Author's Note:
So I went back and reread all of the previous chapters, just so I could remember the writing style and I got all hyped again! Hopefully I won't update too late. I was hoping on trying to add a new chapter as often as possible, eh. But no promises because it only took 17 years for me to realise I'm not so good at keeping those – promises, howeth they make me feel woe! D;
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Kiku fiddled anxiously with the straps on his backpack. He sat alone in the back of Matthew's car, feeling a dour mix of elation and nervousness swirl within him. Kiku swore his emotions were set in stone and his views of love would never change until then but … he supposed sometimes things changed. No, love did not last in this day and age (in his opinion), and, yes, it was only a complicated compilation of dos and don'ts that were only ever unpredictable at best (again in his opinion) and yet he'd told Heracles yes.
They were going on a date.
He and this man who he was barely acquainted with.
They were actually going for coffee.
And Kiku didn't entirely feel bad about it.
Not really good either.
It was just … complicated.
Oh how he hated that word.
"But, like, I don't know!" Alfred's voice exploded from the passenger's seat. Kiku jumped. "I mean c'mon, Iggy! McDonald's is not a bad spot to have a date! Our – yeah I know but that seaside restaurant was totally weird – because! You can't go around calling fries chips, dude! It's confusing!"
So it was a conversation with Professor Kirkland. Kiku sank low in his seat. And of course it was about love. Karma was messing with him – rubbing the uncomfortable topic of love and relationships in his face. The Japanese man sat with a distinct frown staining his face until … Wait …! He perked up again. It was about love! Alfred was going to go on a date! There was no doubt the American would know about how it worked!
"Alfred–"
"Iggy NO~! It's not the same! No it's not! If we go to that restaurant you better keep Big Ben in your pants tonight because you aren't getting any!"
"Honestly, Al?" Matthew huffed from the driver's seat. "I really did not need to hear that."
Right. Alfred was on the phone. Kiku sat back. He would just wait until Alfred was done – then he would ask. Kiku didn't want to interrupt. Interrupting would be rude.
And so he waited ... the whole ride through. Alfred never got off the phone with Professor Kirkland, and Kiku was forced to listen to one half of an argument about whether or not a seaside restaurant with fish and chips was better than a McDonald's with a view of the official city garden.
Matthew pulled up to the curb in front of Yong Soo's townhouse and stopped the car. He swivelled in his seat to look at Kiku. "What time do you want me to pick you up?" he asked, trying to talk over Alfred's voice.
"But you said you liked gardens!" The American whined.
Kiku quickly banished his frown and smiled at Matthew. "I should be ready by 9," Kiku answered loudly. Alfred was quite loud.
"You did! We were walking that one time and you said how they reminded you of stories your mom told you and shit!"
Matthew glanced back at the radio clock and again at Kiku. "So in two hours, th–" There was a ding! and the quiet blond put up a finger. "Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile.
"What'd you mean 'what stories'? The ones your mom told you about faeries and shit."
Kiku watched Matthew reach into his pocket and pull out his cell phone. He slid it open and the screen lit up, reflecting off his glasses. The Japanese man watched as the other's eyes flickered across the screen.
"Okay okay! Not 'and shit'. Sorry, I didn't mean it. I was just making a poi– Iggy don't be mad! I'm sorry!"
Matthew sighed. "Ugh, really, Gil?" He muttered to the device and tapped in a reply on the miniature keyboard before putting the phone away again. "Sorry about that."
Kiku stared at him. The idea hit him like a ton of bricks. Matthew. He was in a relationship! He probably knew everything about love and dates and those other subjects that Kiku wasn't equipped to deal with! Matthew-kun was the key!
"Oh it is fine," Kiku told him. After all, there were much bigger frogs to fry – wait no, that didn't sound right. Not frogs … what was the expression? Oh right! Fish; bigger fish to fry! "Matthew I, um," – he blushed – "was hoping you could help me with something, please."
"Oh?" The Canadian voiced, encouraging Kiku to explain further.
"C'mon, Iggy– sorry sorry! How about Artie? No? British? Not that either? England? I think that's a cute nickna– okay, fine … Arthur. But I don't want to eat anywhere else!"
Kiku squirmed. Suddenly asking Matthew seemed like a bad idea. But he needed to know, learning about romance was a must. How would he be successful in life if he didn't understand the human emotion? "I … do you think … y-you could teach me about … l-love?"
He dared a peek at Matthew; the blond's eyes were wide as saucers.
"Love?" Matthew echoed.
Kiku nodded.
"I do want to go out, though! I just– okay! Fine! Alright! We'll go to the seaside place." Alfred sighed.
The other blushed. "W-why?"
A blanket of dread settled over the Japanese man. Now he was going to have to explain. He was hoping to avoid that. "Well, I … I was asked out toda–"
"HOLD UP!" Alfred spun in the passenger's seat and ogled Kiku in shock. "Keeks you have a date? With who?"
"Hai I do, his name is Heracles."
Alfred shrugged. "I've never heard of him. He must not be important, dude."
Kiku wasn't sure about how to reply to that. Maybe in Alfred's eyes Heracles wasn't so important but the Japanese man found himself growing a soft spot for the stranger. Well … not so much growing as it was already there and Kiku did his best to ignore it. Now, though, he felt he had no other choice but to recognize the feelings as something he would have to deal with. And thus when he heard himself defend Heracles he was not so surprised as he may have been days prior.
"You do not have to know someone for them to be important," Kiku retorted.
Alfred cocked a brow. "Is that so?" He asked, his tone light and amused. "Do you think he's important, Kiku?"
