhile, the waitress seemed to drawing the intended conclusions from his earlier statement.
Shinn smiled sheepishly as he sat down across from Rey, pushing some of his hair behind his ear, "I got held up on the ship."
Rey frowned, giving him that gaze that stared right through him, "...You just went back to sleep after I woke you up, didn't you?"
Shinn laughed nervously, before stopping abruptly from Rey's look. He looked down a bit, "Well, that, too. Athrun wanted to talk to me about something."
Rey nodded, before realizing that the waitress had been standing there with somewhat wide eyes and a bit of pink across her cheeks. He turned to talk to her, "I'll order now, then." She pulled out her notepad and pencil. "I'll have an ham and cheese omelet," he told her, "And a medium coffee. Black."
As she wrote down his order, Shinn pulled the menu from Rey's side of the table over to him. He started to flip through it, "Uhhm... I think I'll get..." he continued to stare intently at the page he was on, before flipping to the next and doing the same. Rey sighed and pulled the menu from Shinn's hands, ignoring his objection of "Hey, I was looking at that!"
Rey gave it to the waitress. "He'll have four bagels. Two cinnamon and brown sugar ones, toasted, and two normal ones that aren't. Also, could you get some regular cream cheese, strawberry cream cheese and syrup? Thank you. Oh, and a french vanilla cappuccino with cocoa powder," he said. Shinn's look of mild outrage from having his menu stolen turned into one of disbelief.
The waitress nodded and started to write it all down after she didn't hear any problems from the brunet. She repeated their order back to them correctly and smiled, "Your meal should be ready in ten minutes or less!" she announced before leaving.
Shinn looked at Rey finally, "Oiii, what was that about?" he asked. It was odd seeing the blond boy in casual clothes. He normally only wore the ZAFT uniform, even on his days off, since he usually never left.
Rey looked at him, "Every time you go to get breakfast you look at the menu for at least 20 minutes. And then, after that, you get the same exact thing.Every single time"
Shinn frowned, and blinked slowly, "...do I really?"
Rey almost fell over, but instead nodded slowly, "Yes."
"But... this is the first time we've been out to eat, isn't it?" Shinn asked, with a tilt of his head.
"Luna rants about it like you wouldn't believe," Rey informed him, "And so do the others." As Shinn frowned, Rey raised his eyebrow, "How do you not notice it when you order the same thing every time?"
Shinn glared at him lightly, "Oooh, be quiet." In a moment the waitress returned food in tow, she set down their dishes and coffees. Shinn looked a bit surprised, "Wow... that was quick." Rey had a feeling it was because he was there, but whatever.
She smiled at them, "We try. Is there anything else you two would like?" They shook their heads, the waitress bowed. "If you need anything at all, just call," she said as she left to service another table.
Shinn watched her as she left. He turned to face Rey, "Dude, that chick totally likes you." Rey grimaced a bit. "What? She isn't that bad looking or anything," he said, trying to find out the reason for Rey's dismay.
"It happens everywhere I go. If I dated every girl who liked me, I'd have some kind of harem," Rey told him. Shinn laughed a bit as he started to spread the cream cheese on one of his bagels.
"Wow, Rey. Here you are displeased with the fact that girls are falling for you left and right. Any guy would kill to have that happen," he said. "Unless..." He took a thoughtful bite out of the bagel, somehow failing to come to the most obvious conclusion, "there's someone that you like?"
Rey stayed silent as he sliced a piece out of his omelet and ate it gracefully. He took a sip of his coffee and Shinn smirked. "You DO like someone!" he insisted.
Rey continued eating more of his omelet, before he sighed, "I guess..." he said finally.
"Who? Tell meee!" Shinn pried, excitedly.
Rey rolled his eyes at him, "Nobody important. Now shut up and eat your food so we can go somewhere."
Shinn frowned at the response to his question before getting the other half of Rey's sentence. "Where are we going?" he asked.
Rey sighed exasperatedly, "You'll find out when we go there."
Shinn smiled, eyes glittering in wonder of what this place could be. "So, it's a surprise then," he said, content with doing what Rey had commanded in order go to the secret location.
"Sure," Rey said, not feeling up to fighting with Shinn about that one. Within a few moments he had cleared his plate. He pushed his plate away from him and sipped on his coffee.
"Geez, Rey. I never see how you can eat so fast," Shinn said with a shake of his head, he was finishing his second bagel. "You eat so prettily and then like, the second you look away--poof! You're done."
