Author's Note: As I do not have a word processor better than Wordpad, due to computer problems, I am unable to edit this chapter with the same attention as previous chapters. Sometime in the future, this chapter may be edited.

Neither saint would have imagined to have lunch with the other, but circumstances brought their friendship closer. Leo Aiolia finished his meal first, and Scorpio Milo finished not long after. He had paused several times to make conversation, and each attempt was a lame observation to get the Leo saint's attention. This lunch in the city wasn't planned. The two had actually left Sanctuary in a huff. Both were unsure of the situation the left in Sanctuary.

Milo finished his glass of water. "Aiolia, you think our talk affected him to behave that way?"

"I don't know." The Leo saint quaffed his water. Despite having a meal so quickly, his mouth still felt like he had tasted something unpleasant hours before.

This was an autumn day when the two saints decided to visit the Pisces temple. Months earlier, the two had spoken to Aphrodite about certain issues. Since Virgo Shaka was unable to help Aiolia, the Leo saint found help in the Scorpio saint. Together, they gave what they felt was an informative conversation. Afterwards, the saints seemed to be on friendlier terms, with either making a weekly visit to Aphrodite. However, this time both went, and the time of day coincided with what must have been a recent habit of the Pisces saint. Both only peered through a doorway to catch sight of their fellow saint in the most depraved behavior imaginable. They quietly retreated and felt the need to flee further away from the disturbing epicenter. This is what brought them to their lunch.

Aiolia held his hands, as if in contemplation. Although the two saints were on friendly terms, they couldn't be considered friends in the truest sense. Although both shared a deep sense of justice, Aioria had always lived on the outside due to his brother. This was why he distanced himself even from potential friends like Milo. This current situation, however, introduced a change in their relationship. Both had undergone the same problem, so they were comrades in the awkward situation.

"Maybe we should confront Aphrodite about this?"

"No, Milo, that's a stupid idea. He'll think we're spying on him."

"We can't possibly be called perverts compared to him. Did you see what he was doing to himself?"

"Yes I saw, and I rather prefer you didn't remind me of that." Aioria called the waitress for more water. The mere memory of that sight caused a gag reflex in him. "Look, we can't let him know we know his... ugh, 'secret."

"But we can't ignore it! He's probably defiling the temple even as we speak!"

"I can't go back there. The sight of any temple is enough to sicken me." They drank more water in silence, this time chewing the ice to kill further time.

Milo checked his watch. "Well have to go back sometime. We've been here an hour already. The manager is starting to get suspicious."

"Order a dessert then."

"I can't, I don't have anymore money for that." This crossed Aiolia's mind in a strong way. He checked his pockets. The both of them could only afford what they already ate. "So we can't stay here then."

"Let's just pay and go elsewhere." Milo only finished when a streak of blonde hair entered the restaurant.

"Oh, wow, the both of you are here too!" The feminine voice was as unmistakable as the mole on the arrival's cheek.

"What a coincidence, Aphrodite." Milo weakly smiled as he chewed an ice cube. "We must be psychic, or something." Aioria suddenly chewed a mouthful of ice cubes. His glare matched Milo's to the exact mood.

When Aphrodite's hand rested on the table, Aioria slowly slid his glass away. He was well-aware of where Aphrodite's hand had been. "Have you two already eaten?"

"Yes, actually. We were just about to leave."

"Oh..." Aioria could see the watery disappointment in Aphrodite's face.

"Actually we only..." Whether it was telepathically or physically, Milo converyed his signal of protest to Aiolia to abort what he was about to say. It was too late, and the words left his mouth without realizing what he got himself into. "...Had a snack since we couldn't afford a full meal." He bit his honest tongue. He suddenly felt very small.

"Oh that's alright, I can treat you both to a big lunch. You don't mind, right?"

Milo gave up. "No, not at all. Thank you." He shifted aside to let Aphrodite sit next to him. He was certain that if he got in contact with the Pisces saint at all, he would melt. A sudden whiff of fragrances calmed him.

Aioria didn't hold his tongue. "What's that smell?"

"Oh, I just had a bath. I started using a new deodorant."

"That's perfume, Aphrodite."