The other was taken aback by the question. It felt like the blond had the Japanese man cornered and helpless. Did he? Kiku felt heat spread across his cheeks. He should. But he did not know if he did. After all, he barely knew Heracles. Surely not well enough to call him important.
Then again ….
If anyone else would have asked him out Kiku would have replied: "Gomen, but I need to focus on school." No ifs ands or buts.
So then Heracles was important. In his mind that sounded more like a question than a statement, albeit it was a statement.
Admitting such a thing to the two men before him was out of the question. Kiku didn't want to have to explain anything more – it was embarrassing! Perhaps if he were more like Feliks, a Polish student who worked at the campus café, he could be more open about the topic. Yes, if Kiku hung around Feliks long enough he would be bolder. The Japanese man was very impressionable.
"So, like, hai, I totally think he's important!" Kiku would say … if he could say it.
He didn't say anything.
"Alfred leave him alone," Matthew said. His violet eyes fell on the cell phone in the boisterous blond's hand. "And weren't you in the middle of a conversation? I wouldn't exactly peg Arthur as the patient kind – at least not with you, eh" Matthew interjected, mumbling.
Alfred's eyes went wide and he brought the phone back to his ear. "Iggy you there?"
Muffled shouting erupted from the cell phone and Alfred began with his stream of apologies. Matthew sighed. "Maybe we should talk about this later ... when it's quiet!" he yelled over his brother.
Kiku bobbed his head up and down slowly in agreement. He wasn't sure that he even wanted to talk about it with Alfred anymore, not if his questions were going to be answered with more questions and personal input.
When the smaller Asian man left the car he felt unfulfilled. Nothing was accomplished at all! His figure drooped. This was just so very confusing. He adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and GLOOM-ed over Yong Soo's front door.
"Ai wa orokadesu," he muttered bitterly. "I just want to go back to Japan and cuddle with my Sailor Moon pillow."
0oo0=(Y)=0oo0
Heracles drifted in the elevator, floated down the hallway, and wafted into his apartment, all the while grinning like a fool. He was going on a date with his psipsina! He could not have asked for anything more! Actually … yes he could have. Like the Japanese man's innocence. But that would have to wait for a later day. For now he had to worry about their date.
Heracles landed softly on the couch and sighed happily. Narcissus, an American shorthair, turned away from the mirror to look at him and vainfully* turned back, uninterested.
"You may not care," he spoke softly to the cat. "But I just got my psipsina to agree to go out with me. I've been trying to find him for days. We're going to drink coffee. I think I love him."
Narcissus meowed in annoyance and strode over to the coffee table. He jumped onto the glass surface and gazed at his reflection, not caring about Heracles' spiel.
"I'm going to tell him when we go out … I should call him and tell him now … Kiku gave me his number … did I mention his name is Kiku? My psipsina has the cutest na–"
A vicious knock came from the door. "Karpusi open your damn door!"
It was Sadik.
"I'll continue later."
Heracles sat up slowly and took his time getting to the door. He stopped at the wooden blockade and stared at it. He really did not want to open it. Especially for Sadik. He was going to ruin Heracles' good mood.
The knocking continued and Heracles figured that if he walked carefully, making soundless footsteps, he could make Sadik think he wasn't home and the Turkish man would go away. Yeah, that seemed like the smart thing to do. He turned on his heel–
"DON'T YOU DARE! I CAN SEE YOU, HERACLES!"
Curse the peephole.
Heracles grunted and walked back to the door. He opened it and stared at Sadik. He wasn't in his work clothes, this time he was wearing a dirty white shirt and ripped jeans, an apron hung around his neck and his head was wrapped in a bandana.
"Are you going to a cleaning convention?" Heracles asked, amusement obvious in his voice.
Sadik glared at him. "No. I'm here to he …" he coughed. "He … hel … p … he … l … p – I'm here to assist you."
"With what?" Heracles asked.
"Cleaning." Sadik pushed the Greek to the side and analyzed the apartment. "Trust me you need it."
Arguing with Sadik meant an unnecessary loss of air in Heracles lungs. He gave Sadik more space and the other walked in. "How long is this going to take?" the brown-haired man asked.
Sadik stepped over a snoozing kitty and scanned the room. There was some serious work to be done. Because, just as a start; the place reeked of cat food and kitty litter, hell, he couldn't just ignore the (semi-)hidden heaps of cat shit that were (not so) cleverly scattered around, and Sadik was sure he could see the gleam of puddles (of piss) on the hardwood floor and the linoleum tiles in the kitchen.
No. This was not right.
Cats everywhere. On piles of garbage bags (unpacked clothing – Heracles moved in MONTHS ago), on the fridge (Sadik was still trying to figure out the reason of its, the fridge's, presence because it was ALWAYS empty) , on the couches (no longer made of plaid fabric, now made of cat hair – in Sadik's opinion), on the TV (and it was a wonder that the Greek could watch it when there was always some cats limp tail swishing around the screen), etc.
Empty plates in the sink, over flowing garbage ... in other words: the place was damn filthy!
"This is going to take some serious elbow grease – I think my nose hairs are melting and fusing my nostrils shut."
"How long is that?" Heracles groaned, clearly wanting to get back to the point.
"More time than I'd like," Heracles answered. Or want to spend with you in this filthy rats nest, he added silently.
It was going to be a very long night
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Translations!
Ai wa orokadesu (Japanese) - Love is stupid
STAR NOTE!
*Vainfully - I totally made that word up xD
So yeah, my laptop broke.
My mom is afraid to make me touch her computer.
My house has no PC.
School isn't an easy place to write a story like this.
And I don't know if these count as excuses but again this was not the entire chapter. I just hated making you wait so long. Sorry =(
Comments are appreciated, eh!