Rey shrugged, "It's just how I eat."
"Ah," Shinn said, biting into another bagel. So Rey didn't know either. He poured the syrup on his last bagel before devouring it and setting his plate aside. He wiped at the syrup on his hands futilely, so instead licked himself clean. After de-sticky-fying himself, he took a drink from his cappuccino, "Mmm..." Shinn sighed out. He took another slow sip before saying anything. "What is this? I haven't had it before, but it's really good."
Rey looked pleased, "It's a cappuccino, french vanilla with cocoa powder. I... tried it somewhere, and I thought you'd like it," he said. In a short moment he realized that he was blushing, just enough to be seen against his skin.
Luckily, Shinn didn't notice. He was too involved with his drink to actually notice it. He looked up and smiled at Rey, "Thanks," he said.
Rey looked down in an attempt to shield his deepening blush. "N...no problem..." he said quietly, despising himself for stuttering. As frustrating as it was most times, today, Rey was glad that Shinn was beyond daft. He drank some more of his strong black coffee, before downing it entirely and managing to become blush-free.
Within another minute, Shinn set down his mug, "Well, I'm done. So where are we going?" he asked again, though he knew he wouldn't get an answer.
Rey shook his head and called for the check, "You'll find out in less than ten minutes." he said as the waitress walked over.
"That'll be 27.59," she said with her plastic smile. Shinn reached for his wallet but Rey stopped him with a murmur of 'I'll do it.'
He gave her a fifty, "The rest is your tip," he stood from the table, passing the girl as she stammered.
"Uh, wow... Th-thanks," the waitress got out. Rey just gave her a smile and walked out, Shinn racing after him to catch up. He gave her a thanks and goodbye over his shoulder as he exited.
After they were a decent ways away, approaching a car, Shinn finally spoke, "Wooow, 20 bucks for tip?"
Rey got in the driver's seat, "I was feeling generous is all." he said as Shinn closed his door.
Shinn gave him a look, "Were you trying to make up for the fact that she liked you?"
Rey started the car, "Maybe."
Shinn dropped that subject as soon as Rey tore down the streets at an incredibly high speed. "HOLY--! Do you even have a license!" he asked, clutching his chair as Rey made a particularly sharp turn.
"Of course." Rey said. His voice was normal, but he held a look of concentration. Shinn looked on fearfully as a car in front of them turned and Rey's eyes glinted with annoyance. "Use your turn signal, jackass!" he shouted, angrily. Shinn shrunk back against his seat, he hadn't seen Rey so scary before. He guessed Rey released his frustrations through the firing range and... driving... in order to keep himself as neutral as he was normally.
The rest of the trip was full of more sharp turns and speeding that Shinn would have cared for, but, fortunately there weren't anymore jackasses who didn't know how to use their turn signals. The car stopped abruptly, giving Shinn's stomach a jolt, "Uuugh, did we have to do this right after eating...?" he asked.
"We're here." was all Rey said as he stepped out of the car. Shinn perked up at that and got out as well, wobbling but getting over it after a small walk.
The destination was a particularly huge, mansion-like building. By the time they actually made it up the long winding path to the gate, Shinn felt much better. Rey clicked on the intercom, merely saying, "It's Rey." The gates opened almost immediately and he walked through them. Shinn stood for an extra moment looking over the extravagant structure before realizing that Rey was almost to the door of the manor. He followed him hurriedly, the gate swinging closed the instant after he was passed it.
Rey held the door open for him, wordlessly shutting the door when Shinn entered. "It's this way." he said as he started walking down one of the hallways. Shinn's interest grew as he followed. He wondered where they were going as they went through numerous hallways. Rey finally stopped at another door, turning and looking at Shinn, "You said," he murmured, "that you wanted to learn that song of mine, right?"
He didn't bother waiting for a response, he just opened the door and walked into the room. In it's center was a magnificent black piano. The room's aura reeked of an ice-cold perfection and gave Shinn a bit of a chill, but he ignored it. He looked at the piano and blinked as he walked in, closing the door behind him. "You... you're going to teach me?" he asked, a bit in wonder.
Rey nodded and sat on the piano bench, motioning for Shinn to sit beside him. Shinn did as he was told, sitting down and facing the piano. "There are a number of basics you should know before trying to play the piano... but since you just want to learn this one song for now, we'll bypass those. Just remember to curl your fingers. Also, to warn you, it'll probably take a bit of time to learn. There's plenty of long stretches between notes," Rey informed him in a low voice, soothing and smooth to Shinn, who nodded at the words. "I'm going to play a line of it, and then I'll play it again, but slower. I'll teach you the keys measure by measure and we'll try it like that for the entire song," Rey explained.