"Oh, it is?" He blushed with embarassment. The dampness in his hair was a relief for the two gold saints. Surely Aphrodite was nowhere near as hazardous as he was when they last saw him. "I can't tell these things apart." Aphrodite called the waitress for a menu, and explained that he along with the other two would have much more food. Aioria noticed an unfamiliar stutter in his speech. Although he went outside much more often in the past month, the Pisces saint was still introverted enough to lose confidence talking to new people. "I just decided to go to the city for lunch today. Who knew we'd go to the same restaurant?" Both Milo and Aioria awkwardly laughed.

Aioria remembered that because Aphrodite was so introverted, he almost never used his meager stipend that all gold saints receive. Given the years of isolation, the Pisces saint really could afford a feast for three men. Then something very red caught the Leo saint's attention. When had Aphrodite worn a bow in his hair? He swore it wasn't there before. A glance at Milo's eyes told the saint that he was not alone in the observation. They mentally agreed to ignore the oddity and continue to humor their inept peer.

"So... what were you two talking about before I came in?" Aioria watched the feminine hand curl around the new glass.

"Not much." Aioria leaned back and took a deep breath.

"Actually, I was going over the new trainee assignments with Aiolia." This caused the Leo saint to straighten, and then lean forward with a regretful attention. He knew Milo was lying.

"New trainee assignments? The pope gave out new assignments?"

"Not many. You didn't get any students?"

"No." Aphrodite sipped his water again. He liked how he could enjoy this water with almost no headache.

Milo expected more of a response from Aphrodite, so he wondered if it was pointless to lie at all. When Aphrodite set his glass down, Milo instinctively jerked away as if the Pisces saint was still untouchable. Never did such a dainty arm generate so much fear. "Well, there's not much to discuss about the new students. No real talent after the groups that started two years ago. Even Death Queen Island has a student from then, and the student is still alive."

Aioria remembered what he had observed in Sanctuary on a daily basis. "Right now it looks like Ophiuchus Shaina's student, Cassios, is the strongest training for the Pegasus cloth."

"It's not a strong cloth, anymore, Aioria." Milo didn't hesitate to share what he knew. "It's quite flimsy from overuse. I bet once it's worn again, it'll need to be revived by Mu. That's if the Aries saint ever shows his face in Sanctuary again. Maybe Mu is trying to destroy sainthood by keeping himself in such an impossible, secret place."

"So there isn't any promising student that just started now?" Aphrodite chewed an ice cube. The pink lipstick was more obvious than ever, and made Aioria nearly wretch at the idea that he was looking a creature that, despite all the effeminate dressings, had a penis.

Aioria shook his head a little to get his mind off Aphrodite. "No there isn't. They're like that student of Eagle Marin. Even though she personally instructed him since he arrived at Sanctuary, he hasn't shown much potential compared to Cassios."

"The last Pegasus saint earned his cloth in two years, so none of those kids can hope to be at such a level." When Milo spoke, the waitress served them salad. She served a pitcher of water this time. Aphrodite poured first, and this caused the other two to be apprehensive about taking the pitcher afterwards. They knew where that hand had been, and did not wish to share its experience by proxy. Milo, by some sudden stroke of wit, held his glass in the way that obligated Aphrodite to pour for him, and Aioria likewise followed the trick. They knew that when their water depleted again, one of them would have to touch the handle. So they planned to wait until Aphrodite poured for himself again before refilling their glasses.

The waitress returned with bread and olive oil, and explained that the restaurant began to serve the compliments of dinner at this hour. Milo happened to look at the exact moment when Aphrodite bit into his bread. He gulped as his imagination warped what he saw earlier that day juxtaposed onto what he presently saw. He averted his gaze to see that the restaurant was filling up. Was it two hours spent in this restaurant already?

The waitress served a glass of wine to Aphrodite. The saint gave a glance at Aioria and Milo that seemed to ask, "Does this restaurant serve complimentary wine?"

Both saints returned their glances and gave the impression, "No, wine is only ordered, and we did not order any."

The short moment for confusion was settled when the waitress informed Aphrodite of what she did. "Compliments from the gentleman at that table, miss." Her head tilted to indicate which patron it was that sent the wine. The waitress left a dumbfounded Aphrodite looking at this man who knew his inviting message was getting a reaction. Aphrodite blushed, but not from flattery. That slow, painful pulse emerged at the back of his head. He glanced at both Aioria and Milo, and they could see the embarassment in his eyes. Aioria wished this whole event didn't happen, because the watering in the Aphrodite's saddened eyes was something that made his insides churn.