A week had passed since Kaworu initially saw that the once-abandoned building next door was getting an owner. During that time, his mind was clouded over with thoughts of what the new owners would be like. He'd asked around town about the little soon-to-be bakery. Most were saying it was a family business, which he'd already guessed from the name of it—'Ikari's'—and that they would be in business pretty soon. On the face of it, it was just a family of three; a mother and father with their son. They sounded like a basic nuclear family, and Kaworu wondered how on earth they'd manage with such a small staff. But it wasn't likely that some other bakery would turn up out of the blue and out-class them and run them out of business.
He hadn't heard much about their son from the rumors aside from the bruit that he was about the same age as Kaworu. He'd felt a ridiculous amount of relief upon first hearing that, now having the chance to actually make a friend for the first time since he'd come to this town. The folks here were very pleasant, but it was rare to find someone his age to talk to. There was that redhead, Asuka, that would come to the library occasionally to check out history books; she was always focused on schoolwork, thinking she couldn't give anyone the time of day, lest she fail her assignments from "slacking off". She was nasty toward him, anyway.
Kaworu had spent that week trying to imagine what their son would be like, coming up with ideas on how he'd look, like some typical bakery boy with hair stained white from flour and wearing an apron. The bakery had just opened that day, and was packed with people getting pastries and cakes in the morning. He figured he would visit once it was less crowded. He loathed having to admit it, but he wasn't exactly good with other people. He wasn't shy, just the opposite. Kaworu was a very straight-forward person, liking to tell someone just what was on his mind; and normally made people feel uncomfortable around him and have even seen him as rude. He never insulted people, only told them exactly what was on his mind. Once, a man came in researching ways to fix his car's broken parts, asking Kaworu advice on what books he should get. The man showed him several pictures of what his car looked like, and the younger commented that he should consider getting a better car next time. The man got offended and took it as Kaworu shaming his taste in cars, and even went as far as to yell at him. Kaworu still remembered struggling to keep him quiet as his shouts echoed throughout the entire complex. He just wasn't too good at talking to others. That was one of the reasons why he liked working at a library where he didn't have to talk much, couldn't even if he wanted to. He knew it was a form of self-restraint, but always passed it off as just wanting to surround himself with books, which wasn't a lie.
Kaworu wrapped his thin scarf tighter around his neck and covered his nose with it, tucking the end into the folds of the silky fabric, exhaling hard into the material in hopes of using his body heat to warm himself up as he made his way to the book store. It was his day off, and all he'd been doing was thinking about the new bakery on the corner. Winter was coming soon, and he wanted to buy all the books he'd been telling himself to buy for months now before he would be holed up in his little studio apartment. Kaworu stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, reminding himself to grab his gloves next time he decided to go out.
The bookstore was noticeably far away from the library, and he understood why very clearly. Having two businesses using books as their main content would lead to competition in such a small town. Kaworu should have headed over from the library after work when he was able to leave early, but instead procrastinated and made the decision to leave from his apartment, even farther from the store. The effort was still worth it even at this point, nodding to himself as he checked over his mental list of what he'd be purchasing; he even worked at and lived closer to the library, but the choice was his. Kaworu preferred owning the books rather than having to return them after reading. Having shelves of books in what little space he had of living space just gave him a sense of comfort. His little one-room apartment was something he was grateful to have, and managed it enough to work out quite nicely. He only bought the furnishing that would fit perfectly in his space and still leave him some floor room, after measuring the spaces they were to occupy precisely down to the very millimeter. A little book shelf was nothing in the area he'd managed to save. He felt pride in himself in getting one with enough volume to hold not only books, but also some personal belongings.
Wind was picking up and biting at Kaworu's cheeks and ears, flushing them a deep red, and he suppressed a shiver making his body tremble as he pulled his windbreaker closer to him. His body was hunched over as he struggled to walk in the direction the wind blew harshly from, wishing the store owners would somehow move their store back to where the larger buildings were to block out the harsh weather. He brought a bag with him to carry his books he was to purchase, mainly just to protect them from the upcoming storm he knew he'd have to walk through if he spent too much time at the store. He clutched onto it even as his hands were balled into fists packed in his pockets. Kaworu wondered if he could just stay there until the storm passed, pretending to look at the books thoughtfully for hours. He knew how childish and foolish it was, so he had no choice but to grab the books he needed and make it home in one piece; damn the risk of catching a cold.
Something cold plopped on the uncovered bridge of his nose. The young man stopped in his tracks for just a second until he finally registered the cause of the sudden prickling feeling. He wiped the rain drop off his face, then gingerly put his cold, numb hand pack into the windbreaker pouch. More splashes of water were starting to dot the asphalt, occasionally hitting his face as he made his way through the sprinkling, the air suddenly feeling humid and picking up the familiar odor of rain. The downpour wasn't supposed to come about until hours later, and part of Kaworu was believing it to be a cloudburst before the actual storm. 'If it's a cloudburst,' he thought, 'then it'll start pouring down any second. I won't make it at this rate.' Decorative lights hanging above establishments could just barely be seen through the groggy mid-morning haze, and Kaworu made up his mind to step into a building until the cloudburst was over. A homely patio was spotted nearby with little flowery tables lining the outside. He stepped into the building, which so happened to be the newly opened corner bakery.