"Okay..." Shinn murmured, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful quiet. Being so close to the piano, and Rey, it felt... as though Shinn was invading something sacred. His thought process was broken by the soft, yet crisp sound of a note. Rey continued as he said he would, playing the line, and it again slowly before pointing out the keys to Shinn. Shinn reached out to the piano, it felt cool, but there was still a touch of warmth left from Rey's fingertips.
He awkwardly started to play the measure slowly, when Rey shook his head. "No, you want to try and spread your hands out to here so--" Rey reached an arm around him in order grasp Shinn's right hand and held Shinn's left hand in his and moved then to the correct positions. Shinn found that his face was heating up. Suddenly, Shinn wasn't invading this sanctuary... he was a part of it. The chill he had gotten from the room was banished by the heat of Rey's presence.
After the other boy's lack of response, Rey frowned. "Shinn?" came Rey's voice, soft and questioning.
The brunet started, flush still over his cheeks, "Sorry. What were you saying..?" he asked, trying hard not to let it be known. Or to dwell on the fact that Rey's hands were still on his.
Rey didn't see it, or at least pretended not to. He turned back to the situation at hand, "I was just saying that if you have them out to here, you should be able to reach the keys without having to move all over the piano." He gestured for Shinn to play the line again. Shinn nodded, blush leaving as Rey's touch did the same. He played, slowly as Rey had advised him to at first, and then playing it again.
He played the line repetitively until Rey told him to stop. "Now, take your hands off of the keys, then find where you were and play again," Rey said. Shinn set his hands in his lap and heaved a small sigh before setting them back on the keyboard. He tested a few notes, then successfully found his place and played it without problems.
Rey gave him a small smile. Shinn's heart fluttered just a bit, before he mentally kicked himself. "Uh, so.. the next line is..?" he prompted. Rey didn't spare a word, he merely continued on, and played the next line for him.
Hours went by almost un-noticeably to Shinn. He concentrated on the song with all his heart. They were most likely leaving in the morning, so he only had little time to learn it all. He was nearly done with it... almost fourth-fifths. Rey watched him as he played, a bit fondly, a bit amazed. Shinn was a natural learner. He always seemed to get things down pat quickly, and the piano was no different. He gave the boy the next line he needed to continue. "Now after you play this line, play the entire thing over again a few times," Rey directed. Shinn nodded slowly to his order, completely absorbed in the piece of music. He didn't even notice when Rey stood up and walked to the door. The blond stopped in mid-turn of the door handle and listened to his favorite melody. Although it sounded a bit clumsy and rushed at times, it's imperfection was almost... well, perfect for Shinn. Rey's arrangement of the song sounded so professional and proper, like his personality, but Shinn's own way of playing gave a small insight to his mindset as well.
Rey opened the door quietly and left the room. He returned less than a few minutes later, Shinn was still playing as he took his place once more. He went on until the last line that he had learned, then Rey spoke up, "Are you ready for the next one?"
Shinn looked up at him quickly, he hadn't even noticed Rey gone. "Yeah..." he replied.
"Since we're almost done, I'm going to give you the next few lines at once," he told him, playing the next verse of keys. Rey stayed with him for a few minutes, having to correct his notes every now and then. However, the way Shinn flushed slightly whenever he touched him in order to show him the right keys was a bit... unsettling? Well, whatever. It made him feel nervous. And that was one feeling he did not particularly enjoy. "Now add the verse to the entire song," he said. Shinn nodded, once more taken over by the determination to learn it and know it. Rey watched for a bit longer, before he exited the room again.
Shinn played on, suddenly finding that he had forgotten a few notes when it came to the last part of the song. There wasn't the usual sigh and correction from Rey, however. Shinn turned and became aware that he was alone. He felt kind of stupid as he wondered how long the boy had been gone. Shinn stretched and yawned before seeing how dark it was. He blinked a few times and looked outside. The sun was setting. Shinn stood up, realizing that he'd been here for the entire day practically. He hadn't even noticed.