The shoppe was pleasantly warmer than the outside. Kaworu's eyes had to adjust to the lights after being in the dim mist outside, pupils contracting then returning to their original size. Front windows illuminated the area, even though it was darker outside. Tiny white Christmas lights accented the frosty glass of the windows. The store itself was narrow, with the kitchen in the back. The baking area was separated from the shoppe stylishly by a crosshatched wooden garden gate, decorated with fake green vines swirling around the wood. To the right was the counter, stretching all the way across the shoppe and ending just before it reaches the kitchen. The lights weren't too bright, nor too subdued, and he exhaled a contempt sigh. The carpet had little blue and yellow flowery designs, and the displays in the windows had enormous cakes adorned with gumpaste snowflakes and mittens, perfect for the upcoming winter. The hum of a coffee machine could be heard in the corner, along side the little hot beverage section were shelves reaching the ceiling, lined with mugs of all sizes and prepared loaves of bread and pastries. The entire establishment smelled of freshly baked bread and pastries in an absolutely heavenly way. Laced with the scent of baked goods was the subtle sweet aroma of.. roses? How lovely.
'The books can wait...' Kaworu thought absentmindedly. He stepped over to one of the raised tables with the wooden bar stools, taking care to politely wipe off his muddied high-top sneakers beforehand. Endearing royal blue and yellow plaid tablecloths accented the dark wooden tables and carpet elegantly, but also gave it a playful feeling. A blown glass vase of fake bluebells sat in the middle of the raised table admirably. He approached the oil painting just behind the table on the wall of a steaming cup of coffee on a gray and brown background, gazing at it appreciatively. Any worries he had of a storm or any bookstores had since then vanished into thin air. His troubles were simply brushed off his shoulder. He never thought that something as simple as a bakery could put him at such ease. This shoppe was no short of elegant, he decided, feeling satisfied with the surroundings.
Another hum, this time definitely not a coffee pot, snapped him out of his trance. Kaworu realized he probably looked goofy as he sat there staring at a painting silently, and turned himself toward the front counter. It hadn't really crossed his mind that someone would be working here, but they hadn't said anything, so he figured they didn't mind. At first he didn't see anyone up there, figuring it was just his imagination, until he saw movement behind the glass display of pastries. Someone was crouched down, placing fresh cinnamon rolls into the empty slot. Kaworu couldn't see much of them as they were not only behind a glass covering, but were also obscured by rows and rows of shelves covered in sweets. They stood up, and Kaworu's eyes traveled up their figure as they did so. The person was busy wiping their hands off on their navy blue flour-stained apron, and the albino man's eye landed on their face. His guess what that this was a boy, unless if it was an unmentioned girl working here (with a flat chest, but Kaworu wasn't focused on that particular area).
Kaworu mindlessly made his way to the counter, his gaze never leaving the boy who was patting the flour off his apron. He assumed this was the son of the Ikaris, looking him over as he busied himself with cleaning the fabric. He was noticeably shorter than Kaworu, that was for sure, but not much so, considering they were the around the same age (from what he'd heard, at least). He had a deep shade of brown hair with wispy bangs, concealing his face. He raised his head, revealing his features to Kaworu. The other boy's eyes were but a dull shade of blue-gray, but the former still thought they were no less than enchanting. A sudden sharp pain in Kaworu's chest broke him from his spell when the corner of the counter stopped his amnesic walking. He let out a startled "oof", rubbing the sore spot. The boy on the other side must have just now noticed him, jumping subtly when he snapped his head up toward Kaworu. They only stared blankly at each other for the longest second the albino had ever lived through until the brunette at last reacted. A delicate smile graced his observably soft features in a silent greeting and Kaworu could have sworn time stopped. A warmth spread through his body, pooling in his chest and he felt his heart melt. The boy had such lovely features; marginally plump cheeks, round eyes with such an attractive iris color, both complimented by an inviting, beaming smile. His heart was fluttering unmanageably, senses going numb and cheeks heating up to a light rosy color when he realized he'd been staring. Still, the young man in front of him still hadn't spoken once; Kaworu thought that maybe the other felt no need to chirp a simple 'Hello! How may I help you?', and all he could do was smile back in a (hopefully) charming way.
Kaworu suddenly felt the strongest urge to fix his unruly hair. Had his hair always been sticking out at such an awkward angle? Did he have something on his face? His albinism must have looked weird and ugly to the other. His fingers twitched as he fought the itch to adjust his physical state of being, on an impulse feeling as though he had to impress this stranger he'd just now seen working at the new bakery as if his life depended on it. He told himself repeatedly that it just was because the shoppe was right next to where he works, and that he didn't want to leave a bad impression of him on his 'neighbors'.
His thoughts were interrupted when the brunette shifted awkwardly, snapping Kaworu out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat nervously and tried to play off his staring as him just looking over the menu, which, thank God, was just behind him. He made eye contact with the stranger again, who was now looking rather nervous under the stare of a tall albino man.
"A-ahem, ah, sorry." he stuttered.
Stuttering..? That isn't like me at all. Must have slipped.
He moved his eyes to focus on the chalkboard behind the baker, deciding as quick as he could on what to order now, just to further add to the deception. He settled on the first thing he'd seen, a slice of lemon pound cake. "Could I have the classic lemon cake?" he requested, mentally scolding himself for not adding 'pound cake', but his words were stumbling over each other; he'd had to say his words carefully in order, and even then had failed with such a simple question. After glancing back up at the menu, he noticed they only had the lemon pound cake, and he felt his self-consciousness boost up to an alarming level, cheeks coloring red again. He'd been (seemingly) staring at a menu for so long, and ordered something they didn't even have.
Luckily, he saw the other person's eyes light up in recognition and nod. "O-oh, sure thing!" he called as he was already rushing the scribbled-down order to the kitchen window. Kaworu decided he liked the other boy's voice just from that exclamation alone. It was a soft, dainty voice that still had a boyish charm to it. He felt weird thinking this, but in that oversized apron with bits of flour still clouding the dark blue material, that boy was… cute? Should he use that word? No, it didn't seem appropriate for a boy the same age as him. 'Attractive' was a gross understatement, but 'cute' was a bit too feminine, despite the boy's fair features and form. He settled on the word 'artful', still describing him as attractive, but excused as an intelligent and artistic word.
When the brunette returned to the counter, Kaworu had taken a glance at his name tag. "Shinji Ikari..." he tested the name on his tongue, not meaning to say it out loud. Shinji looked up from methodically wrapping the golden pound cake with his delicate fingers, his round eyes locking his gaze with Kaworu. He sputtered, trying to correct his sudden calling of his name. "Ah! Sorry, it's just that.." he accidentally trailed off, not meaning to suddenly start a conversation. His mind swam as he came up with an excuse that wasn't an entirely untruthful. "I heard about the new family business here, and that their names were the 'Ikaris'. You must be their son?" He mentally exhaled a dramatic relieved sigh, thankful he was able to come up with something so fast. Shinji's eyes brightened and he smiled warmly as he finished wrapping the pastry. He leaned forward on the counter interestedly, and Kaworu noted the way he stood on his tiptoes to reach above the high glass structure.
He nodded eagerly. "Mm-hm, my mom and I work the counter while my dad covers the rest, and then there's chefs working in the kitchen. We came here from the city, deciding to start a small business out in the country. The city was way too crowded, and we wanted a simpler place to live." Shinji went on about the bakery, startling Kaworu with how fast he was to talk about something he clearly took interest in. It was obvious that Shinji enjoyed working here, and Kaworu couldn't stop himself from smiling fondly at him. That must have broken Shinji from his thoughts, pulling back a little bit to look down at his sneakers with a bright blush covering his cheeks. "A-ah, sorry. What's your name?" he asked nervously, taking his palms off the counter to twiddle his thumbs.
Kaworu's eyebrows raised, not expecting the brunette to get flustered over such a small thing, but felt the shyness pull him to the stuttering boy. Feeling more confident, he introduced himself; "I'm Kaworu, Kaworu Nagisa. I work at the library next door." Kaworu reached his hand to shake it with Shinji's for a formal greeting, before realizing how awkward that must be. Before he could pull it away, Shinji's friendly smile returned to his face as he shook Kaworu's hand with a light giggle in amusement at the gesture.
Shinji beamed. "I really like books, so I'll definitely be there when I'm off. A-and if you like bakery stuff, you could come over here when you get the chance," he added, getting flustered. If Kaworu wasn't mistaken, it sounded just like Shinji was asking him to come visit him-er, the bakery.
Absentmindedly rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, the taller of the two took a quick glance around to make sure there weren't any other customers around so he wouldn't get in the way of business. After seeing that the coast was clear, Kaworu returned his gaze to Shinji and continued their conversation.
"I've always had a love for books, so I thought that surrounding myself with them for a job sounded nice," he said lightheartedly, hoping to ease Shinji out of his embarrassed state (and get him to giggle in that sunny way again, but he convinced himself otherwise). "I was just on my way to the book store before the storm."
"I heard they have a huge selection there. Hey, my shift is almost over, maybe I could go with you?" Shinji asked hopefully, trying to conceal his excitement. He was definitely a friendly person, and Kaworu decided he liked him very much. At last, he has made a friend in this town.
Kaworu nodded calmly, hiding his ecstasy in being able to hang out with his new friend that had the same interests as he. The forgotten pastry was paid for, and the two agreed to head over to the store when Shinji's shift ended and the rain stopped. It was amazing how something so small could change Kaworu's mood so much. The day seemed promising.