He opened the door and walked out into the hallway. He smelled an aroma of some kind of meal brewing, and his stomach letting Shinn know how hungry he really was. Oh yeah, he'd skipped lunch. No wonder. He followed the direction of it and eventually found the kitchen, and Rey as well, cooking something in a pot. The blond was aware of his presence almost immediately, although he looked a bit surprised, "Shinn," he greeted. "I'm just making dinner. I'm almost finished, actually... sit down," he said with a gesture of his shoulder towards the modest table for two as he stirred a pot on the stove.
Shinn flushed as his stomach growled loudly and ignored the soft smirk Rey gave him, "So, uh... why are you cooking? In a place like this, I'd imagine they have chefs to cook for you," he said, trying to start a conversation.
"Well, there used to be. But no one really lives here anymore. I know the owner of the place, she's a... friend of the family," Rey spoke, opening the oven to check whatever was in here. "She only comes here for the spring, though. And even then she still prefers to be alone," he went on, Shinn 'oh'-ed.
Rey finally clicked off the stove and pulled the tray out of the oven. Within less than minute, he served Shinn a plate full of spaghetti with french bread, before sitting down to enjoy his own. Shinn grinned, he was starving. He took a bite and blinked, surprised at how good it tasted... better than most italian restaurants he'd been to, in fact.
Rey stared at him from across the table, "So... is that a good blink or a bad blink?" he asked. Shinn looked over at him and smiled at him.
"A good one! I had no idea you were a good cook!" Shinn said, before digging in with his fork and eating a mouthful. Rey ate his pasta casually, blushing once more from Shinn's compliments.
"Not really. It's..." Rey flushed a bit deeper, "the only thing I can make, really. One gets good at cooking something when it's the only thing they can cook."
Shinn gave him a smile.
It was only a few minutes later when Shinn finished his plate, "Uhm, can I have seconds?" he asked, a bit embarrassed at his appetite.
Rey blinked at him for a bit, before a smile came to his face as he stood. "You can have as much as you want," he said as he took and refilled his plate for him.
Shinn laughed sheepishly, "Thanks,"
They spent the rest of the time in a comfortable silence, until Shinn finished his third (or was it the fourth?) plate of spaghetti and set his fork down. "I'm done," he declared, before looking at the blond, "Thanks a lot, Rey. For breakfast and dinner. And teaching me to play,"
"I-it's no problem at all," the blond replied, voice trailing off at the end as he fidgeted nervously, a bit pink.
Shinn chuckled at him, "You really can't handle being complimented, can you?" he asked good natured-ly. The question only caused Rey to protest in vain as he blushed even more.
Rey stood, as if he was trying to escape this degradation. He grabbed his plate, set it on Shinn's and took them both to the automatic dishwasher. He put the dishes in and walked out of the room, before turning back to Shinn, "You coming? There's only three lines left."
Shinn nodded and stood, eager to finish learning the song. He noticed how the pink had ceased to leave Rey's face. "Err, I was kidding about that earlier?" he tried. Rey just shot him a look and shook his head, stalking off toward the music room with Shinn following.
Less than an hour later, Shinn breathed slowly and touched the keys softly. He knew it all, now, and this time he was going to play it all. He started, Rey listening appreciatively. He caught a few poorly-timed notes and unintentional changes in the tempo, but the notes were perfect. Besides, like he had thought earlier, the differences were almost a quirk. Shinn played the last line, slowly sending the song into a halt. Shinn held his breath as he turned to Rey.
Rey smiled at him and nodded, "Good job, Shinn--" he barely got out the words before he was being glomped by an overly-happy Shinn. Well, the boy did have something to be cheerful about. He'd taken less than 24 hours to learn a song that took most a week.
"I did it!" Shinn cheered, before pulling back. He saw Rey's blush again and tilted his head curiously.
Rey looked away from him, "You... wanted to know who I liked didn't you?" he said quietly.
Shinn's eyes widened. Sweet, he'd finally get to find out! Imagine how much money he could make off of this gossip. Of course, Rey would probably brutally murder him in his sleep if he found out about it, but...
"Here's your answer,"
And Rey was kissing him. Shinn's face burned with a deep red. Rey was about to pull away, but, much to his surprise, the brunet stopped him, and, even more to his surprise, started to kiss back.
Okay... maybe he would save the whole selling gossip idea for some other time. The two of them seperated slowly, both pleasantly surprised with the outcome of the day. Suddenly, Shinn frowned, "Rey, am I really 'nobody important'?" he asked dismally, quoting what the boy had said about the person he liked earlier.
Rey looked at him, "Shinn?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
And then they were back to kissing.